North Dakota Preview: Fargo Shanley
After getting to the state tournament the previous season on the back of a terrific senior class, Fargo Shanley went through a rebuilding year last winter. With practically no returning players from the year before, the Deacons had their share…
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Continue ReadingAfter getting to the state tournament the previous season on the back of a terrific senior class, Fargo Shanley went through a rebuilding year last winter. With practically no returning players from the year before, the Deacons had their share of downs with a few ups mixed in as guys got accustomed to life at the varsity level. With a majority of those key guys back, Shanley could be in position for a bounceback season.
KEY RETURNERS: Talon Hoffer, Braden DeKeyser, Owen Mears
Hoffer is one of the best players in the state and was an all-EDC pick a year ago. He’s got a shot at all-state honors this winter if he stays healthy and plays like he did over the last half of his junior season plus the summer with Inspired Athletics. The 6-foot-3 guard averaged 17 points, five rebounds and three assists per game. His shooting percentages weren’t great during the high school season. If he makes marginal improvement in his efficiency, he’s a 20-plus point-per-game guy and a potential Player-of-the-Year type in the EDC.
DeKeyser averaged 11.5 points and five rebounds as a sophomore while shooting better than 45 percent from the floor. His 3-point shot is inconsistent but he’s a solid slasher and has good size to get into the paint and make plays. He’s got a chance to join Hoffer among the elites in the league if he takes another step forward. He’s on a really good track and could be a 15-18 point-per-game guy who does a lot of things well.
Mears was a starter last year, averaging eight points per game while serving as perhaps the team’s best perimeter defender. He does his best work off the ball, scoring mostly off quick drives ahead of rotations, cuts and in transition. He averaged nearly three steals per game as well.
STEPPING INTO NEW ROLES: Emmet Kenney, Roman Srejma, Jack Pollert,
Kenney was a bit guy last year off the bench, averaging about three points per game. He’s a solid perimeter shooter and could be valuable as the Deacons need to find guys who can space the floor for their talented slashers.
Pollert is a sophomore who could be in line for big minutes off the bench. He’s got nice size to play on the wing and the tools plus skills to be a difference-maker especially as an upperclassman.
Srejma is a guy to watch this winter. He played sparingly behind a few senior big men so he’s a bit of an unknown at this point. But he had a really nice summer on the AAU circuit and has the size and athleticism to be a potential 8 and 8 type guy inside. He runs the floor hard, hits the glass, talks on defense and sets picks. He could be a big key for the Deacons as there are a lot of available minutes in the frontcourt. Expect him to gobble a lot of them up.
QUESTION: Can the Deacons get stops?
Shanley allowed more than 70 points per game a year ago. That was one of the worst marks in the EDC and if the Deacons are going to add to their win total, that number needs to be in the low-60s. Hoffer is a capable defender when he puts his mind to it. Srejma has the size, strength and athleticism to more than hold his own on the interior. This team has guys who can guard. They all just have to do it consistently.
SEASON OUTLOOK
The Deacons won just eight games last year. Look for that number to come up a good amount this winter. Hoffer is one of the best players in the EDC and Shanley has a nice cast of complementary parts in DeKeyser, Srejma and others. This team might not be quite on the level of the contenders in the league, but it’ll be much-improved.