North Dakota Preview: Region 4 Top Forwards

<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 top forwards in Region 4</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="750159" first="Bronson" last="Walter"], Four Winds/Minnewaukan</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Walter is a force in the paint that so few teams around the state are equipped to deal with. He’s 6-foot-10 with a big, strong frame and he knows exactly who he is on the floor. He doesn’t try to be fancy, he’s not going to stray far from the paint, and he’s effective because of it. He has excellent footwork in the low post, a soft touch and he’s a good passer out of double teams. The Indians are going to be the No. 1 team in Class B to start the season, and Walter is the go-to guy for them in the halfcourt. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="750179" first="Evan" last="Ulrich"], New Rockford-Sheyenne</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ulrich developed nicely into a consistent interior presence for the Rockets last season, averaging better than 12 points and eight rebounds. He’s active on the offensive glass, he’s got quick, nimble footwork and he’s improved his shooting touch out to the 3-point line. He’ll be the featured guy for New Rockford-Sheyenne as a senior - expect double-double production. </span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1046341" first="Blayne" last="Anderson"], Benson County</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Anderson is just rock-solid in a lot of areas. He was a consistent 15-20 point-per-game guy as a junior for a good Benson County team, and his ability to score from all over the floor makes him a tough guy to defend. He can shoot it from deep, he has the size to finish at the rim and he’s strong enough to play through contact. He was an all-region guy last year and could be one of the top scorers in the region as a senior.</span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1046344" first="Caleb" last="Poitra"], Dunseith</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dunseith is losing a number of quality scorers, but the Dragons should have an excellent one-two punch with [player_tooltip player_id="1046358" first="Ethan" last="Morin"] on the perimeter and Poitra on the wing. The 6-foot-1 senior was a solid complementary piece last season, showing that he’s capable of scoring at a high level when given opportunity. Look for him to be more heavily featured this winter. </span></p> <p><strong>Hayden Hagler, North Star</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hagler had a solid junior year for North Star, helping the Bearcats win eight games while showing complementary scoring and solid defensive chops. At 6-foot-3, he’s an active guy up front who can guard multiple positions, score in multiple ways and contribute on the glass. </span></p>