Class A State Tournament: Team Capsules
The Class A State Tournament field is set. Here’s a look at each squad: Bismarck The Demons beat Minot and Jamestown on their way to a WDA Tournament Championship. Depth and pace have been the weapons all year for Bismarck,…
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Continue ReadingThe Class A State Tournament field is set. Here’s a look at each squad:
Bismarck
The Demons beat Minot and Jamestown on their way to a WDA Tournament Championship. Depth and pace have been the weapons all year for Bismarck, as they overwhelm teams with their tempo over the course of a game. They trade efficiency for volume, applying incredible pressure on teams full court and running-and-gunning teams out of the gym. Gunner Swanson leads a group that has four double-figure scorers and six more that average 3-8 point per game.
West Fargo Sheyenne
The Mustangs have been ranked in the top-three pretty much all season and head into the state tournament as the No. 1 seed from the EDC after blowing out Fargo Davies in the EDC Tournament Championship game. Sheyenne can win in a variety of ways. The Mustangs have the firepower and athleticism to get up and down and play fast, but also the size and toughness to lock up and win ugly. Blake Berg, Tyler Terhark and Zion Dettman give them a monster three-headed attack on the perimeter and senior big man Chuck Dubois is the ultimate glue guy.
Fargo Davies
Fargo Davies won the EDC regular season title and lost to West Fargo Sheyenne in the EDC championship game. The Eagles have been ranked in the top-three in Class A all season and have a rare combination of size, experience and depth. Cam Van Dam is one of the best two-way players in the tournament field. Cole Hage, Owen Hekner, Grayson Haman and Ty Satter all average double-figures in scoring as well.
Jamestown
Jamestown reached the WDA championship game, losing to Bismarck in overtime. The Bluejays beat Williston and Mandan in overtime bouts the previous two days and did it all without senior guard Boden Skunberg. Carson Lamp, Brooks Carrol and Keith Levin were all excellent and if Skunberg is able to play in the state tournament (I’d assume he’ll give it a go), they are more than capable of winning a state title.
Devils Lake
Devils Lake beat West Fargo and Grand Forks Red River on its way to the state tournament and the Firebirds are going to be interesting to watch because of senior big man Grant Nelson. He’s been ridiculous all year and was phenomenal in the EDC Tournament, averaging 29 points, 20.7 rebounds and 4.3 blocks.
Mandan
The Braves have been one of the best teams in the state since about the midway point of the season. It took them a while to get fully healthy and to break in a big batch of varsity newcomers, but they are going into the state tournament with a lot of positive energy, blowing out Dickinson, losing to Jamestown in overtime and beating Bismarck Legacy in the WDA Tournament. Elijah Klein is arguably the best big man in the state tournament and Jaxton Wiest is playing at a high level over the last month.
Dickinson
Dickinson had to grind its way through the WDA Tournament and rebounded after a blowout loss in the first round to Mandan, coming back to defeat Williston and Minot to secure a state tournament bid. One of the most improved teams in the state, the Midgets are a senior-heavy group with one of the best duos in Class A, Jaiden Wright and Kobe Krenz.
Fargo Shanley
One of the surprise tourney qualifiers, the Deacons were in the jumbled mess of a middle class in the EDC this year, but turned things on the EDC Tournament, beating Grand Forks Red River and West Fargo to secure a spot in the field. Talon Hoffer has been the go-to guy all year for Shanley, averaging better than 14 points per game and he upped that to better than 20 in the postseason. The Deacons have a solid mix of role players with Roman Srjema, Patrick Bath, Quincy Smith and Braden DeKeyser.