North Dakota Preview: Bishop Ryan
Bishop Ryan has fielded some of the best teams in Class B the last few years, playing for a state title two years ago and finishing fourth last year. With Ben Bohl and Mason Hedberg off to college, the Lions…
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Continue ReadingBishop Ryan has fielded some of the best teams in Class B the last few years, playing for a state title two years ago and finishing fourth last year. With Ben Bohl and Mason Hedberg off to college, the Lions now head into a new era.
KEY RETURNERS: Jaxon Feller, Logan Merck
Feller and Merck started for Bishop Ryan last year and played well in low-wattage roles. With the Lions relying heavily on Bohl, Hedberg and senior guard Chinaza Udekwe, Feller and Merck took on complementary offensive roles while using up most of their energy on the defensive end of the floor.
Feller is an undersized guard who has the quickness and athleticism to excel in a bigger offensive role. He’s a solid shooter from deep and should be able to get to the rim and do damage with the ball in his hands.
Merck is a tough-minded defender who will take on a much bigger scoring load this winter. He’s strong and athletic and uses those skills to get into the paint and finish over length. He’ll have a lot of rope to make plays for himself and his teammates.
STEPPING INTO NEW ROLES: Cole Scheig, Nicholas Sanders, Bryson Elm
Scheig, Sanders and Elm were on the varsity team last year though didn’t see much playing time with the Lions relying on seniors so heavily. The Lions kept a short rotation for the most part last season, so there will be a lot of guys who are quite green at the varsity level.
QUESTION: Can the football success carry over?
Bishop Ryan just wrapped up one of its best football seasons ever, advancing to the Class A Dakota Bowl. A lot of the key guys from that run will be key guys on the basketball team this winter too, as Feller, Merck, Sanders and Elm all played big roles in helping the Lions realize success on the gridiron. Does that winning carry over to the basketball court?
SEASON OUTLOOK
The Lions went into the last few seasons with legitimate state title aspirations. The ceiling for this group is significantly lower as it does not have two all-staters leading the way. That doesn’t mean they can’t still win a lot of games and be a very competitive group. That should be expected. It will look a lot different than last year, but Bishop Ryan does return two starters and a number of guys who w and has plenty of athletic talent to win a bunch of games.