Import from Denmark a welcome addition at Findlay Prep

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010 | 2:05 a.m.

Like all of the players on the Findlay Prep basketball team, Thomas Laerke arrived at the powerhouse high school program with an impressive resumé.

But on a squad of prized college recruits with unlimited ability, Laerke arguably is the most proven player in his country.

Laerke's performance last summer for Denmark's under-18 team at the European Championships was nothing short of impressive. In eight games for the Danish squad, the 6-foot-4 senior guard averaged 25.9 points per game while connecting on 50 percent of his field goals.

He has continued with the accurate shooting since joining Findlay in mid-December. In eight games with the No. 3 Pilots, Laerke has made 21-of-31 shots in averaging 8.1 points per game.

Considering the transition from a slower-paced European style of play, Laerke's successful addition to the squad has given Findlay a needed boost off the bench.

"He has a high basketball IQ, and that's helped him pick up things quickly," Findlay coach Mike Peck said. "We kind of threw him to the lions there early."

Laerke, from Copenhagen, Denmark, connected on all four 3-pointers he attempted Friday in a victory against Huntington Prep (W.Va.) and twice has gone 5-of-6 from the field.

Unlike other newcomers who have needed an adjustment period in blending in at Findlay, Laerke has made a seemingly painless transition.

"The thing I like about this team is that you have great players from all over the world coming together to play as one unit," Laerke said. "Everyone gets their shots."

This isn't his first experience playing in the United States.

His mother is American and he often visited relatives in California, Florida and North Carolina while growing up. That's how a child from a soccer-crazy country wound up passionate for basketball. He said he excelled at soccer, too.

He played last year at Gainesville High in Florida while living with his cousin before returning to Denmark to join the national team. Denmark finished 14th out of 19 teams in the European Championships, but Laerke scored 36 points against Norway, 33 against Bosnia and 34 against Belarus on consecutive days.

That caught the eye of several college recruiters scouting the event. Coaches at Idaho arranged for Laerke to join Findlay, where he is expected to graduate this year. In Denmark, he said, he would have needed two years to finish high school.

Like all players at Findlay, Laerke is in constant contact with college coaches. He said he has a loyalty to Idaho for arranging for him to play at Findlay and will give them a serious look.

In the meantime, Laerke will continue to perfect his shot and become more familiar with the American style of basketball.

He said the attention paid to playing aggressive defense is what separates his experience at Findlay from that in his country.

"I'm a shooter. That's what I'm good at doing," he said. "But here defense and playing at a faster pace is what's expected. That's how you can fit in."

Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or [email protected].