SPEARFISH, S.D. – Black Hills State University head men's basketball coach, Ryan Thompson, has announced the signing of three new additions for the 2019-20 season to complete the signing class for next year.

"Our coaching staff is excited to announce the signings of Ethan, Michael, and Snjolfur which completes our recruiting class for this upcoming season. My staff did an excellent job of identifying talented student-athletes that address our needs on the court, along with finding quality people that will fit well within the culture of our program," said head coach Ryan Thompson. "We will have a lot of new faces on our team this year; however, I am ecstatic about the potential of this group and cannot wait to begin working with them."
 
Ethan Forrester
Forrester is a 6-4 guard from Colorado Springs, Colo. During his high school career at Lewis-Palmer High School, he averaged 10.1 points per game, 4.0 rebounds per game, 3.1 assists per game, 1.1 blocks per game, and 2.0 steals per game. He was the captain for the team when they finished 28-0 and won the 4A State Championship his senior season, and also earned All-State Honorable Mention accolades.
 
"Ethan comes from Lewis-Palmer High School, one of the strongest and well coached programs in the state of Colorado. Ethan's high school teammate, Joel Scott, also signed with us earlier this spring. Ethan played a pivotal role on his high school team as they capped off an undefeated year with a state championship," said coach Thompson. "Ethan is a long and versatile guard. His athleticism allows him to defend and slash to the basket at a high level. He also has a great basketball feel and understanding of how to play the game. We see a ton of upside in Ethan, and look forward to developing him."
 
Ethan is the son of Leslie and Don Forrester. He plans to major in sports management at BHSU.
 
Michael Russell
Russell is a 6-3 guard from Brainerd, Minnesota. He has spent two years at Tabor College, where he played in 33 games in two years before getting hurt early in his sophomore season. During his prep career at Brainerd Senior High School, Russell averaged 20.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.0 apg, and 1.3 spg. He left high school as the fourth all-time high scorer in school history with 1,366 points. He was also named All-State Honorable Mention, and was a three-time All-Conference honoree.
 
"Michael is a four-year transfer from Tabor College. After receiving a medical redshirt in his second year at Tabor, Michael will have three years to compete as a Yellow Jacket. Michael's father has been a long time successful collegiate coach at Central Lakes College," said coach Thompson. "In watching Michael on the court, you can see the basketball IQ that typically comes from a coach's kid. However, what impressed us most with Michael is his passion for the game, as he puts in a ton of extra time perfecting his craft. His skill set and ability to shoot the ball with range will fit perfectly within our style of play."
 
Michael is the son of Nancy and Jim Russell. He plans to major in business management.
 
Snjólfur Stefánsson
Stefánsson is a 6-5 guard from Njarðvik, Iceland. He played on the Icelandic U18 National Team in the summer of 2016, averaging 8.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. He then played on the Icelandic U20 National Team in the summer of 2018, averaging 5.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. Most recently, Stefánsson placed with Selfoss in the Icelandic 1st Division, averaging 15.2 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, and 1.2 spg during the 2018-19 season. For his play, he was selected to the Team of the Year in the division.
 
"This past season, Snjólfur played for the same Icelandic club that recent graduate, Fraser Malcolm played for during his prep year. Snjólfur has competed at a very high level with FSu Selfoss (a club team) and the Icelandic National Team. The playing experience and coaching he's received will help tremendously in his adjustment to collegiate basketball," said coach Thompson. "Snjólfur has great size and strength at the guard position. His skill set is impressive with his ability to shoot, drive, finish, and rebound. We fell in love with his toughness and ability to defend multiple positions at a high level. Snjólfur has all of the tools to develop into an impact player at BHSU."
 
Snjólfur is the son of Þóra and Stefán. He has four siblings.