North Dakota Class A Burning Questions
Basketball season is right around the corner. Teams are firing up practice this week and games will be starting in less than two weeks. With that in mind, here are some things I’m curious about heading into the season: Can…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingBasketball season is right around the corner. Teams are firing up practice this week and games will be starting in less than two weeks. With that in mind, here are some things I’m curious about heading into the season:
Can anybody beat Bismarck Century?
The Patriots went undefeated last year and steamrolled the competition pretty much from start to finish. Bismarck Century’s now won three straight state titles and heading into this year, looks like the easy favorite to win a fourth straight. Lauren Ware is the best player in the state and a dominant two-way force inside. But the Patriots are far from a one-player outfit. Chloe Markovic is back after starting last year. Julia Fitterer was the team’s third-leading scorer as a sophomore and could be a breakout player with a bigger role this winter. The Patriots will certainly miss Lily Keplin, who was dominant last year, forming one half of an unstoppable duo with Ware, but if history has revealed anything, it’s that the Patriots always have someone ready to step up.
How will the top of the EDC Shake Out?
The EDC race is going to be interesting this winter. Devils Lake was the far-and-away dominant team in the league last year, but the Firebirds graduate three starters from last year’s runner-up team. They still return arguably the best duo in the conference with Jes Mertens and Ramsey Brown. Fargo Shanley was the second best team in the EDC last year and returns the favorite for the Player-of-the-Year in Reile Payne but the Deacons have some things to figure out with the rest of their rotation. West Fargo looks like a team on the rise and in McKenna Becher and Chloe Pfau, the Packers have a terrific duo. Grand Forks Red River was another exceptionally balanced group last year but has to replace its top two ball-handlers. The Roughriders do return a solid core in the frontcourt though. And Fargo Davies, a team that relied on a lot of underclassmen a year ago, should be stronger this year with more experience. I could see a lot of variations to how that league shakes out at the top. There isn’t a huge difference in any of those five teams.
Who contends for a top-four spot in the WDA?
With Bismarck Century looking like a mostly safe bet to finish at the top of the WDA, the rest of the league looks like it’s in for a competitive race. Bismarck Legacy was a top-five team in the state last year and returns several starters. Bismarck relied on its depth last year to win a lot of games and while that took a hit with graduation, the Demons still have five varsity players back. Jamestown looks like a team that could make a move up the standings with a really solid core of young talent back. And teams like Williston, Bismarck St. Mary’s and Mandan should be in the mix too.