Player Preview: Styrmir Thrastarson

When Jón Axel Guðmundsson graduated there was a fear that the Cats would have a dearth of Icelandic players on the roster. Styrmir Thrastarson, also known as Storm, made sure that that nightmare scenario did not come to fruition. There was much more to like about the 6’7 Forward than just his Icelandic citizenship. As a teenager he played for Thor Thorl, a professional team in Iceland’s premier basketball league. In his final season in his native country he competed and produced impressive statistics against grown men. In fact, he averaged 14.6 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 25.8 minutes per game in 2020/2021. He also chipped in almost a block and 1.2 steals per game as well. These numbers were a vast improvement on his past seasons, illustrating a great growth pattern for the young man. Further adding to the hype was Storm’s solid contributions for his country at the U18 Euros.

When watching Storm’s game his hardnosed quality was especially evident. Yes, he has a smooth 3-point stroke (a pre-req for a Davidson basketball player), but it was his constant willingness to be in attack mode that stood out most. This was seen in his many hard drives to the rim, where he often tried (and succeeded) to finish by dunking on his opponents. His cutting and passing ability also stood out on his film; key assets in the Davidson system. He also showed ability on the defensive end, getting into passing lanes and fighting down low when needed. At Davidson he projects as a true 3 but can also play as a small ball 4 with his toughness and grit.

In his first season with the Cats Storm did not play much, as Bob McKillop largely rode his experienced upperclassmen to an A10 Title. I do not expect this to be the case this upcoming season. I think that Storm will be the first 3 and small ball 4 off the bench and firmly in the rotation. First off, Storm was able to have a very productive summer this offseason. He played for the Senior Icelandic National Team in World Cup Qualifiers and appeared in three games against the Netherlands, Spain, and Ukraine. Against Ukraine he was able to play 9 minutes, score 5 points on 2/3 shooting including a 3-pointer, pulled down 4 rebounds, dished 2 assists, and had a steal. These numbers may not seem like much, but he was playing against much older and more experienced professionals, and he got an entire summer to practice against these same types of players. This experience should pay dividends for Storm, just as it did for JAG a few years ago when the program legend was still starring for the Cats. Furthermore, the departure of so many upperclassmen opens a ton of minutes for Storm to fill. I expect that he takes advantage and makes a splash this season as a key role player.