East vs. West Showdown: Sunday Standouts

Jamestown, ND – The E vs. W Showdown took place in Jamestown today. I was at Jamestown High School watching the 8th-grade games. I was impressed with the talent and skill of these 8th graders. The future looks bright! In this article, we are looking at the Standouts from Sunday Morning.

Impressive team – The best team I saw was West Fargo Flash. They shared the ball very well and the Flash players were very active off the ball. They also set screens and used them well. They are a very fundamental team with proper and skilled footwork. Their 3/4 zone press was frustrating and ubiquitous. The Flash forced many turnovers that resulted in transition buckets on the other end. They shot the ball well from behind the arc and they constantly put pressure on the D by attacking the paint. The future is bright in West Fargo.

STANDOUTS-Class of 2026

(alphabetically ordered)

Aiden Simek Aiden Simek 6'1" | SG West Fargo | 2026 State ND |5-3 G| WF Flash (WF)

He has a very nice-looking jump shot. I was impressed with his floater. Aiden knew exactly how close he could get to the basket before he could get the floater off before he got into the trees by the basket. Simek is a smart and skilled backcourt player.

Beckett Pfau Beckett Pfau 6'1" | SG West Fargo | 2026 State ND |5-6 G| WF Flash (WF)

He has excellent handles and on defense Beckett is a pick-pocket. I liked his slick finish after his excellent euro-step. Pfau is a 3-point shooter with a soft high arcing shot. I liked how he crashed the O-boards from the perimeter. Beckett has phenomenal footwork for his young age. His finger roll finishes were also impressive. He is going to be a tough Packer.

Brylee Bears Tail Brylee Bears Tail 6'3" | SF Mandan | 2026 State ND |6-1 G/F| Bears Tail Basketball (St. Mary’s)

He is a very skilled and lanky player. Brylee has high-level handles. He can finish after contact at the basket. Brylee hit multiple 3-pointers. He has a great shooting stroke that goes along with good feet and balance.

Carter Evanson Carter Evanson 6'3" | CG Horace | 2026 State ND |5-5 G| WF Flash (Sheyenne)

He has a very nice hesitation move that kept defenders off balance. Carter is a crafty finisher. He is a smooth 3-point shooter, Evanson hit multiple triples in the game I watched. He slashed and dropped times. Carter looks to have a bright future for the Mustangs.

Collin Williams Collin Williams 6'5" | PF Fargo Davies | 2026 State ND |6-0 F| Eagles (Davies)

He is a crafty left-handed post player. Collin finished with both hands around the basket. I liked how he fought for rebounds. Williams also had good footwork. His step-through move looked very nice. He looks to be a good young frontcourt player for the Davies program.

Dayce Keplin Dayce Keplin 6'0" | SG Mandan | 2026 State ND |5-7 G| Bears Tail Basketball (St. Mary’s)

He had a very nice-looking shot from the perimeter. I liked how he followed his shot and grabbed his own rebound. His 3-point shot showed me a form with no wasted movement. Keplin also showed a nice step-back jumper with a quick release.

Jack Bertsch Jack Bertsch 6'5" | C Aberdeen Central | 2026 State SD |6-2 PF| Aberdeen Central

He is a long-armed big man. Jack showed physical post moves. This lefty is not afraid of contact. He is an aggressive rebounder, especially on the O-boards. Bertsch did a nice job of boxing out and keeping his defender away from the ball. The Golden Eagles must be excited about this big man.

Kaylen Larson |5-9 G| Aberdeen Central

He looked like a shooter. Larson has very good form. He also showed a very nice step-back move. Kaylen definitely has potential.

Michael Dutenhoffer |5-8 G| Aberdeen Central

He is an athletic lefty. Michael is a skilled passer and finisher. He has good handles and he can pass off the dribble one-handed.

Sam Glandt Sam Glandt 6'2" | SG West Fargo | 2026 State ND |5-11 G/F| WF Flash (WF)

He was excellent this morning. Sam is very athletic. His lefty mid-range pull-up jumper was impressive. Glandt can slash and finish with precision. He had multiple O-board putbacks and tip-ins. His jump-shot finish in traffic looked more like a high school athlete than a JH player. Glandt’s spin-move was off the charts. He had an acrobatic transition finish that showcased his athleticism, body control, and focus. Glandt was one of the best that I saw today.

Soren Ristvedt Soren Ristvedt 5'7" | SG West Fargo | 2026 ND |5-4 G| WF Flash (WF)

I loved his hustle. Soren scored multiple points in transition because of how hard he sprinted the floor. Like the other Flash guards, Soren crashed the boards hard. Ristvedt is a gifted shooter. He hit many from downtown. You can tell Soren is a smart player. He moves well and he makes the correct pass. He looks to be another skilled up-and-coming Packer.

Turner Bergan Turner Bergan 6'2" | SF Aberdeen Central | 2026 SD |6-1 F| Aberdeen Central

He is another long forward from Aberdeen. Turner showed a soft shot. He looks to be a nice free-throw shooter. He hit the O-boards with aggressiveness. Bergan showed good eyes when he had the ball. He is an unselfish passer. The Golden Eagles have a couple of “twin-towers” in their program with Bergan and Bertsch.

Will Volewebe |5-7 G| Bears Tail Basketball (Century)

He looked good slashing through the lane. Will showed an excellent hesitation move. He also looked great finishing multiple times with a finger roll.