EDC Seniors To Watch For: Grand Forks Edition

<p>[player_tooltip player_id="812222" first="Paine" last="Parks"] - 6’3"/G - Red River RoughRiders</p> <p>When it comes to a great basketball team, you need a reliable player that can anchor the ship not only during good times, but also in uneven waters. [player_tooltip player_id="812222" first="Paine" last="Parks"] from Grand Forks Red River is that guy. During his junior year as a 6 foot 3 inch guard for the RoughRiders, Parks put up great numbers averaging 17 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, also being named a unanimous selection for the All-Conference team. Not to mention shooting 49% from the field, 34.6% from the three point line, and robbing 1.3 steals a contest. Watching back on his play l<a style="font-size: 1rem;" href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/06/PGHFeaturedImage9.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1003761 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/06/PGHFeaturedImage9-300x168.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="168" /></a>ast season, I was very impressed with his size and all around skill set. Its not often that you see someone posses the finishing ability, court vision, footwork, and hustle on both the boards and defensive end such as [player_tooltip player_id="812222" first="Paine" last="Parks"] does. I sat down with the Grand Forks Senior to talk about his goals for the year, and where he’s at both mentally and physically as a basketball player.</p> <p>What are some goals for yourself personally, and for your team this upcoming season? "<i>My goals are pretty straightforward, the team comes first. I’m always willing to do what it takes to put us in a winning situation. We’ve got a lot of guys returning this year and we had a really successful summer playing together. Our confidence in what we have personal wise is high and we feel like this team can compete for a top spot in the East. One key team goal is to rebound as a unit and minimize 2nd chance points. That killed us at times last year, but we really improved in those aspects during the summer. My personal goals are to control the pace of the game and to see the floor better. Getting everyone touches is going to create opportunities, showcase the talent we have, and make us more efficient."</i></p> <p>As a guard that can do about anything asked of him on the court, what is an area or two you still wanted to improve on during this last summer? <i>"I worked a lot on my catch and shoot from the three this summer. I’d say last season that was something I was inconsistent with, but through AAU, summer leagues, and time in the gym it improved and that showed in games."</i></p> <p>Does your commitment to the University of North Dakota football team add any pressure for this final run? Have you given it much thought or has your focus stayed in the present? <em>"My future in football brings no added pressure to this season. I’m all in for my senior year, 100% focused, and ready to get things going so I can help get this team in the right spot."</em></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1135517" first="Brady" last="McQuillan"] - 5’10"/G - Red River RoughRiders</p> <p>Completing the senior filled backcourt for the Red River RoughRiders is guard [player_tooltip player_id="1135517" first="Brady" last="McQuillan"]. A floor general who as a junior averaged 6.6 points, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals a contest. The Grand Forks senior brings leadership, solid ball handling, a reliable outside shot, and court vision to a team that will look for him to provide those services every game he can. With the EDC being full of great guards for this upcoming season, I spoke to Brady about any expectations he has on playing with teammate [player_tooltip player_id="812222" first="Paine" last="Parks"] and his thoughts on an increased roll as a senior.</p> <p>What are your thoughts on the increased roll you will have this year after a solid junior season? <i>"I’m really excited to have an increased roll this year. My goal is just to help out are team anyway I can."</i></p> <p>How are your expectations for sharing a backcourt with [player_tooltip player_id="812222" first="Paine" last="Parks"]? Are you excited to see that on-court chemistry take a big step this year? "<em>Playing in a backcourt with Paine is an awesome experience because he is such a great player in all aspects of the game. I think it’s going to be a lot fun to see our chemistry get better and grow on both ends of the court as the season progresses." </em></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="1135484" first="Sam" last="Strandell"] - 6’3"/G-F - Central Knights</p> <p>Rounding out the seniors to watch for in Grand Forks is Central Knights guard/forward [player_tooltip player_id="1135484" first="Sam" last="Strandell"]. A tough player who as a junior put up impressive numbers averaging 9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, also having four games with double digit boards. Not surprising stats from a guy who backs down from no one and plays as aggressive on both ends of the court as Sam does. With the season coming up, and the EDC being full of skilled and hungry players, I spoke with Strandell about his goals, improvement from last season, and motivation as a senior. </p> <p>What are some goals for yourself, and the team going into this senior campaign? "<i>Our goal is to be in a position to compete for a spot in the state tournament, and to do that will mean playing our best basketball in February and March. That means getting better each practice and working hard every time we step on the court. When it comes to a personal goal, my focus is being a great leader throughout the year. This team will have a lot of younger guys that are going to step up and fill some big roles, and I want to help them grow because I know the high potential they possess."</i></p> <p>How did your off-season go? We’re there certain areas of your game that you looked to focus on? "<i>I knew going into the off-season that I had to improve as a shooter, so that was my main focus along with becoming faster and stronger. Things were going well and my shooting was improving until one of our last football games of the year. Unfortunately I broke the wrist in my shooting arm and it's still recovering, so that means once its healed I'll be putting in the work to get back to where I was before the incident."</i></p> <p>With your commitment to the University of North Dakota for football, does that provide some added motivation knowing this is the last go around for you as a basketball player? <i>"Being committed to UND for football feels great because that decision is no longer in my thought process, and I can completely focus on Central sports. I’ve been a huge fan of the Knights, particularly their basketball team, since I was a kid. That adds a ton of motivation to do something that hasn’t been done in awhile, make a run in the state tournament . The group of guys we have this season are hard working and going to be really exciting to play with. I truly believe we have the squad to get the job done."</i></p>