The Rotation: Wahpeton
Whapeton went 6-18 last season, winning one game in the EDC tournament before dropping its final two games. Eight and five game losing streaks in the middle of the season set the Huskies back but with a large crop of returning players, Wahpeton has a chance to be much better this winter.
Must be Replaced: Riley Breuer, Jordan Mahrer, Daniel Pithey
Breuer and Pithey were perimeter regulars last year for the Huskies, averaging roughly seven points per game each. Breuer was one of the team’s top outside shooters. Mahrer wasn’t a big scorer for the Huskies, but he was a solid rotational piece and gave the team solid defensive effort.
Key Returners: Josh Darwin, Zach Manock, Edward Vazquez, Bryce Rader
Darwin is the team’s top returning player after averaging 11.5 points and more than five rebounds per game. Manock averaged 8.2 points and 6.8 boards. Vazquez led the team in assists and averaged nearly seven points per game while knocking down 38 percent of his 3-pointers.
Rader was productive in an abbreviated season, averaging 10 points per game in 12 games. If he can provide that kind of production or a little more, the calculus changes for the Huskies offense in a big way.
Stepping Into Bigger Roles: Blake Matejcek, Jared Bartels, Corbin Cornelius
Matejcek averaged 5.5 points and 4.2 rebounds last season and will likely take on a larger role as either a starter or first guy off the bench for the Huskies. Bartels and Cornelius saw sparing minutes last winter as underclassmen and will be expected to take a step forward providing consistent production. They may not be asked to produce big numbers but if they can give the team solid complementary minutes, the Huskies will be a lot better off.
Season Outlook
Wahpeton saw a lot of guys earn minutes throughout the year and dealt with its share of adversity. With a large core of the team back, the Huskies should be more competitive in 2018-19. They may not quite have the juice to contend for a top spot in the EDC on paper, but a .500 type season looks doable with potential for more.