For four years, Michael Russell dazzled Brainerd Warrior fans and opponents with his scoring, crisp passing and ankle-breaking ballhandling.
Russell will take those abilities to the next level for another four years as he signed last week to play at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kan.
During spring break in March, Russell and his family went on a southern road trip, visiting a few schools, before he decided Tabor was for him. Among the schools he visited were Kansas Wesleyan, Quincy University in Illinois and St. Louis University in Missouri.
"I wanted to get down and visit all the schools before I picked one, see how I liked it, meet all the coaches in person," Russell said. "They're all pretty far away so I had to find time to do that. I wanted to look at all my options before I decided."
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Russell's dad, Jim Russell, head men's basketball coach and athletic director at Central Lakes College in Brainerd, obtained his undergraduate degree from Tabor. He also coached in the Bluejays' program for three years.
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Michael Russell
- Height: 6-3
- Weight: 175
- High school: Brainerd
- College: Tabor (Hillsboro, Kan.)
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"They offered me full tuition," Russell said. "My dad went there as well, way back when. That's where he kind of started."
A National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics school, Tabor competes in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. Last season the Bluejays finished 19-3 in the KCAC, 25-10 overall. They are the 3-time reigning conference champions.
Last season also marked their fourth straight appearance in the NAIA Division-II National Tournament where they lost in the Elite Eight to the defending champion by two points.
"I'm ready," Russell said of playing at the next level. "It will be good to get down there, get a feel for everything."
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Last season, Russell was voted the Warriors' most valuable player and was an All-Central Lakes Conference selection. He received all-state honorable mention and made the all-state academic team. He was the Brainerd Dispatch All-Area Co-Player of the Year with Crosby-Ironton's Noah Gindorff.
Russell finished his Warrior career as the fourth-leading scorer in program history with 1,366 points, trailing only Chris Bjorklund (1,718), Kyle Crocker (1,438) and Jim Smith (1,376).
In his senior year, Russell scored 542 points (20.1 ppg), grabbed 99 rebounds (3.7 rpg), passed for 109 assists (4.0 apg) and collected 34 steals (1.3 spg). He shot 40.6 percent (169-416) from the field, 72.7 percent (104-143) from the foul line and 38.8 percent (100-258) from 3-point.
""We are very excited about Michael Russell choosing Tabor College," Tabor head coach Micah Ratzlaff said. "Michael has a talent that will help him compete immediately within our competitive program. He is a very good player who can shoot, score, handle, pass, and defend at a high level. You can tell that he was taught the game of basketball the right way at a young age and he is only going to get better. He is a great addition to the Bluejay family."
