Way-Too-Early Season Preview: Bismarck Century
Bismarck Century has been one of the most dominant programs in Class A for years and despite losing in the first round of the state tournament last year, the Patriots were good enough to win a state title. They’ll head…
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Continue ReadingBismarck Century has been one of the most dominant programs in Class A for years and despite losing in the first round of the state tournament last year, the Patriots were good enough to win a state title. They’ll head into the 2020-21 season atop the rankings, as they return the best collection of talent in the state.
Go-To Player: Logan Nissley Logan Nissley 6'0" | CG Bismarck Century | 2023 State ND
Opportunity for Nissley to shine presented itself in the form of injury, as she was thrust into a featured role maybe a year before many anticipated, but she responded with an all-state season. The 5-foot-11 sophomore averaged 13.5 points and 7.2 rebounds while leading the team in blocked shots and shooting 40 percent from the 3-point line. She’s North Dakota’s best prospect for the 2023 class and may be the best player in the state regardless of age. She’s that good. With another year of development and experience at the varsity level, she’s among the favorites to be the Player-of-the-Year in the WDA.
Breakout Candidate: Delani Clarke
Clarke spent most of the year playing JV for Century, but got some varsity burn in blowout contests and showed a lot of potential. She’s a terrific outside shooter and has potential to be a rock-solid defender. The Patriots have a lot of returning talent, so she won’t be heavily featured, but with all the talent in-house, she should have a lot of opportunity to shine.
Question: How Good Will The Offense Be?
The Patriots had the best offense in the WDA by a significant margin last year, shooting 35 percent from the 3-point line as a team, averaging the second most assists and scoring the most points per game. Can they maintain that kind of offensive efficiency? Can they actually improve on it? There isn’t a team in the state with the kind of firepower the Patriots can bring to the table.
Season Outlook
The Patriots will be the No. 1 ranked team in Class A in the preseason. They return elite level, all-league players in Nissley, Ashton Kinnebrew Ashton Kinnebrew 5'10" | CG Bismarck Century | 2021 State ND and Julia Fitterer, plus a solid core of complementary pieces. The Patriots have experience, size and excellent balance on both ends of the floor. There are a number of talented teams across Class A next year, but Bismarck Century has the potential to be the cream of the crop.