North Dakota Preview: Four Winds/Minnewaukan
Four Winds/Minnewaukan has been one of the best teams in the state for a while now and that won’t change anytime soon. The Indians were one of the best teams last year, racking up wins over top-notch competition before falling…
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Continue ReadingFour Winds/Minnewaukan has been one of the best teams in the state for a while now and that won’t change anytime soon. The Indians were one of the best teams last year, racking up wins over top-notch competition before falling short of the state tournament. But with five starters back in the fold including an all-state guard, expectations should be high this winter.
GO-TO GUY: Doug Yankton
Yankton was a star last year for the Indians, earning all-state honors in his junior season. The 6-foot-3 swingman is excellent in just about all areas of the game. He’s a terrific slasher and a great finisher. He can rebound at a high rate. He can defend. And he’s an excellent playmaker. He’s the guy the Indians go to when they need to get something good and he’s one of the elite players in the state.
KEY RETURNERS: Bronson Walter, Jaeshaun Shaw, Jayden Yankton, Jaymison Green
The Indians have a terrific cast of returning core players and because of that, there should be very little issue when it comes to chemistry and establishing out who plays what role. A lot of that has already been figured out and itss proven to work.
Walter and Shaw are guys who could conceivably take on bigger roles as both were productive as sophomores and showed signs of huge upside. Walter gives the Indians a rare go-to caliber post player on the block and his size allows the Indians to control the paint and put pressure on people on the perimeter.
Shaw is a talented scorer on the wing and is one of the team’s best perimeter shooters. He’s an impact two-way guy and could be a breakout candidate after a strong sophomore season.
Green returns after starting as a junior and while he’s undersized, he’s got the quickness to live in the paint and his defensive tenacity is a big key in how the Indians overwhelm a lot of teams on that end of the floor.
Jayden Yankton started as a freshman and had more than his share of big moments last year. He might not be the featured offensive player, but he showed on plenty of occasions last year that he can make teams pay for loading up too much on Walter and Doug Yankton.
SEASON OUTLOOK
The Indians looked like a team that could win the state title last year before losing in the Region 4 final to New Rockford-Sheyenne. They return all five starters from that team and will undoubtedly go into the season as a top-three team and a legitimate state title contender. With their combination of speed, athleticism, size, shooting ability, defensive ability and experience, there aren’t a lot of weaknesses on this team.