<p>It looks like a wide-open region in the northwest. Region-8 has many talented players and teams that are hoping to make a late-season run in the playoffs. Powers Lake is my choice as favorite to win the Region Tournament. Stanley, Trenton, Parshall, and Divide County are also contenders in my mind. It is going to be a fun year! </p>
<h3><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Region 8 Teams</strong></span></h3>
<p>Alexander, Lewis & Clark North-Shore, Mandaree, New Town, Parshall, Trenton, White Shield, Williston Trinity, Bowbells/Burke Central, Divide County, Kenmare, Powers Lake, Ray, Stanley, and Tioga.</p>
<h3><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Preseason Player of the Year</strong></span></h3>
<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1050257" first="Tyson" last="Enget"] (2023) |6-0 PG| Powers Lake</strong></p>
<p>He was an All-State football player, so you should expect his confidence level to be high coming into the season. Enget knows how to win big games and he and the Ranchers played in the State Tournament last season. Tyson is an elite 3-point shooter and a huge scoring threat from all over the court. He is a skilled ball-handler that can break a press and handle pressure. Enget is a smart defender that forces turnovers and he can come up with a stop at a critical time in the game. His career-high for points in a game is 31 and I would not be surprised if Tyson beats that this season. Enget has also made 9 three-pointers in a game. Look for this skilled and smart player to be one of the best guards in Class-B this season. </p>
<p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/10/PlayerWatchlistNDSD.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1317685" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/10/PlayerWatchlistNDSD-300x187.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="187" /></a></p>
<h3><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Player Watchlist</strong></span></h3>
<p>(alphabetically ordered)</p>
<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1338585" first="Caden" last="Houle"] (2022) |6-5 PF| Trenton</strong></p>
<p>He is ready to have a monster season. Caden will likely be the best post player in Region-8. Houle is big and strong with excellent agility. He has a soft-finishing touch at the basket. Caden is also a playmaker around the rim. </p>
<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1138739" first="Dawson" last="Fleck"] (2023) |5-10 G| Williston Trinity</strong></p>
<p>He is a gifted offensive player. Fleck has deep 3-point shooting range. He also has a nice floater. Expect Fleck to be a leader and a high point scorer this season. </p>
<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1338496" first="Jace" last="Nelson"] (2022) |5-10 PG| Ray</strong></p>
<p>He was an All-State football player, so Nelson should come into the season with loads of confidence. Jace will run the point for Ray. He has an extremely quick first step which allows him to get to the rim early and often. Nelson has great body control and he is a solid shooter. His quick hands deflect passes and force turnovers. Jace can score in bunches and he is set to have a huge senior season.</p>
<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1126990" first="Jase" last="Dickens"] (2023) |6-4 SG| White Shield</strong></p>
<p>Jase is long and he moves well, which helps him get his shot off. Dickens can shoot the 3-ball with the best of them. He spaces the floor well and Jase reacts to the defensive movement. I would suspect that Dickens has a big year on the offensive side of the ball. </p>
<p><strong>Jack Zimmer (2024) |6-0 G| Kenmare</strong></p>
<p>He is a pure scorer, plain and simple. Zimmer can score in many ways with skill. Expect Jack to put up impressive numbers this season. </p>
<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1145117" first="Josh" last="Hetzel"] (2024) |5-11 G| Stanley</strong></p>
<p>He is a quick and speedy guard. Josh will be a consistent scoring threat this season. He can hit jumpers from the perimeter and he can also penetrate into the paint for buckets. Hetzel can create his own shot and he can also create for others. </p>
<p><strong>Landon Young Bird (2022) |6-2 G| Parshall</strong></p>
<p>He averaged 10 ppg last season. Landon is a long and athletic guard. He will be a serious 3-point threat this season.</p>
<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1133055" first="Lane" last="Caraballo"] (2022) |6-3 F| Divide County </strong></p>
<p>He can score in a variety of ways. Lane puts up points around the basket and he also has a nice mid-range pull-up game. Caraballo is a good athlete with a lot of versatility to his game. </p>
<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1133058" first="Lawrence" last="Polanco"] (2022) |6-0 G| Parshall</strong></p>
<p>Last season stats: 18 ppg and 8 rpg. Polanco has been All-District in 2019, 2020, and 2021. He is a floor general on offense and a very effective defender on the other side of the all. Polanco will likely be an All-Region player and he is getting close to going over 1,000 career points! Expect Lawrence to put up some impressive numbers this season. </p>
<p dir="auto"><strong>River Querikiol (2024) |5-7 G| Parshall</strong></p>
<p dir="auto">Last season stats: 5 ppg and 8 apg. He is a leader and a floor general. River sees the floor amazingly well. He can thread the needle and drop dimes to teammates. River is excellent at getting his teammates into position to score. He was All-District last year as a freshman. </p>
<p dir="auto"><strong>Rylie Rogers (2023) |6-3 PF| Lewis and Clark - North Shore</strong></p>
<p dir="auto">He is a stretch-5 and a super athletic player. Rylie has a nice shooting touch on his shot. He is also good at finishing around the cup. Rogers was selected to the All-District team last season. Rogers and Severance will be a great 1-2 punch for the Wildcats. </p>
<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1203570" first="Oscar" last="Felix"] (2024) |6-4 SF| White Shield</strong></p>
<p>He is an athletic swingman for the Warriors. Felix is a great rebounder, one of the best in Region-8. Oscar is also a skilled slasher and finisher at the rim. He has promising potential with raw skill and a great willingness to learn/improve. </p>
<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1133060" first="Tanner" last="Severance"] (2022) |6-0 G| Lewis and Clark - North Shore</strong></p>
<p>He was an All-District selection last season. Tanner is a competitor first and foremost. Severance gets to the rim well and he has a nice 15-foot jumper. He is the leader of the Wildcats and Mr. Everything. Last year Tanner led them in almost every stat category. He will also be their top all-around defender.</p>
<p><strong>Thomas Ankenbauer (2022) |6-3 F| Kenmare</strong></p>
<p>This senior has a well-rounded and flexible game. Thomas shoots it well from beyond the arc. He also has a very effective mid-range jump shot. Ankenbauer can do more than just score, he is also a skilled passer and a creator. </p>
<p dir="auto"><strong>Tyson Odermann (2023) |6-5 PF| Parshall</strong></p>
<p dir="auto">Last season stats: 10 ppg and 12 rpg. Tyson is a very strong and hard-nosed player. He will fight for every rebound. Odermann has the potential to be one of the best BIGS in Region-8.</p>
<p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1133049" first="Wyatt" last="Caraballo"] (2023) |6-1 G| Divide County</strong> </p>
<p>He is a strong and athletic guard. Wyatt is a two-way player that gets it done on both ends. He can score from the perimeter, but he is most effective when slashing to the paint. Caraballo is very tough to guard when the game gets going fast. </p>
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