Wolves retool

Venzal Russell may have left the Thunderwolves fold, but coach Scott Morrison may have found his replacement.

At the very least the Lakehead coach expects British import Joe Hart, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, to compete for the spot vacated by the OUA West MVP.

Hart spent the past three years shooting for Blair Prep, a private high school in Blairstown, N.J., where he helped his team win a New Jersey Prep A state title in 2010-11 and took them to a state final this past season.

A native of Southend, England, Lakehead coach Scott Morrison said he’s got a quick release and can find the hoop from beyond the arc.
“It did not take long for us to see that he has an excellent skill-set on the court as well as the type of work ethic, character and leadership qualities we are looking to add to our line-up. We expect Joe to play a major role this coming season and make a smooth transition to being a core player for us to build around in the future.”

Hart has played ball in 14 different countries and next month is expected to try out for Great Britain’s under-20 national team, coached by Carleton’s Dave Smart, that will compete in the European under-20 championship in July.

Blair Prep, under coach Joe Mantegna, has produced a trio of NBA players in recent years, including Luol Deng, Charlie Villanueva and Royal Ivey.

Mantegna called Hart a blue-chip recruit.

“Joe has been everything I would want in a Blair student-athlete.  He is diligent and driven both on the court and in the classroom.  Moreover he is a winner, a leader, and a role model to our younger players,” Mantegna said.

Russell, a Detroit native, has left to pursue other opportunities, Morrison said.

"It’s always tough to replace a talented player like Venzal on the court and we have been working hard on the recruiting trails to address an unexpected hole to fill in the lineup,” Morrison said.

“ We are also excited about some of the gains that our younger guys have been making during the first three weeks of our summer training program and have high hopes for some new faces to be making an impact next season while keeping us competitive."

Russell arrived in Thunder Bay in the fall of 2010, a graduate of Vermillion Community College in Ely, Minn.

He led the Wolves to a pair of Final 8 appearances, Lakehead’s first appearance at nationals in more than three decades.

Russell topped all Lakehead scorers in 2011-12 with a 15.8 point-per-game average, adding 5.2 rebounds, four assists and 2.4 steals a night.

Russell is one of two Thunderwolves players who won’t return to the lineup next season. Baltimore’s Adam Johnson parted ways with the club earlier this offseason.