Let’s Meet: Conner Kraft

<h6>Currently the #3 ranked prospect in North Dakota (2023)</h6> <p>He will be one of the best rebounders in all of North Dakota in next year’s high school season. Kraft will absolutely average a double-double in rebounds and points. I would not be surprised if he leads the EDC in dunks. I witnessed many rim-rocking 2-handed WHAMS from Conner this past season. Kraft has the athleticism, power, height, and skill to be a Division-1 level recruit. Playing with Howard Pulley will help his overall game. He will be is going against extreme athletes and super talented players. Kraft will have to improve his defense and find new ways to score in AAU. He has been improving his mid-range game and his 3-point shot. I expect Conner to come into the EDC as an extreme rebounder and scorer in his junior season. I predict he will be a solid defender as well. The EDC will be a tough and competitive conference next year. However, if anyone is going to get the Deacons back to the State Tournament, it will be on [player_tooltip player_id="1128188" first="Conner" last="Kraft"]’s shoulders. </p> <h6><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>2020-2021 Statistics</strong></span> - 11.8 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.8 BPG</h6> <h6><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Impressive Numbers from Sophomore Year</strong> </span>- 42 points vs. Wahpeton. 20 Rebounds vs. Devils Lake</h6> <h6>[player_tooltip player_id="1128188" first="Conner" last="Kraft"] (2023) |6-6 F| Fargo Shanley/Howard Pulley<br /> <em><br /> *See bottom of article for highlight film</em></h6> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Connerkraft-crop-1170x769-1614886131.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1144425" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Connerkraft-crop-1170x769-1614886131-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a></p> <p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Full Interview</span>: </strong></p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal"><strong>PHD: In AAU you are playing with Howard Pulley, how has it been going so far? </strong></p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal">[player_tooltip player_id="1128188" first="Conner" last="Kraft"]: AAU has been going pretty good, we have had a few tournaments so far and I’m looking forward to the circuit, starting in July.</p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal"><strong>PHD: How did you decide on which AAU program to play with?</strong></p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal">[player_tooltip player_id="1128188" first="Conner" last="Kraft"]: I decided to play with Howard Pulley Because it’s the next step in my basketball career, playing at a higher level as well. </p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal"><strong>PDH: Have you played at any cool/unique venues this spring in AAU ball?</strong></p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal">[player_tooltip player_id="1128188" first="Conner" last="Kraft"]: Yes, I’ve played in the Kansas City classic against 3 of the top 10 programs in the country and I’ve also played in Indiana so far.</p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal"><strong>PHD: What role will you play next year for the Shanley Deacons?</strong></p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal">[player_tooltip player_id="1128188" first="Conner" last="Kraft"]: I’ll play whatever role I need to, for us to be successful and to win.</p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal"><strong>PHD: What sports/activities are you involved in outside of basketball?</strong></p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal">[player_tooltip player_id="1128188" first="Conner" last="Kraft"]: I play football and I like to golf as well, I also like spending time at the lake with friends. </p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal"><strong>PHD: Would you rather have a big dunk or block a huge shot? Why?</strong></p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal">[player_tooltip player_id="1128188" first="Conner" last="Kraft"]: A huge dunk for sure, a dunk always gets the crowd going and makes for a great environment.</p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal"><strong>PHD: How has the recruiting process been going for you so far?</strong></p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal">[player_tooltip player_id="1128188" first="Conner" last="Kraft"]: It’s been going pretty good so far, I’ve been in contact with many programs in different divisions, and I’m excited to see how it plays out on June 15th.</p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal"><strong>PHD: What are your long-term goals when it comes to basketball?</strong></p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal">[player_tooltip player_id="1128188" first="Conner" last="Kraft"]: As of now, my goal is to get better every day and to play at a high division in college basketball.</p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal"><strong>PHD: What type of kicks do you currently wear when playing hoops?</strong></p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal">[player_tooltip player_id="1128188" first="Conner" last="Kraft"]: I’m always wearing Kobe’s and Kyrie’s, those are a few of my favorites at the moment. </p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal"><strong>PHD: What style of basketball do you like to play?</strong></p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal"> [player_tooltip player_id="1128188" first="Conner" last="Kraft"]: I like to play fast pace and at the highest level, against good competition.</p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal"><strong>PHD: Do you have any family/relatives that played college sports?</strong></p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal">[player_tooltip player_id="1128188" first="Conner" last="Kraft"]: My dad played college football at U Mary and my uncle played college baseball. </p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal"><strong>PHD: Who do you try to model your game after or who do you try to emulate?</strong></p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal">[player_tooltip player_id="1128188" first="Conner" last="Kraft"]: I take parts of a lot of player’s games and try to model my game after, but one that sticks out is Jayson Tatum.</p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal"><strong>PHD: You can pick anyone in the world to play in 1 on 1, who would it be and why?</strong></p> <p class="yiv3955778160msonormal">[player_tooltip player_id="1128188" first="Conner" last="Kraft"]: I’d probably say Jayson Tatum, I’ve been watching him since he was at Duke and I’ve always liked how he plays. I think it would be pretty cool to meet him and learn from him.</p> <p>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bLuhoGJJFA</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><iframe src="//www.hudl.com/embed/video/3/11277398/5ffe7aa896815909b48f68e9" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p>