North Dakota Preview: Class A Top Frontcourts

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s never too early for too-early-season. With fall sports and school underway, it’s only a matter of time before the winter sports season is upon us. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">With that in mind, here’s a look at the top frontcourts in Class A</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="731866" first="Gunner" last="Swanson"] and Treysen Eaglestaff, Bismarck</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Swanson and Eaglestaff aren’t typical frontcourt bodies, rather they are closer to the prototype swingman, but with the way Bismarck plays, they’ll log big minutes in the frontcourt this year. And they are matchup problems for people with their combinations of length, skill and athleticism. Swanson emerged as one of the best players in the WDA last year and should be even better as a senior. Eaglestaff was something of a microwave scorer off the bench last year and had his share of big moments - if he takes that sophomore-to-junior leap, look out. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="731876" first="Jacksen" last="Moni"], [player_tooltip player_id="750185" first="Jah’Heem" last="Leake"], Michael Nhial and Dominic Dosmann, West Fargo Sheyenne</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Mustangs have arguably the biggest and best frontline in the state with guys who can shoot, defend, rebound, run the floor and control the paint. It starts with Moni who averaged about 11 points and seven rebounds as a junior. He’s a terrific defensive big man who will have more offensive responsibility as a senior. Leake struggled early in his junior season particularly on the defensive end of the floor but gained more and more time as he earned trust as the season went along. He’s a top-notch athlete at the center spot and can be a force if he puts it all together. Nhial and Dosmann both saw spot minutes at the varsity level as sophomores and should work their way into the rotation. Nhial probably sees some time on the wing as he’s big, athletic and can shoot it. Dosmann is an active, rangy forward who has a solid faceup game. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="731865" first="Will" last="Obioha"] and [player_tooltip player_id="998907" first="Khamani" last="Steckler"], Grand Forks Red River</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Obioha missed a big chunk of his junior season with an injury, but when healthy, he’s as impactful as any player in the EDC. He’s capable of stuffing the stat sheet in a big way as a scorer, rebounder, facilitator and defender. He can guard at least three positions and scores in a variety of ways. Steckler is a big, strong post presence who will need to take his game to another level as a senior. He’s a quality defender in the paint and can be an impact rim-runner and finisher at the rim. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="750156" first="Justice" last="Coleman"], Jordan Lebeau, Andrew Leingang and Ryan Erikson, Bismarck Century</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Patriots have a big, deep, versatile and potential-filled frontcourt. There’s a lot of room for variance on this one as Coleman, Lebeau and Erikson could all take big steps forward this year - but are unproven to a degree. If Coleman is healthy, he’s a legitimate all-league player in the WDA and might be the team’s best overall player. Lebeau struggled offensively in his first year with the Patriots but he’s a terrific overall defensive player who can provide some shooting. Expect him to be better as a senior. Leingang is a defensive anchor who does a lot of the dirty work inside. Erikson could be the difference between a good and great frontcourt. He’s 6-foot-8 with solid low post skills and a soft shooting touch. He’s prone to some defensive lapses but his size and rebounding ability track against anybody. If he gives the Patriots some much-needed offensive punch, this frontcourt is going to be a lot for people. </span></p> <p><strong>Zander Albers and Ben Patton, Bismarck Legacy</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">A big key for the Sabers realizing their potential this year will be the development of Albers inside. As a sophomore, he averaged better than nine points and six rebounds, showcasing an inside-outside scoring ability that few guys can match. If he takes that sophomore-to-junior jump, he’d give the team a third all-league caliber player. Patton is a solid swing guy who can guard up or down in a lineup and score in complementary fashion. </span></p>