CNDC Tournament Players to Watch
One of the best tournaments of the early season starts Thursday as Rugby hosts the annual CNDC Tournament. With four top-15 teams in Class B in attendance, plus several young and improving clubs, there’s bound to be some exciting competition…
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Continue ReadingOne of the best tournaments of the early season starts Thursday as Rugby hosts the annual CNDC Tournament. With four top-15 teams in Class B in attendance, plus several young and improving clubs, there’s bound to be some exciting competition over the weekend.
Here are some of the top players to watch”:
Trace Goven, Sr., Rugby
Rugby has state title aspirations and Goven is a key cog in the effort. The 6-foot-2 senior guard is one of the best two-way players in Class B. He’s a terrific slasher and finisher, using his strength and explosiveness to wreak havoc on first and second row defenders. He averaged 17 points per game as a junior and has al-state potential.
Treagan Azure, Sr., Dunseith
Want someone to stuff the stat sheet? Azure does it. The 6-foot-3 swingman averaged 16 points, nine rebounds and seven assists last year while generally guarding the opposition’s top perimeter player. He’s a dynamic scorer with the range to shoot from anywhere and the creativity to make plays for his teammates in traffic and transition. He’s in for a huge year.
Bo Belquist, Sr., New Rockford-Sheyenne
One of the best returning guards in Class B, Belquist averaged 16 points and four assists last year for the Rockets. The UND football commit has the athleticism and toughness to match up with anybody. He’ll have more responsibility this year as a primary ball-handler and shot-creator, but he’s good enough to put up huge numbers.
Jaden Hamilton, Sr., Rugby
The leading scorer for the Panthers last year, Hamilton is a nightmare to matchup with. At 6-foot-6, he’s a terrific perimeter shooter off the catch and bounce. He can get inside and finish at the rim, get on the offensive glass and score in the post. He’s also a sound playmaker from the frontcourt.
Zach Anderson, Sr., St. John
One of the better pure shooters in the area, Anderson led St. John in scoring last year at 16 points per game. He’s got the ability to put up points in a hurry and on a team that wants to play fast, get up and down and outscore people, Anderson’s the most important cog.
Ethan Morin, Soph., Dunseith
Morin is an intriguing young talent for the Dragons. He played a lot as a freshman and showed the scoring chops to make a big jump this year. He’s got decent size up front but can score from all over the court, as he’s a strong finisher inside, has solid footwork and ball-handling ability to create in the mid-post and the shooting touch to light it up from the 3-point line.
Devan Michels, Sr., Rugby
The third head in Rugby’s attack, Michels is excellent on the defensive end of the floor and does his best work getting into gaps and getting to the rim. He’s a solid rebounder at the point guard spot, gets guys involved and consistently produces against goood teams.
Tyson Tipton, Jr., Harvey/Wells County
One of the most explosive pure scorers in the tournament, Tipton has a lot on his plate for HWC. But he’s got good size, athleticism and explosiveness to get to the rim and the range to threaten teams from all over the court.
Hunter Thompson, Sr., New Rockford-Sheyenne
Thompson averaged better than 12 points and six rebounds last year for the Rockets, helping them reach the state tournament. He’ll likely move into more of a perimeter/faceup role this year, which would put him in a lot of positions to create mismatches.
Michael Dunn, Jr., St. John
Dunn was one St. John’s top players a year ago, averaging 10 points and four assists. He dropped 28 points in the team’s season-opener and will have the ball in his hands a lot. He’s arguably the team’s best shot-creator offensively and can get after people on the defensive end.
Evan Ullrich, Jr., New Rockford-Sheyenne
Ulrich is a breakout candidate in Class B this year. The 6-foot-7 big man moves well, has a soft touch around the rim, a strong frame and the ability to rebound his area as well as any big around. If he can bring consistent energy and defend without fouling, he’s got double-double potential.
Hunter Fletschock, Jr., Drake-Anamoose
The 6-foot-5 junior forward is one of the best big men in this tournament. He’s long and active on the interior, runs the floor well, has a soft touch and can produce consistently and efficiently.
Cy Luna, Jr., TGU
Luna is one of the top returners for TGU this winter and after starting and providing double-figure scoring as a sophomore, Luna will be the guy with a ton of responsibility this winter and the opportunity to put up big point totals.