North Dakota Preview: Grand Forks Red River

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grand Forks Red River went into last season ranked among the top teams in the state and despite some inconsistent play throughout the regular season, finished third in the EDC in the regular season and were seconds away from reaching the state tournament. With a big group of seniors gone to graduation, the Roughriders head into the 2020-21 season with some questions.</span></p> <p><strong>Key Returners: [player_tooltip player_id="731865" first="Will" last="Obioha"], [player_tooltip player_id="812222" first="Paine" last="Parks"]</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The duo of Obioha and Parks should be one of the best in the EDC (and maybe all of Class A) and gives the Roughriders a great foundation for this upcoming season. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Obioha has been one of the best players in the state since his sophomore season and despite missing a big chunk of last season with an injury, he returned to the lineup and averaged better than 13 points and six rebounds. He’ll have a bigger offensive role this winter with GFRR losing most of its perimeter core. He’s a big, athletic, two-way wing who can score off the dribble, get to the rim and wreak havoc on the defensive end of the floor. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Parks averaged better than five points per game off the bench as a sophomore and is one of the best 2022 prospects in the state. He’s a big, physical wing who uses his strength to bully his way to the rim against smaller defenders. He’s a creative passer, a solid rebounder and can defend at least three positions. Look for him to take a big step and potentially reach all-league status as a junior. </span></p> <p><strong>Stepping Into New Roles: Brady Mcquillan, Karsen Johnson, Reis Rowekamp, [player_tooltip player_id="1050260" first="Logan" last="Arason"]</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">McQuillan is the name to watch here as he’s slated to start at point guard this upcoming year. He’s a solid perimeter shooter, can handle it and make plays off the bounce, and his ability to control the tempo will be important for a team that generally wins with strong defense. He’ll give the Roughriders another perimeter scorer.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Johnson is a senior who should ascend into a rotation role on the wing. He’s an athletic kid who has the length and quickness to defend opposing wings. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Rowekamp and Arason should be in position to get key minutes this winter as sophomores. Rowekamp is a solid-sized swingman who can shoot it and defend while Arason is a 6-foot-4 big with a strong motor, athleticism and touch inside. </span></p> <p><strong>Season Outlook</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Roughriders will head into the 2020-21 season with a lot of newcomers and question marks, but with the EDC on the whole being inexperienced, they’ve got the high-end talent to compete for a top-four spot in the league. Obioha is a potential Player-of-the-Year in the EDC and one of the best players in the state. If he’s healthy, he’s got the talent to dominate games. If Parks can take that sophomore-to-junior jump and some of the newcomers develop into legitimate rotation players, this team can win a lot of games. </span></p>