WDA Outlook: Questions for Contenders

There is no heavy favorite in the WDA this season. However, some people think that Bismarck Century has the most talent and pieces to make a deep run. Many teams lost a large amount of talent last year because of graduation. In this article, we are going to ask a question for each team that we consider to be a Championship Contender. Let the speculation begin…

Oh yeah, the 1st practice of the season starts today!

WDA Contender Questions

Bismarck Century

How will they handle the high expectations? 

In my opinion, the Patriots should be ranked #1 in the Preseason Polls. They have it all! Century has size, length, shooters, rebounders, ball handlers, and creators. Will there be enough shots to go around? They are very talented, I just hope everyone stays happy with how many shots they are getting. The main Patriots played plenty of varsity minutes last season but they will still be a young team and they did not make the State Tournament. However, I am predicting that the Patriots are back in the Big Dance this year and the favorite to win it. These players will buy into their roles and do what is best for the team. Here are the top Patriots: Connor Trahan Connor Trahan 6'5" | SG Bismarck Century | 2022 State ND , Anthony Doppler Anthony Doppler 6'4" | SG Bismarck Century | 2023 State ND , Ryan Erikson Ryan Erikson 6'10" | C Bismarck Century | 2023 State ND , William Ware William Ware 6'7" | SF Bismarck Century | 2023 State ND , Tyler Birst Tyler Birst 6'0" | PG Bismarck Century | 2023 State ND , and Isaiah Schafer Isaiah Schafer 6'1" | CG Bismarck Century | 2024 State #246 Nation ND . 

Bismarck

Who will step up and compliment Treysen Eaglestaff Treysen Eaglestaff 6'5" | SF Bismarck | 2022 State ND ? 

Treysen Eaglestaff Treysen Eaglestaff 6'5" | SF Bismarck | 2022 State ND will be the most gifted offensive player in Class A this season. Do you think the Demons have enough firepower around him to beat the top teams? Bismarck has a deep rotation with many players. The Demons might not need one player to step up, it can be a team effort. When they play 10-12 players in a game, they can all chip in. Treysen is going to be a stud and I would not be surprised if he averages over 30+ points a night. Here are a few names that will help chip in on the offensive end for Bismarck: George Gillette George Gillette 6'2" | SG Bismarck | 2022 State ND , Ethan Stotz Ethan Stotz 6'1" | SF Bismarck | 2022 State ND , Cole Jahner Cole Jahner 6'3" | SG Bismarck | 2023 ND , Gannon Swanson Gannon Swanson 5'10" | SG Bismarck | 2023 ND , Preston Lemar Preston Lemar 6'2" | SG Bismarck | 2024 State ND , and Carter Henke Carter Henke 6'1" | SG Bismarck | 2024 State ND .

Bismarck Legacy

Can the Sabers score with the other powers of the WDA?

The Sabers will be long and athletic. Kupfer was a scoring machine for Legacy last season. They lost him to graduation. I wonder who will step into that role for the Sabers? Maybe it will be a balanced scoring effort. Legacy should be a solid defensive team, so they might not have to outscore teams if they can hold them down with their defense. Some of the top scoring options for the Sabers will be Zander Albers Zander Albers 6'5" | PF Bismarck Legacy | 2022 State ND , Logan Wetzel Logan Wetzel 6'3" | SG Bismarck Legacy | 2022 State ND , Joey Buzalsky Joey Buzalsky 6'0" | PG Bismarck Legacy | 2022 State ND , Jaxon Kellogg Jaxon Kellogg 6'3" | PG Bismarck Legacy | 2023 State ND , Aiden Sagaser Aiden Sagaser 6'3" | SF Bismarck Legacy | 2023 ND , Lucas Kupfer Lucas Kupfer 6'5" | SF Bismarck Legacy | 2024 State ND , and Andrew Jablonski Andrew Jablonski 6'4" | PF Bismarck Legacy | 2024 State ND .

St. Mary’s

Can the Saints rely solely on guard play?

