North Dakota Catchup: EDC
The season is approaching its end. With less than a month left in the regular season, teams all across the state are hoping to be rounding into form and playing their best ball. With two months worth of interesting development…
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Continue ReadingThe season is approaching its end. With less than a month left in the regular season, teams all across the state are hoping to be rounding into form and playing their best ball. With two months worth of interesting development to this point, now is a good time to take a quick look at the landscape of hoops in North Dakota ahead of the postseason.
Here’s where things stand in the EDC:
Fargo Davies and West Fargo Sheyenne Battling at the Top
Going into the season, there were supposed to be four teams competing at the top of the EDC. Two of them have clearly separated from the pack as Fargo Davies and West Fargo Sheyenne are a combined 26-2 in league. Both are winning by more than 20 points per game.
Starting with Fargo Davies: The Eagles have arguably the highest ceiling of any team in the state. Their combination of size, depth, shooting, experience and high-end talent cannot be matched. It showed when they beat the Mustangs in the first meeting between the two teams, as the Eagles won by 27. Cam Van Dam has been the catalyst on both ends of the floor, averaging 14.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.7 steals and 1.3 blocks. He’s one of the best two-way players in the state. He’s got plenty of help though too, as Grayson Haman (11.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists), Cole Hage (12.3 points, 5.9 rebounds), Owen Hektner (11.3 points, 5 rebounds, 44% 3-point shooting) and Ty Satter (10.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists) have all had big moments. Throw in rock-solid role guys like Mason Bitz, Justice Noel and Nate Hensel and this team has all the components to win a state title.
West Fargo Sheyenne doesn’t have the same kind of offensive firepower, but the Mustangs have been excellent all year and have shown very few weaknesses. For starters, they are demonstrably better defensively this season compared to last. They are bigger and playing with more force – specifically Blake Berg and Tyler Terhark who have been what the Mustangs were hoping they could be. Berg’s putting up 16.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists while Terhark is averaging 14.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Jacksen Moni has picked things up as he’s gained more experience, averaging 10.4 points and 6.6 rebounds. Zion Dettman’s been steady at the point, averaging 11.8 points and 3.1 assists. The Mustangs are also getting solid play from bench guys like Barika Kpeenu and Jah’Heem Leake. After looking like a top-five team and fading down the stretch last year, this team seems to have a different kind of toughness and tenacity. They’ll get their shot to win the EDC on the final day of hte regular season when they host the Eagles, and they’ve got a great shot to win multiple games in a state tournament setting.
Grand Forks Red River Has a Tier To Itself
There is a clear demarcation after the top two teams in the league and it appears clear that at this point, Grand Forks Red River is a long way away from as good as Fargo Davies and West Fargo Sheyenne, and very clearly better than the rest of the league. The Roughriders aren’t yet complete, as Will Obioha just returned to the lineup a few weeks ago. As he progresses, this team’s ceiling goes up. Brady Dvorak has been steady at the point guard spot and Cole Benson has enjoyed a breakout senior season on the wing (10.6 points, 44% from 3).
Grant Nelson’s Been Ridiculous
Devils Lake is in the mix for a top-four seed in the EDC because Grant Nelson has been dominant. The 6-foot-9 senior has taken excellent numbers from his junior year and ascended even further, to the point that he’s almost a lock for the Player-of-the-Year in the league. Nelson’s numbers are silly, as he’s averaging 23.3 points, 18.3 rebounds and 5.6 blocks per game. He’s dominant on both ends of the floor, controlling the paint in a big way. He gets to the free throw line 7.5 times and shoots 74 percent from the charity stripe. While his 3-point shot hasn’t fallen this winter, he’s got the kind of touch and willingness to pull the trigger from deep that can put pressure on defenses.
West Fargo and Grand Forks Central Have Surprised
Two teams who went into this season with completely different expectations have ended up in roughly the same space. The West Fargo Packers were supposed to contend for an EDC title while Grand Forks Central was supposed to be one of the doormats of the league. Both teams are fighting for position in the middle right now.
The Packers just haven’t taken that collective next step. Hunter Lyman has put up solid numbers (12.7 points, 11 rebounds) but hasn’t been consistently dominant. Matt Miller has been okay, but not markedly better than last year. Carson Hegerle’s been solid as a sophomore, but his jumpshot and playmaking ability particularly in the halfcourt needs further development. Carter Birrenkott is averaging 11.7 points and 5.6 rebounds. Too often, the offense has just been a bit of a slog for this group. The lack of shooting and depth gives them less margin for error. They’ve got the size and experience to turn things around, but they are running out of time to play to the sum of their parts.
Grand Forks Central has hit the skids a bit in recent weeks but at one point was 5-5 and in the thick of things in the EDC. The Knights are now 5-10 and we’ll see if they can rebound down the stretch. Junior forward Mason Gravseth is a guy to keep an eye on. He’s extremely active in the paint, has the mobility and athleticism to run the floor, defend on the perimeter and beat defenders off the dribble and he’s been productive, averaging 11.9 points and 7.8 rebounds. Alex Barbot, Parker Brown and Mason Love form a nice trio on the perimeter of guys who can make plays and score a little bit. Ben Hoverson dropped 38 points in a win over Fargo Davies earlier in the year, illustrating his ability to explode without notice.
Other Notes
Fargo North hasn’t had the year I thought the Spartans were capable of. An injury before the season to Carson Critchley has hampered him severely and some of the younger guys haven’t been as impactful as hoped. Cayden Rickard has been a bright spot though. The senior guard is averaging 20 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists. He’s not shooting it all that well from the 3-point line and he’s turning it over more frequently than you’d like, but he’s asked to carry a huge load for that team and when he’s good, they can still hang with almost anybody.
Fargo Shanley has been mostly solid this year thus far and still has an outside shot at earning a top-four seed in the EDC. The Deacons have a rock-solid interior duo of Roman Srjema and freshman big man Patrick Bath. Bath is averaging 10 points and nearly 5 rebounds per game and looks like a legitimate difference-maker going forward.
Wahpteton junior guard Tyler Tollefson has enjoyed a breakout season for the Huskies. He’s averaging 12.5 points and knocking down 40 percent of his 3-pointers on the season. It’s been a down year for the Huskies, but he’s been a bright spot.
It’s been a struggle for Valley City this winter, but junior guard Peyton Zaun is certainly a player to keep an eye on. Zaun is averaging 15.9 points while knocking down 41 percent of his 3-pointers.