North Dakota Preview: Oakes
The Oakes Tornadoes enjoyed a lot of success last season, going 18-7 and advancing deep into the Region 3 tournament before losing out against LaMoure-Litchville-Marion and Carrington. The Tornadoes return three double-figure scorers including all-state forward Nicole Schmitz and should…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe Oakes Tornadoes enjoyed a lot of success last season, going 18-7 and advancing deep into the Region 3 tournament before losing out against LaMoure-Litchville-Marion and Carrington. The Tornadoes return three double-figure scorers including all-state forward Nicole Schmitz and should be a contender in Region 3 this winter.
GO-TO PLAYER: Nicole Schmitz
Schmitz earned all-state honors as a junior, averaging better than 17 points and eight rebounds last year. She shot better than 50 percent from the field as well, showing an ability to score from multiple levels on the floor, create her own shot, manufacture points in the flow of the offense and create for others.
KEY RETURNERS: Sadie Hansen, Jaida Seyer, Claire Wagner
Hansen was the team’s top perimeter shooter, knocking down 37 percent of her 3-pointers while averaging 16 points and nine rebounds as a sophomore. She’s got a good chance to join Schmitz on all-state lists this year as she’s one of the most talented all around players in Class B.
Seyer averaged 11 points and six rebounds plus two steals. She’s an athletic wing who can get to the rim and finish at a high level. She’s not much of a perimeter shooter as she only took a couple of triples all season, but she’s a very good two-way player.
Wagner is a key returner for the Tornadoes as she led the team in assists at 4.5 per game. She is very much a pass-first point guard and she fills that role well. If she can improve on her scoring efficiency a little bit, the Tornadoes have a really good quartet of returners.
QUESTION: How does the depth look?
The Tornadoes have two stars in Schmitz and Hansen plus a couple of very good returners in Seyer and Wagner. Who else can Oakes turn to for minutes and production? The Tornadoes will need to find players to fill that fifth starting spot and a few bench spots. Those roles won’t need to be high-leverage as the team has player to rely upon, but there is a lot of opportunity for a few players to step into spots and produce in low-wattage fashion.
OUTLOOK
Region 3 figures to be one of the toughest in the state with Kidder County, LaMoure-Litchville-Marion, Carrington and Linton/HMB. But Oakes has as much returning talent as any of them. The Tornadoes have two potential all-state players and a lot of experience. Expect them to win 15-20 games and contend for a spot in the state tournament.