North Dakota Preview: Class A Breakout Candidates

<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 some of the potential breakout players in Class A:</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1046353" first="Zander" last="Albers"], Bismarck Legacy</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Albers was a solid rotation player for the Sabers last year, showing the ability to score inside and out while defending and rebounding at a solid level for a sophomore. The next step will be taking his game to an all-league level and in a WDA that is turning over a lot of the frontcourt talent, Albers has a chance to ascend to elite status for a team that should be good enough to contend. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1046360" first="Aaron" last="Grubb"], Mandan</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Mandan is bringing back what should be a steady trio of guards, but the Braves are going to be thin up front for the first time in a long time. Grubb figures to see a lot of playing time at one of those forward positions and while he doesn’t have great height, his ability to rebound, defend and create his shot off the bounce make him a potential matchup problem for a lot of bigs in the WDA.</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="812234" first="Trent" last="Freih"], West Fargo Sheyenne</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Freih will be one of several Mustangs thrust into a larger role on the perimeter in attempt to replace three double-figure scorers. Freih is a solid two-way player with the speed and athleticism to threaten defenders off the dribble. And he’s a hard-nosed defender who brings excellent energy on and off the ball. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1046355" first="Parker" last="Nelson"], West Fargo</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Nelson didn’t see much varsity time last year but showed over the summer with ECI that he’s capable of playing at a high level. He’s a solid perimeter shooter - something the Packers need a lot more of - and can break down defenders off the dribble. He’s not the biggest guy but he’s an effective on-ball defender because of his quickness and hustle. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="812222" first="Paine" last="Parks"], Grand Forks Red River</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Parks has been a solid bit guy for the Roughriders the last two years and started taking on more last year. He’ll be heavily featured this winter as an upperclassman, joining senior swingman [player_tooltip player_id="731865" first="Will" last="Obioha"] to form what should be one of the best duos in the EDC. Parks is a big, physical guard who can get to the rim and finish at a high level.</span></p>