The Saint’s will be ready to contend for a top spot. They will have a deep backcourt with multiple guys that can play fast and hit 3-pointers. I wonder if they will have enough size and if they can score enough points with only perimeter players? The Saints do have some length, so they do have the potential to score in the paint. St. Mary’s can potentially spread the floor in the half-court offense and rely on 3-pointers and slashing to the basket for points. The top Saints will be Nate Fedorchak Nate Fedorchak 6'1" | SG Bismarck St. Mary's | 2022 State ND , Evan Gross Evan Gross 6'3" | SG Bismarck St. Mary's | 2022 State ND , Garrett Bader Garrett Bader 6'2" | SG Bismarck St. Mary's | 2022 State ND , Nick Schumacher Nick Schumacher 6'1" | SG Bismarck St. Mary's | 2022 ND , Ben Morman Ben Morman 6'10" | C St. Mary's | 2022 State ND , Maddox Doppler Maddox Doppler 6'5" | PF Bismarck St. Mary's | 2023 State ND , Matthew Selensky Matthew Selensky 6'3" | SG Bismarck St. Mary's | 2023 ND , and Sam Fedorchak Sam Fedorchak 6'0" | CG Bismarck St. Mary's | 2024 State ND .

Dickinson

Can they shoot 3-pointers consistently all season? 

The Midgets will not have much size. However, they will have multiple guards that can score points in a hurry. I think the Midgets might live and die by the 3-pointer. They will be able to beat anyone on any given night when everyone is hitting. There might be some tough nights if they are not falling, but Dickinson has many shooters, so they may never have an off night as a team. The top shooter and playmaker will be Alex Dvorak Alex Dvorak 6'1" | PG Dickinson | 2023 State ND . Britton Cranston Britton Cranston 5'10" | SG Dickinson | 2022 State ND is another player who can fill it up from deep. A few of the other shooters for Dickinson will be Isaac Daley Isaac Daley 6'4" | SG Dickinson | 2022 ND , Tyrese Annace Tyrese Annace 6'1" | SG Dickinson | 2023 ND , Drew Biel Drew Biel 6'0" | SG Dickinson | 2023 State ND , Damon Glasser Damon Glasser 6'4" | SG Dickinson | 2024 State ND , Tyson Schneider Tyson Schneider 6'0" | SG Dickinson | 2024 ND , Owen Bittner Owen Bittner 5'10" | SG Dickinson | 2024 State ND , and Thomas Freer Thomas Freer 5'7" | SG Dickinson | 2024 ND .   

Jamestown

Who will be leaders for the Blue Jays?

The Blue Jays lost leadership, ball handling, scoring, and athleticism to graduation. This does not mean it will be a down year for Jamestown it will just be a new-look team. Who will step up and lead the charge? Here are candidates for the Blue Jay players: Luke Van Berkom Luke Van Berkom 6'8" | PF Jamestown | 2022 State ND , Devin Beach Devin Beach 6'3" | SG Jamestown | 2022 State ND , and Adam Kallenbach Adam Kallenbach 6'0" | SG Jamestown | 2022 State ND . Van Berkom will be the size and a vital post presence. Beach will be an athletic 2-way player. Kallenbach will be another nice athlete who will be a playmaker and potential leading scorer. Jamestown also has a couple of young players that could play a role on varsity if they get a chance. Ryan Larson Ryan Larson 6'3" | SG Jamestown | 2024 State ND and Dalton Lamp Dalton Lamp 6'1" | SG Jamestown | 2024 State ND are the top sophomores for the Blue Jays. 

Minot

What will the Magicians have outside of Eric Wentz Eric Wentz 6'2" | SG Minot | 2022 State ND and Darik Dissette Darik Dissette 6'4" | SG Minot | 2023 State #300 Nation ND ? 

Eric Wentz Eric Wentz 6'2" | SG Minot | 2022 State ND and Darik Dissette Darik Dissette 6'4" | SG Minot | 2023 State #300 Nation ND are good enough players to be selected as All-State Players at the end of the season. Will that be enough for Minot? The Magicians lost the best point guard in North Dakota last year to graduation. The Magi will need someone to step up as the floor general. Wentz and Dissette could both average over 20 points per game this season. Also, they are both elite defenders. Minot will be competitive in every game, but can they beat the top teams with just two big names? Only time will tell. Minot will have plenty of options on who can step up. We will just have to wait and see who those players will be.