Coach McLaughlin Announces Incoming Recruiting Class

HANOVER, N.H. — Dartmouth head coach of men's basketball David McLaughlin today announced the three recruits that will arrive on campus this fall as members of the Class of 2022 — Taurus Samuels, Wes Slajchert and Garrison Wade — along with Trevon Ary-Turner, who is transferring from Weber State.

"This is a group of four young men that not only fit our needs on the basketball court, but also fit the spirit of the Dartmouth community and culture," McLaughlin said. "They are outstanding students, products of supportive families and great basketball programs. They truly embody what a Dartmouth student-athlete represents. We are excited about the opportunity to be a part of their continued development as student athletes."

A 6-0, 175-pound point guard from Oceanside, California, Samuels captained Vista High School to a 23-9 record this past winter while averaging 19.6 points, 5.6 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game. He was an All-California Interscholastic Federation, North San Diego and all-conference first-team performer, and was one of 30 players selected to participate in the San Diego County Hoops Report Senior All-Star Basketball Game. A three-star, ESPN-rated prospect, Samuels was the San Diego Union Tribune Captain Scholar of the Year and participated in the Albert Schweitzer Tournament as a member of Team USA, shooting 42 percent from long range during the event.

"Taurus is someone we immediately identified as a priority for the future of our program," McLaughlin said. "We were able to develop a strong relationship with him, his mom and his coaches during the process. He is a selfless point guard who truly cares about his teammates and is focused on winning. We are thrilled to be able to work with Taurus for the next four years."

Slajchert hails from Oak Park, California, where he captained Oak Park High to a 21-7 record, the 6-5, 175-pound combo guard was a first-team All-Coastal Canyon League player in each of his four years, and first-team All-Ventura County each of his final three seasons. As a senior, Slajchert averaged 10.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 8.3 assists, 2.9 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while recording three triple-doubles, earning a spot on the All-CIF Division I Second Team. The Ventura County Star Scholar-Athlete of the Year finished his prep career with 1,398 points, 752 rebounds and a county-record 801 assists.

"Wes is a versatile player who will be able to play all three guard positions within a single game," noted McLaughlin. "A top-10 all-time assist leader in the state of California, he has a mature understanding of the game and is a terrific teammate. He loves being in the gym and is constantly looking for ways to improve."

A native of Madison, Mississippi, Wade captained St. Andrew's Episcopal School to a 27-6 record and the school's first-ever Mississippi High School Athletic Association 3A state championship last year. He is a 6-6, 200-pound wing who was named the team MVP for his senior season after averaging 20 points and 12 rebounds per game, capping his career with 19 points and 19 rebounds in the state finals to earn MVP honors for the game as well. The all-state performer also averaged a double-double as a junior (18 points, 10 rebounds), was a nominee for Mississippi boys basketball player of the year and selected for the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star Game.

"Garrison is a versatile wing who has tremendous size for his position," McLaughlin stated. "He offers significant upside and possesses a worker mentality, which is exciting and critical as we continue to develop the culture of our program. His improvement is clearly noticeable each time we see him."

Ary-Turner, a 6-3, 185-pound combo guard from Issaquah, Washington, comes to Hanover after seeing action in 18 games for the Wildcats, averaging 10.3 minutes and 3.7 points per game while shooting 41.9 percent from 3-point range and 47.9 percent overall from the floor. A first-team All-Kingco League selection as a sophomore and junior at Issaquah High, having provided 21 points and five assists per game in his junior campaign. Ary-Turner attended Elite Prep in Seattle for his senior year and was coached by his father, averaging 19 points and five assists, and earned all-tournament honors at the North Idaho College Tournament and the Skagit Valley Invitational.

"We recruited Tre out of high school, so we are happy to be welcoming him to Dartmouth a year later," said McLaughlin. "Having spent a year in a competitive role at Weber State, Tre provides a unique opportunity to inject experience and wisdom into our roster. He is a mature and gracious young man who we are fortunate to have in our program. Although he will be sitting out this year as a redshirt, we expect him to make our team better and enhance the competitiveness of our practices and workouts from day one."

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