Dale Brown Classic: Standout Juniors

Minot, ND – It was a full day of hoops at the Minot State Dome on Tuesday with seven Class B basketball games. We are checking out the best 11th graders in this article. We saw many talented players on Tuesday. See below for who stood out…

Standout Juniors

Josh Hetzel Josh Hetzel 6'2" | SG Stanley | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’0 G| Stanley

I knew he was a shooter and it was on display Tuesday. Josh hit a handful of triples, one of them came from NBA range. Hetzel has a silky smooth jumper. He also scored with a lefty finger roll and he dished multiple assists. Josh showed an effective hesitation move and good quickness. He looked like a floor general on Tuesday. Hetzel is a surefire All-Region player.

Jackson Hynek Jackson Hynek 6'2" | SF Stanley | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’1 F| Stanley

I like his physicality. Hynek posted up deep, received the pass, and scored with a drop step. He ran the court hard and scored in transition. Jackson is a good athlete with plenty of potential.

Tyson Wick Tyson Wick 6'2" | PG Hazen | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’2 G| Hazen

This Bison player is a shooter! Wick has a quick trigger and does not need much room to get his jumper off. Tyon showed excellent body control when finishing around the rim. He is a quality athlete that plays hard and gives extra effort. He will be one of the better guards in Region 7.

Deng Deng Deng Deng 6'5" | SF Four Winds/Minnewaukan | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’5 F| Four Winds/Minnewaukan

28 points, 3-3 FT’s, 3 triples. To start the game, Deng slashed and dished to Leftbear for a quick score. He is not just a scorer, Deng is a creator. I was super impressed with his rebounding as he rips the ball out of the air. His 3-pointers came from the top of the key, the right corner, and from the VB line at the end of the first half. Deng is known as a slasher and an athletic dunker, he has added a fluid 3-point shot to his repertoire. He scored a ton of points around the rim with O-boards. He is so athletic that it looked like there was nothing the Titans could do to stop him. It often looks like Deng is jumping off a trampoline. Deng is no doubt one of the best players in North Dakota.

Dalen Leftbear Dalen Leftbear 6'3" | SF FourWinds/Minnewaukan | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’2 F| Four Winds/Minnewaukan

12 points, 1-3 FT’s, 1 triple. Early in the game, Deng slashed, Leftbear found space, caught, and scored easily. He moves very well without the ball. Dalen was productive on the boards and he scored with a putback early in the game. He runs the floor like a cheetah and he scored multiple points in transition. Leftbear is active on defense and he created TO’s and blocked/altered shots. Dalen is very athletic going to the rim and he can finish with both hands. He showed off his shooting range with a 3-ball from the right corner. Leftbear will be an All-Region 4 Player.

Cade Fitterer Cade Fitterer 6'3" | PF Dickinson Trinity | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’3 F| Dickinson Trinity

5 points, 3-4 FT’s. He is a physical and strong player. Fitterer works hard on defense, he blocked a shot, and got after the boards.

Jake Shobe Jake Shobe 6'1" | SG Dickinson Trinity | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’0 G| Dickinson Trinity

21 points, 7-10 FT’s. His mid-range jumper is one of the best in Class B. Jake is an opportunistic scorer and he can finish with both hands. He scored with jumpers, in transition, and multiple AND1’s. His J’s came off the bounce, and from cutting and catching. Shobe is a lock to be All-Region.

Drew Overby Drew Overby 6'1" | CG Thompson | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’1 G| Thompson

He did damage in up-tempo transition. Drew hit multiple perimeter jump shots on Tuesday. He showed off his ball skills with a beautiful dime in transition.

Brayden Wolfgram Brayden Wolfgram 5'10" | PG Thompson | 2024 State ND (2024) |5’10 G| Thompson

He looked very good from the charity stripe. Wolfgram was good in transition and scored in fast-break situations. He also cashed in a couple of 3-pointers.

