Top Player From Each Team at the ND Class B State Tournament 2017
There were 8 players that shined for their team this past we weekend at the North Dakota Class B Boys State Tournament from these teams Region 1 – Oak Grove Grovers, Region 2 – Hillsboro-Central Valley Burros, Region 3 – Ellendale Cardinals, Region 4 – Four Winds-Minnewauken Indians, Region 5 – Turtle Lake-Mercer-Mcclusky Trojans, Region 6 – Bishop Ryan Lions (Minot), Region 7 – Dickinson Trinity Titans, and Region 8 – Stanley Blue Jays.
First, the Region 1 champs from Oak Grove provided a ton of shooting and some consistent size across the starting lineup at the tournament. Bryce Bakkegard, a 6 foot 3 senior forward had provided a huge boost for his team. He averaged 15 points and 2 rebounds on the season and has been a consist shooter from deep. He had the ability to pull his team out of a slump with his shooting. Bakkegard worked hard throughout the tourney and ended his season well by taking 4th place in the tournament.
From Region 2 it’s the 5 foot 11 senior from Hillsboro, Kyle Henningsgard. Henningsgard is a huge part of what this team has been able to accomplish this season. He averaged 16 points and 5 assists on the season. He is also a huge part of their defense and aggressiveness. Henningsgard capped off his team’s state championship run by hitting the buzzer beater to win the tournament. Kyle scored the last 11 points for his team in the state championship and is definitely fitting of the word “clutch”.
From Region 3 it’s Brennan Vance. The 6 foot 3 senior guard from Ellendale is a well-rounded player. Vance averaged 14 points and 3 assists on the season. Vance is a huge contributor on both sides of the ball. His stats may not have looked the greatest compared to some of the other players on this list but he was a part of one of the best ¨teamwork¨ teams in the state. He helped his team upset #2 Dickinson Trinity in the first round with a buzzer beater. Vance went on to help his team earn the 3rd place trophy.
On to Region 4 where the former Mr. Basketball candidate was the player to watch. Tronis Mckay was an all around player that could score on offense by taking you to the rim, stop and pop, or just face up and shoot over you. His length provided him a lot of his defensive ability. Tronis is a 6 foot 3 senior forward. He had the speed to match up with guards and the length to take on a post. Mckay averaged 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists this season. Mckay had his team on the brink of back to back title runs before that was stopped by Kyle Henningsgard and Hillsboro-Central Valley. Tronis will end his career with 2 state runner-up trophies and a state championship trophy.
Next up, Region 5 where the player to watch was a speed demon who hustled like no other player in the tourney. Blake Anderson was the man to watch from the Turtle Lake-Mercer-McClusky Trojans. Blake was a 5 foot 10 senior guard that averaged 12 points and 6 assists for the season. Anderson was a hard working kid who made a lot plays for his team in the tournament. Though he may not have gotten the results he wanted to end his senior year, Anderson was without a doubt the hardest working kid in the tournament.
Region 6 was an easy choice. Ben Bohl, a 5 foot 11 sophomore guard played extremely well for his team throughout the season and tournament. He averaged 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. Bohl excelled during the tournament and showed that he can play with the big boys even though he’s an underclass man. Bohl has a very bright future ahead of him. He had a huge impact on the success of the team at the tournament and that performance won him all-tournament team honors!
From Region 7 it was Shawn Stoltz. Stoltz a 6 foot 4 senior that played well throughout his whole senior year averaging 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists. Stoltz helped his team climb back up after a loss in the first round to earn the consolation prize at the tourney. Stoltz was a special player that played well on both ends of the floor and was very difficult to guard at times.
From Region 8 it was Wyatt Hanson the junior 6 foot 4 standout. This kid was the surprise of the tournament! He made some high flying dunks, some crazy defensive hustle plays, and also showed some nice touch from outside the lane for a post. Hanson averaged 24 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists on the season and will be back next year with hopefully even stronger numbers. This kid has a very high ceiling as well. He played well for his team this year and made the all-tournament team. He is a part of a very successful team that will hopefully continue next year.
These 8 players showed great effort and determination to get their team wins. Not all of them got the results they wanted but they all had very successful years. If your looking for someone to model your game after that year 8 players would be a good pool to pick from. Prep Hoops wishes all these seniors the best of luck in their careers after basketball and also wants to see the other players back next year fighting for the title.