North Dakota Preview: Richland
The Richland Colts finished third in last year’s state tournament, going 23-3 on the season while defeating quality teams like Kindred, Carrington, Bishop Ryan and Powers Lake. With four starters set to return, including a returning all-state guard, the Colts…
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Continue ReadingThe Richland Colts finished third in last year’s state tournament, going 23-3 on the season while defeating quality teams like Kindred, Carrington, Bishop Ryan and Powers Lake. With four starters set to return, including a returning all-state guard, the Colts will head into the year as a top-five team in Class B.
KEY RETURNERS: Cole Myers, Gavin Reiland, Carter Lingen
Myers was one of the few non-seniors to earn all-state honors last year as he averaged better than 18 points and six rebounds. The 6-foot-2 swingman is strong, athletic and skilled from all levels on the court. He’s a very solid finisher and devastating from the mid-range areas on the floor.
Lingen is a floor-general in every sense of the word as he averaged better than 12 points and nearly five assists. He’s very good at controlling the pace of the game, applying solid defensive pressure at the point of attack and knocking down shots in the flow of their offense.
Reiland is a defensive menace who excels in transition. He’s another terrific athlete who is extremely difficult to contain off the dribble but he’s also a strong deep-range shooter. He averaged better than 14 points per game and more than four steals.
STEPPING INTO NEW ROLES: Colten Evenson, Carson Anderson, Thomas Zander, Gunnar Miller
Evenson is a returning starter but he’ll have more on the plate this winter as he’ll be expected to hold down the fort inside after the team graduated one of its best interior players. Evenson is a wiry, active big who averaged seven points and six boards last year, keying the Colts’ defense. He won’t be asked to create a lot of his own offense, but he’ll undoubtedly benefit from the attention those perimeter guys gobble up.
Anderson, Zander and Miller saw sparing minutes a year ago mostly in blowouts. The Colts played six guys most of the time, and the four returning starters will likely see a lion’s share of the minutes again this winter, but developing depth could be a big key for this team and those three guys figure to be first in line at cracking the rotation.
SEASON OUTLOOK
Richland was a top-five team in Class B last year and the Colts will head into the 2019-20 season as a clear top-three team this year. With Myers, Reiland and Lingen plus Evenson all back, this team has no shortage of experience. They’ve been in and won a number of big games and possess the kind of shooting and athleticism that few others in the state can put on the floor. Region 1 will be one of the better ones in Class B this year, but they’ll be the favorites to come out of it and contend for a state title.