Atticus Wilkinson Atticus Wilkinson 6'6" | PF Shiloh Christian | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’6 F| Shiloh Christian

He is a blue-collar player that worked great with Wanzek. Wilkinson and Wanzek are a tough frontcourt combination. Atticus was effective around the rim and scored points in the paint. He was very good on the boards. I liked his effort on the O-glass when tipping and battling for the ball. He is an athletic kid with impressive hang time. He will be a problem for opposing teams in Region 5.

Isaac Emmel Isaac Emmel 5'11" | CG Shiloh Christian | 2024 State ND (2024) |5’11 G| Shiloh Christian

He cashed in multiple triples. This comes as no surprise as Emmel had a game last year where he hit 7 three-pointers in a single contest. He is a cool customer from behind the arc. His shooting form is smooth and he lets it fly with confidence.

Cashmyn Belgarde (2024) |5’11 G| St. John

He is a threat from beyond the arc. Cashmyn showed a soft shooter’s touch when converting a 3-ball from the top of the key. He is an unselfish player that delivered multiple dimes when slashing into the paint. He threw a beautiful 1-handed wrap-around dime to a Woodchuck on the block. That might have been the best pass of the day. Belgarde showed sharp skills when finishing at the cup to end the 1st quarter. His biggest bucket came in OT when he drilled a triple to tie the score at 61. He is another Woodchuck with skills and potential.

Lucas Parslow (2024) |5’11 G| Powers Lake-Burke

6 points, 2 triples. He has a good-looking shot from beyond the arc. As the season moves on, Lucas should help alleviate some pressure for Enget.

Aidan O’Brien Aidan O’Brien 6'1" | SG Beulah | 2024 ND (2024) |6’1 G| Beulah

13 points, 4-6 FT’s, 1 triple. He is a shifty slasher that did damage off the bounce. Aidan is tough when going downhill. He can finish with both hands and he can hit the jumper via the pull-up game. I liked his shot fake, rip, and attack. His 3-ball came from the top of the key and the ball dropped through after a shooter’s touch roll. O’Brien showed good skill with a soft-touch bounce pass to a cutting teammate. Aidan provides a nice scoring option for the Miners.

Trace Beauchamp Trace Beauchamp 6'4" | SG Beulah | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’3 G| Beulah

16 points, 2-2 FT’s, and multiple triples. He was very impressive and Trace was easily one of the best players at the Dale Brown Classic. I love his jumper from beyond the arc. If you say his shot is smooth, that would be an understatement. Trace showed a killer crossover that he beat the D with. He picked off passes/created TO’s and scored in transition. Beauchamp showed his change of speeds when putting on the brakes in transition, going behind the back, letting the D fly by, and scoring an easy layup. He threw 1-handed passes of the dribble and his 15-foot jumper was deadly. I was very impressed with this Miner.

Dane Hagler Dane Hagler 6'4" | SG North Star | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’4 G| North Star

He led the Bearcats with 25 points. He showed off his ball skills and passing with a lefty pass off the dribble. Dane had many drive and kicks and a super nice lob touch pass to Simon for a bucket. He was also unselfish in transition. Dane scored when penetrating and he was fantastic at weaving through traffic. He was a complete monster on the offensive glass. ORCS could not box him out. Hagler must have scored double-digit points on second-chance opportunities. He scored multiple tip-ins with his excellent athleticism and body control. His strength was on display with an AND1 finish. After last night, Dane is averaging 30 ppg.

Parker Simon Parker Simon 6'4" | SF North Star | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’4 F| North Star

He is a big and strong player that gives great effort. Parker is a brute around the basket and can finish through contact. He was impressive when sprinting the court for transition baskets. Simon is a physical player.

Karsen Simon Karsen Simon 6'5" | SF North Star | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’4 F| North Star

Much like his brother, Karsen is big, tough, and gritty. He does not shy away from contact. Just like Hagler, Karsen scored on second-chance opportunities. He showed a sharp cut across the lane for a bucket and he scored on the block. Karsen and Parker will be a load to handle in the paint all season long.