Class A State Tournament: X-Factors
The Class A State Tournament starts up Thursday. A good chunk of the players that will be on all-state teams when postseason awards are announced are in attendance and on the biggest stage, those big-name players have a lot on…
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Continue ReadingThe Class A State Tournament starts up Thursday. A good chunk of the players that will be on all-state teams when postseason awards are announced are in attendance and on the biggest stage, those big-name players have a lot on their plate. But who are some lesser-known players who will play roles in potentially shifting the balance?
Here are some of the X-Factors:
Chuck Dubois, West Fargo Sheyenne
Dubois doesn’t get much attention as guys like Blake Berg and Tyler Terhark have been all-league guys and junior big men like Jacksen Moni and Jah’Heem Leake tend to catch more eyeballs because of their size and status as prospects, but he’s the ideal glue guy. He’s plays a lot bigger than his size, sets screens, moves the ball, rebounds and does a lot of the dirty work defending bigger guys on a nightly basis. And just when you forget about him on the offensive end, he’s capable of popping off four or five 3-pointers in a game.
Treysen Eaglestaff, Bismarck
It’s weird to consider Eaglestaff an X-Factor given he’s the team’s second-leading scorer, but the sophomore swingman has been something of a super-gunner off the bench. When he’s on, he’s capable of putting up huge point totals. But he’s been feast or famine at times. If he’s feasting, the Demons have a reliable bucket-getter (something they actually don’t have in spades despite their high point-per-game average) and a guy who can take over stretches of a game.
Shea Carroll, Jamestown
If Boden Skunberg can’t play or isn’t near 100 percent capacity (which are the only two possibilities), Carroll’s importance to the Bluejays takes a big jump. He’s been very good when given opportunities to play bigger minutes and while he’s on the small side and can get a little turnover prone, he’s an excellent 3-point shooter, a creative passer and more than capable as a shot-creator. If teams don’t pay attention to him, he’s capable of popping 15-20 points on good efficiency.
Tallon Klatt, Dickinson
The offense for the Midgets runs almost exclusively through Jaiden Wright and Kobe Krenz, but a guy who anchors their defense and can supply complementary offense is Klatt. The 6-foot-7 senior big man was a force in the WDA Tournament, dominating the Minot frontcourt in the state-tournament clinching game, scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
Quincy Smith, Fargo Shanley
Fargo Shanley leans heavily on Tallon Hoffer to produce offense and if the ball is taken out of his hands, a guy who will need to deliver is Smith. He hasn’t been consistent throughout the year, but when he’s played well, he’s played really well. He’s the Deacons’ best perimeter shooter and will need to be impactful if they are going to have any shot at winning games.
Owen Hekner, Fargo Davies
Hekner has moments where he looks like the Eagles’ best player, but perhaps by virtue of the team’s depth, he floats sometimes. He’s a known knockdown shooter and he’s capable of putting up 20-30 points with relative ease, but he’s got the ability to do so much more than be a decoy floor-spacer. He’s a smart passer, a strong rebounder and an instinctual defender who can impact the game in a lot of ways when he’s assertive. If he is, the Eagles are going to be really hard to beat.