Minnesota First Look: Dawson-Boyd
***Photo Credit: Sam Thiel/Marshall Independent*** Around this time last year, Dawson-Boyd was viewed as a team to fear in the Camden Conference and Section 3A. They were returning a good amount of high-end talent and had added a talented transfer.…
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Continue Reading***Photo Credit: Sam Thiel/Marshall Independent***
Around this time last year, Dawson-Boyd was viewed as a team to fear in the Camden Conference and Section 3A. They were returning a good amount of high-end talent and had added a talented transfer. For some reason, things didn’t click until late in the year when the Blackjacks made a run to the Section 3A final. Now, with three starters set to return, Dawson-Boyd will head into 2019-20, again as a sleeper team with the potential to make noise.
KEY RETURNERS: Romell Horton, Zach Durfee, Josh Anyasike
Horton is one of the best guards in the area and is coming off a solid junior year in which he averaged better than 15 points per game. He’s diminutive and dynamic, and has the ability to score from all three levels on the court. He’s a terrific long-range shooter and can get his shot off against just about any defender. He’ll be the unquestioned go-to guy with Bentley Boike gone to graduation.
Durfee transferred to Dawson-Boyd before his junior year and quickly emerged as a viable piece to the Blackjacks’ puzzle. The 6-foot-4 swingman averaged 13 points and six rebounds, providing a little bit of everything from 3-point shooting to versatile defense to solid energy. He’ll be leaned on heavily this winter along with Horton as the team graduated its leading scorer in Boike.
Anyasike was a rotation guy last year, providing slashing and solid defense off the bench. He’s an athletic kid who stars on the football field but can also has a chance to be an all-conference type guy for the Blackjacks.
STEPPING INTO NEW ROLES: Brendan Stultz, Colby Deuth, Mike Kvall
The Blackjacks graduating an excellent senior class and because of it, the depth of the team will be tested this winter. A lot of new faces will make their way to the varsity level, creating a lot of unknown at this point.
Brendan Stultz is a guy who figures to see a good chunk of minutes on the wing. He’s an athletic, strong guard who can put pressure on the ball, make plays in transition and score in complementary fashion.
The Blackjacks didn’t have an underclassman on the team last year, but will likely need to develop some young guys as this season goes along.
QUESTION: Can the Blackjacks be more consistent in 2019-20?
Dawson-Boyd had a weird season. The Blackjacks struggled to jell early last year, starting 4-6 before going 11-4 down the stretch and reaching the section championship. This group won’t have as much on-paper talent, but perhaps less mouths to feed makes for easier role allocation. This group, in theory, should go into the year without many questions with regards to what is expected from who. Can that help the Blackjacks sail smoother throughout the course of the season?
SEASON OUTLOOK
Dawson-Boyd won’t go into this season as a favorite in the Camden or Section 3A. But don’t count the Blackjacks out. Horton and Durfee are among the best players in the league and will be two of the best players on the floor in just about every game D-B plays. The Blackjacks will need some new faces to emerge and step up into bigger roles, but this team has the talent to win 15-20 games this year.