North Dakota Preview: Ellendale
Ellendale went 15-13 last season, reaching the state tournament after winning five games in the Region 3 tournament. While the Cardinals lost all three games at state, all three games were competitive and they showed they could be considered among…
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Continue ReadingEllendale went 15-13 last season, reaching the state tournament after winning five games in the Region 3 tournament. While the Cardinals lost all three games at state, all three games were competitive and they showed they could be considered among the best teams Class B. They’ll head into the 2019-20 season with three returning starters including two guys who could be in the mix to earn all-state honors this winter.
KEY RETURNERS: Hunter Thorpe, Scott Wagner,
Thorpe averaged better than 15 points and seven rebounds as a junior and is one of the best shooters in Class B. At 6-foot-3, he’s a tough guy to defend because he’s not just a sniper. He’s capable of putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim, and he has a knack for finding the ball in good spots where he can do damage. He’ll have more responsibility this year to create his own shot and make his teammates better, but he’s a player to watch.
Wagner started coming along late last season and started blossoming into a force. In the postseason, he averaged 16.7 points and 14.7 rebounds with eight double-doubles. He’s a monster on both ends when it comes to rebounding and he’s a terrific finisher who is only getting better as he gets bigger, stronger and more experienced. He’s got all-state potential as soon as this year and will be a problem for Class B competition over the next three seasons.
STEPPING INTO NEW ROLES: Wyatt Henningsen, Ian Wagner, Chance Durheim, Eric Blondo
The Cardinals have a terrific duo in Thorpe and Wagner but a big key to their season will ultimately be how well a number of role players play. Henningsen was a rotation guy last year as a sophomore and will fill a starter role this winter. He’s a solid defender on the wing who took a back seat to Austin Molan and Thorpe in the scoring department last season.
Wagner, Durheim and Bondo all saw spot minutes last year as well, coming off the bench and providing a spark in limited minutes. With Ellendale’s backcourt gone to graduation, there are minutes out there and those guys will likely have to gobble up a majority of them.
QUESTION: Can the Cardinals fill the scoring left from Austin Molan?
Ellendale was not a dynamic offensive club last year. The Cardinals got hot late in the season and advanced through Region 3 to get to state thanks in large part to the three guys putting up points. One of them was Austin Molan who averaged 17 points per game as a senior. Molan was the team’s best shot-creator and perimeter defender and his departure creates a huge hole to fill. It’ll require an all-hands-on-deck effort to fill it.
SEASON OUTLOOK
Ellendale will go into the 2019-20 season with enough talent to contend in Region 3 again. The Cardinals weren’t a great team last year, but they got hot in the region tournament, winning five out of six games on the way to state tournament. Wagner and Thorpe give them two guys who can take over a game at any given time and in Region 3, that’s enough to win double-digit games and potentially get back to state.