Introducing Mr. Basketball Candidate #3: Tanner Te Slaa

<p><em>As part of our preseason preview content, we’re counting down the top dozen candidates for this year’s Mr. Basketball award, presented annually to the top senior in the state. Our countdown continues with our No. 3 player, Boyden-Hull wing [player_tooltip player_id="682290" first="Tanner" last="Te Slaa"].</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/Tanner-Te-Slaa.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1224769" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/Tanner-Te-Slaa-300x188.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="188" /></a><strong>Name:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="682290" first="Tanner" last="Te Slaa"]<br /> <strong>Height:</strong> 6-5<br /> <strong>Position:</strong> SF<br /> <strong>School:</strong> Boyden-Hull</p> <p><strong>2020-21 stats:</strong> 581 points (21.5/game), 197 rebounds (7.3), 106 assists (3.9), 52 steals (1.9), 53.1 FG%, 36.6 3P%, 81.0 FT%<br /> <strong>Career stats:</strong> 1,278 points (15.8), 427 rebounds (5.3), 201 assists (2.5), 115 steals (1.4), 51.6 FG%, 39.3 3P%, 81.4 FT%</p> <p><strong>About Te Slaa:</strong> A long and incredibly skilled 6-5 wing, Te Slaa is a big-time scorer, but is also the type of player who can dominate games when he's not scoring with his feel for the game, court vision, and defensive versatility. He does an excellent job playing with pace and never getting sped up or playing out of control. He can take smaller defenders down onto the block and score at east, or take bigger defenders off the dribble and get to the rim for finishes, and he's also a very good shooter. He has a strong all-around game on both ends of the floor and should be an immediate impact player when he gets to South Dakota State.</p> <p><strong>Why he can win Mr. Basketball:</strong> By the end of the season, Te Slaa may have the most impressive career resume of any of the players on this countdown. He's already claimed a 2A state championship, and he has two runner-up finishes as well, once as the star (last season) and once as a high-quality role player (as a freshman). If he can get to another 2A championship game, which is well within reach for this Boyden-Hull team, the future Jackrabbit will have an outstanding argument to be made for this honor. </p>