Improved Players from the Offseason

For many of us, the fall means football season. However, here at PHD, we talk hoops all year long. Autumn always flies by and the high school basketball season will be here before we know it. As the season nears, we will be sprinkling in season preview articles.   As a basketball fan, rube, and enthusiast, I always want to know who improved over the offseason. That is what we are looking at today. We have ballers that improved during the offseason and players that we should keep an eye on early in the season.   This is not a rankings article. PHD just wanted to give shout-outs to players who improved, worked hard, and put in the time this offseason. PHD is expecting a productive season from these players. We have North Dakota and South Dakota ballers included in this article.   Improved Players   [player_tooltip player_id='1575041' first='Aiden' last='Fisher'] (2025) |5'8 G| Aberdeen Roncalli   This will be Aiden's second year as a starter and third year playing significant minutes. However, he was more of a facilitator and defensive-stopper last year. The Cavaliers often used him against an opponent's best guard and relied on him to bring the ball up. This year, they are looking for him to be more of an offensive weapon, and he showed that capability during the summer by driving the lane and finishing at the basket while also shooting consistently from behind the arc. While he still plays with incredible effort and tenacity on the defensive end, his finishing game and the ability to play off of ball screens have improved significantly.   [player_tooltip player_id='1541301' first='Amari' last='Taylor'] (2026) |6'5 F| Fargo South   Taylor is intriguing with his size and mobility. Amari is not just intriguing, he has improved as a basketball player. He is another young player who spent large amounts of time on his game this summer. His shooting range and accuracy have improved and become more consistent. His overall athletic ability continues to improve as he grows into his body. Taylor has a ton of upside to his game.   [player_tooltip player_id='1510889' first='Boston' last='Cranston'] (2026) |5'10 G| Dickinson   Cranston spent many hours working on his outside shot this offseason. It has definitely paid off! He also had a very nice grassroots season with [program_tooltip program_id='2075723' first='ND' last='Attack']. Boston's ability to consistently knock down the outside shot makes him very difficult to guard with his quickness, shiftiness, and ability to get to the rim. Cranston has a chance to see some significant time at the varsity level if he can continue to compete like he has this summer.   Cooper Klosterman (2024) |6'4 F| Wahpeton   He is the most improved player for the Huskies. Cooper worked to expand his shooting range. Klosterman's dedication in the weight room will lead to being able to defend bigger post players. Cooper will have the ability to step away from the basket and knock down the midrange jumper and the open 3. It looks like Klosterman has turned himself into a versatile offensive weapon.   Gavin Moeding (2024) |5'10 G| Huron   Moeding worked hard over the course of the offseason and he improved over the summer. He is a tenacious defender. Gavin rebounds on both the defensive and offensive ends of the floor. At 5' 10” he gets many second chance opportunities because of his "want to" and extra effort. Moeding has really excelled at getting to the basket and at running the Tiger offense. Gavin is going to be a tough player for Huron.   [player_tooltip player_id='1270654' first='Jessen' last='Wiebenga'] (2024) |6'3 G/F| Tea Area   Jessen was a starter for the Titans last year, he was asked to do a lot of the dirty work night in and night out. He certainly had some big offensive games, but he really excelled defensively & on the boards. Over the summer, Wiebenga displayed a good amount of growth on the offensive end, which Tea really needed. Jessen can score at all 3 levels & his high basketball IQ creates a lot of scoring opportunities for him & his teammates.   [player_tooltip player_id='1632631' first='Josh' last='Barjolo'] (2026) |5'11 G| Fargo South   Barjolo was impressive in the spring and summer when I watched him play with Bears Tail on the Prep Hoops Circuit. He is an advanced athlete with intriguing skills. Josh has also stepped up his role as a leader for the Bruins. Barjolo has improved his defense which will be needed if he wants to get varsity burn. His 15-foot jump shot and overall playmaking ability have also upgraded.   [player_tooltip player_id='1656544' first='Kellen' last='Artz'] (2026) |6'8 PF| Baltic   Over the course of the summer, [player_tooltip player_id='1656544' first='Kellen' last='Artz'] was the most improved player for the Bulldogs. From where Kellen ended the season last year to where he is at right now he's gotten much more confident on the offensive end of the floor. Defense is still the strongest part of his game, but he has become much more of a contributor on the offensive side of the ball. Artz has developed a decent midrange game and has done a better job of getting to the basket with the basketball. His ceiling is extremely high for this year, and as he gets stronger and another year older, Kellen will become more of a threat offensively.    [player_tooltip player_id='1744129' first='Maddox' last='Miller'] (2024) |6'0 G| Aberdeen Roncalli   Miller was the leading scorer for the Cavaliers last season. He has also shown major improvement in his ability to come off and use screens. Miller has proven to be excellent in the screen-n-roll game. He has shown the ability to make tight pocket passes, pull up off the screen, or attack the basket with the vision to find the open man. Look for Mr. Miller to have a high-quality senior season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1145145' first='Peter' last='Havelka'] (2024) |6'6 PF| Fargo Davies   I watched him play a few times this summer and it was the best that I had seen Havelka. In one of the games, he was a complete monster on the glass and dominated the paint against an athletic opposing team. He was also highly productive scoring around the basket. Peter continued to get better over the course of the offseason. Havelka has improved his overall strength and body to play in the post. He has also improved his offensive game around the basket. Look for Havelka to be the BIG inside for the Eagles. He and Camara will make a tough frontcourt for Davies.   [player_tooltip player_id='2142956' first='Reis' last='Kessel'] (2024) |6'5 F| Fargo South   The BIG Bruin grew in stature over the summer and he signed to play football at NDSU! Kessel should be a serious force for South on the inside. Reis can also spread the floor and hit perimeter shots. Kessel's strength and jumping ability should make him a beast on the boards for the Bruins. Reis should be on your list of potential breakout players in the EDC.   [player_tooltip player_id='1641212' first='Tiegen' last='Nyhaug'] (2026) |6'1 G| Beresford   He has continued to grow physically and his skills keep getting to sharper. Tiegen took the weight room seriously during the summer off-season and has grown another couple of inches. Nyhaug has committed himself to developing his fundamentals through camps, summer travel basketball, and hours on the shooting machine. He is known for being a knock-down shooter, look for him to raise other aspects of his game come winter season because of the hard work he put in! [player_tooltip player_id='1641212' first='Tiegen' last='Nyhaug'] is an up-n-comer to keep eyes on.   [player_tooltip player_id='1972180' first='Ty' last='Ferguson'] (2025) |6'0 PG| Sturgis   Ferguson will be a Junior point guard, he spent a lot of time in the gym working on his handles and jump shot this offseason. He gets the ball up the court with ease in transition and really looks to get his teammates involved in the half-court. Ty put in the work this summer and his overall game is trending in the right direction. Ferguson could be the X-factor for the Scoopers this season.   [player_tooltip player_id='2142302' first='Zeke' last='Barnick'] (2024) |6'5 F| Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier   Zeke is a long and athletic player. He is the most improved player this offseason for the Rebels. Zeke has improved his overall strength and he is growing into his body. He has matured as an athlete. As a result of that, Barnick has become a better rebounder and he attacks the rim with violence. This kid can jump out of the gym! He had a couple of dunks last season but you should expect many more this year. On any given night, Barnick could be the leading scorer and rebounder for the Rebels. He can go off for 20 and 10 in the blink of an eye. Look for Zeke to also rack up the steals. Barnick has a ton of upside. EKM is looking like a tough team and a dark horse!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/PHD.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2021/08/PHD.jpg?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-1272514" /></a></figure>

For many of us, the fall means football season. However, here at PHD, we talk hoops all year long. Autumn always flies by and the high school basketball season will be here before we know it. As the season nears, we will be sprinkling in season preview articles.