North Dakota Class B Preseason Top 25
As the 2017 North Dakota Class B basketball season approaches a lot of people may be wondering what teams will standout this year. Here is Prep Hoops Preseason Top 25 Teams.
- Stanley (The Blue Jays return a ton of talent this year off of a state tournament run last year and the only question for them is can they find a rhythm offensively and be consistent?)
- Shiloh Christian (The Skyhawks also return a ton of talent but the loss of a couple of players in basketball has us wondering two things, who’s gonna step up for the Skyhawks and how will they respond to adversity?)
- Beulah (The Miners will return a team full weapons and only losses one starter off of last years Region 7 runner-up finish. They will have to put all the pieces together offensively and rebound well to get more offensive possessions. The more possessions they get, the more deadly of a team they’ll be.)
- Bishop Ryan ( The Lions impressed a lot of people at the state tournament last season without their best player on the floor for a single minute, now can the Lions figure out a way to put all the pieces together again this year?)
- Carrington (The Cardinals return a team that had a successful tournament run last year with a ton of scorers and defenders. Can they carry over their selfless tournament play to this year and become a top team that everyone expects them to be?)
- Thompson (The Tommies had a successful season that was halted by last years state champions, Hillsboro-CV Burros. The Tommies need to find a number option on offense this year and continue their rebounding efforts to become the team everyone thinks they’ll be.)
- St. John (The Woodchucks were close last year, very close… This year they will look for revenge and could very possibly be making run at the state tournament. This team has to be consistent defensively day in and day out in order to be successful because the offense is no question here.)
- Oak Grove (Oak Grove has a strong team coming back full of scorers and defenders and are only missing one thing, rebounding… Can they rebound the ball to get possessions for a deadly offensive team? This team last year could trade buckets all night but this year they need to make the most of every possession they have.)
- Richland (The Colts have an athletic group returning that impressed a lot of people last year. This year they need to find their footing early and roll with it for the season.)
- Four Winds-Minnewaukan (The Indians lost a lot of talent last year and it may be hard for some people to see it but they will be competitive this season! Excellent coaching and a group that doesn’t ever rebuild and only seems to retool will be interesting.)
- Linton-HMB (The Lions region only gets easier which helps their ranking but they still have some talent. Only returning 2 starters is tough but they will still be competitive because of the great coaching they have!)
- Grafton (The spoilers were a defensive monster last year and look to continue that this year. They match up well with almost any team defensively but how will they do offensively?)
- Watford City (The Wolves are one of the more interesting teams to watch this year. They provide a little bit of everything whether it be offense, defense or rebounding. But one thing they need to bring to every game this year is physicality.)
- Langdon-Munich (The Cardinals will be undersized all year so physicality and making the most of every possession will be key for them this year. They have some offensive pieces so putting it all together will be necessary for a run at tourney time.)
- Our Redeemers (The Knights have a lot of experience and a lot of pieces. If this team can make everything run like a well-oiled machine come tourney time this team could be deadly.)
- Hettinger-Scranton (The Nighthawks will depend a lot on their defense to get stops as this team lacks offensive weapons. They need to get the ball to their main scoring options and rely upon them to carry the load night in and night out.)
- Hillsboro-Central Valley (The Burros return from a state championship season with a lot of key pieces. Can they return with a physical defensive presence and rhythmic offense?)
- Turtle Lake-Mercer/McClusky (The former surprise team from last year will have to find a true point guard. If they can add a physical defense to make up for a lack of height this team could be deadly with the shooting they already have!)
- Dickinson Trinity (The Titans lost a lot last year but with solid coaching and a high IQ basketball team they could still be competitive in the region.)
- New Town (The Eagles will have most of their team back from last year and look to do what they always do, shoot threes. If this team can knock down shots, play defense, and maintain a fast-paced offense they will be a very tough team at tournament time.)
- Washburn (The Cardinals came on strong at tournament time and almost had a state tournament berth. This team needs to take high percentage shots and buy into a physical defensive mindset in order to pick up where they finished off last year.)
- Bottineau ( The Braves have a combination of speed and height that makes them a tough matchup for anyone. Can they shoot the ball at a high percentage and be successful with their zone defense?)
- Milnor-North Sargent (The Cadets have lost more seniors than any other top 25 team in the past 2 seasons. They lack pieces offensively and need to find layers to fill those roles but this is one of the stronger defensive teams in Class B.)
- Solen (The Sioux lost a lot to graduation but are gonna look to Jayce Archambault for most of their offense. Defensively their coaching will help them some but how much can they learn in the regular season to be prepared for tournament time when it approaches.
- Edgeley/Kulm/Montpelier (The Rebels are one of the more experienced teams this year returning 4 starters and 3 of their 4 bench players so filling in roles shouldn’t be tough. WHere this team needs to be tough is rebounding. Possessions have to be one of their main keys to success.)
All of these teams have a chance to win out their region and be in the state tournament in March. Filling roles and finding a rhythm will be a major key for every team as the season gets going.
Featured Image credit to Stanley Gazzette