Recruiting Report: Bjorn Knutson (2018)
The Byron Bears have a lot of cause for optimism heading into the winter season. A primary reason is the return of Bjorn Knutson.
Knutson, a 6-foot-2 shooting guard, spent the grassroots season with D1 Rise, playing with a collection of some of the top players in Southern Minnesota and against top competition all over the country.
After a slow start to the season, Knutson said he was pleased with how the team adjusted and progressed.
“It went really well actually,” Knutson said. “As we progressed through the year we started playing well together. Guys are used to being the best player on their team and in AAU you might not be the top dog. So the start for a lot of teams is guys getting over egos a little bit. When we did that, things really clicked.”
Adapting to not being the surefire go-to guy after being in that role for a long time can be a challenge. Knutson made it look easy as he excelled playing off the ball and using his shooting ability and athleticism to score on spot ups, cuts and in transition.
“I think the biggest growth I made was being able to score effectively without the ball in my hands,” said Knutson. “Spotting up, cutting, using screens and playing off the ball. I definitely think the competition helps, being exposed to that is huge. Down here in Byron, you know who the good players are. When you are on a national level like that there are always things to reach for. The talent you are exposed to motivates you.”
Knutson is a two-sport star for the Bears and is drawing a lot of interest from colleges to play football and basketball. He’s still split on which sport he wants to ulimately pursue but he’s got no shortage of options.
“I’m still right down the middle,” said Knutson. “A lot of NSIC schools and Drake for football. For basketball it’s basically been a lot of the MIAC and DIII schools in Wisconsin. I’m still not sure which sport I want to commit to. I’m not in a rush to make a decision but I want to have a better grasp on it early in basketball season. I know a lot of football schools will hold out offers for another month or so and see how seniors do, so that could impact things. Education will certainly play a big role too.”