North Dakota Preview: Velva
The Velva Aggies were one of the elite teams in Class B last season, using defense, depth and Emma Passa to pile up 19 wins in the regular season. They beat Rugby in the District Tournament before ultimately losing to…
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Continue ReadingThe Velva Aggies were one of the elite teams in Class B last season, using defense, depth and Emma Passa to pile up 19 wins in the regular season. They beat Rugby in the District Tournament before ultimately losing to the Panthers with a trip to state on the line. Out of the teams left out of the state field, Velva may have been the best. With Passa and two other starters plus a host of bench players back, the Aggies should be one of the best teams in Class B again this winter.
GO-TO PLAYER: Emma Passa
An all-state selection last season, Passa was a force all year for the Aggies. The 5-foot-10 forward averaged 21 points, eight rebounds, three steals and two blocks per game. She was ridiculously efficient as well, shooting nearly 60 percent from the field while knocking down more than 60 3-pointers. She can do it all on the offensive end of the floor and her all-around game is as good as any player in the state.
KEY RETURNERS: Madison Effertz, Kaitlyn Lund, Grace Mogen, Rylee Frantsen
The Aggies return a number of role players in Effertz, Lund, Mogen and Frantsen.
Effertz and Lund started last season and were solid two-way players. Effertz was one of the team’s top assisters, averaging better than three per game. She scored six points per game as well. Lund provides solid help on the glass, averaging five rebounds per game to go along with six points and two steals.
Mogen came off the bench and provided some shooting, knocking down 12 triples on the year. If she can improve her efficiency behind the arc, she could be a real weapon.
Frantsen could be a breakout player this year as she earned playing time as a sophomore last year and had some good moments as a slasher and finisher.
QUESTION: Can the Aggies score?
Velva lost just three games last year. In those losses, the Aggies scored 49, 42 and 42 points. They’ve got a terrific defense and that probably won’t change a whole lot. But it’s hard to win scoring in the 40s against good teams. Velva relied a lot on Passa to score last year. She was the only double-figure scorer for the Aggies. Can a few of those young players step up and provide a little more shot-making?
OUTLOOK
Velva should be up there with the best teams in the state and considered the favorite to win Region 6 this winter. Passa is one of the best handful of players in Class B and the complementary pieces around her fit nicely. There’s a lot of young talent cycling through the program right now and if it all comes together, this is a team that could win multiple games in a state tournament setting.