Simon Fraser University added Haida Gwaii shooting guard Nathan Vogstad to the men’s varsity basketball team this fall.
Vogstad comes to SFU from Haida Gwaii, where he played high school basketball for the Queen Charlotte Saints.
"Nathan is a tough basketball player that can really shoot the ball," said SFU head coach James Blake in a Clan press release. "Our staff is excited about his feel for the game and you can tell he has played with older guys growing up in a small community. I'm pretty sure his coach and SFU alumni David Wahl has been playing against him one-on-one for the last couple of years. He does not back down from anyone and that mentality will help him defensively at the next level."
Last season, Vogstad broke a nearly 50-year-old B.C. high school record for most points in a game, when he scored 75 against Mount Baker at the AAA provincial championship tournament. The previous record was set in 1965 by Sam Vandermeulen of Abbotsford, when he scored 58 points in a game.
"The fact that SFU plays in the NCAA really attracted me to going there, Knowing that I will be playing some top-notch basketball in the states, while receiving training at a high level to get me better as a player and a person made SFU a great fit,” said Vogstad.
"I am a hard-nosed guard who works hard on defence. I play the two guard position and sometimes the point but I am more of a scorer than anything. I like to shoot the three and spread the floor well. My goals for next season are to do whatever it takes to help the Clan win and improve my strength and conditioning. Another goal of mine is to improve my basketball IQ. I'm excited to be learning new things every day and to get better as a player.”
Vogstad is 6-0 and averaged 26 points per game during the regular season last year.
"Nathan and his team showed me resilience and dedication to each other, and to the game of basketball this year. Even more impressing is that Nathan and his team were able to place in the provincial championships, an amazing story coming all the way from the isolated community of Haida Gwaii. Nathan's family and community of Haida Gwaii have done a great job developing an amazing person and I look forward to coaching him and watching him grow at SFU," added Blake.
Vogstad is of First Nation’s descent and has won multiple most valuable player awards in tournaments. He has also played on the Basketball B.C. under-17 provincial team.
