Way-Too-Early Season Preview: Mandan
The Mandan Braves were supposed to be rebuilding last year. After graduating a huge chunk of their core, including two of the best players in the WDA, the Braves were supposed to take lumps building things back up. Instead, they…
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Continue ReadingThe Mandan Braves were supposed to be rebuilding last year. After graduating a huge chunk of their core, including two of the best players in the WDA, the Braves were supposed to take lumps building things back up. Instead, they won 17 games, reaching the Class A state semifinals before losing to Fargo Shanley. For the second-straight season, the Braves graduate an all-state player. But they also return enough talent to feel good about a competitive 2020-21 season.
Go-To Player: Sydney Gustavsson Sydney Gustavsson 5'7" | CG Mandan | 2021 State ND
Gustavsson was terrific in her junior year, effectively emerging as a legitimate No. 2 option for the Braves next to Lakyn Darras Lakyn Darras 5’11 | CG Mandan | 2020 State ND . Her ability to knock down shots, create for herself and make plays was critical for the Braves developing into a contender in the WDA, as she took the pressure off Darras. Now she’ll step into the featured role, and we’ll see how she handles added responsibility.
Breakout Candidate: Faith Eberle
Eberle spent most of the year logging minutes at the JV level for Mandan but saw spot minutes for the varsity as well. With Mandan graduating three of its top seven players, there will be a lot of opportunity for newcomers to play a lot of minutes and prominent roles. Eberle figures to be at the top of that list for players with opportunities.
Question: Who is the No.2 scorer?
Scoring in general might be a struggle for the Braves early on, but figuring out how the hierarchy stacks up after Gustavsson is something worth monitoring. Amaya Ramsey, Piper Harris Piper Harris 5'4" | PG Mandan | 2022 State ND and Taylor Leingang all took similar amounts of shots and scored 4-6 points per game each. Can one (or all three) take a big step forward and emerge in the way Gustavsson did a year ago?
Season Outlook
Mandan has been one of the strongest teams in the state for a number of years and that should continue this winter. The Braves are well-balanced on both ends of the floor, have a legitimate high-end talent in Gustavsson, and the kind of experience that should translate to wins early and often. They look like a legitimate top-five team in the state.