ND Class AA: Unheralded Stars

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">While Class AA is home to some of North Dakota's biggest superstars, there are several premier players that are flying under the radar. Some may play in smaller markets, others may have been playing behind some top talent, and some just don't fill up the scoring column on a nightly basis. So, who are some of these unheralded Class AA Stars?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"x-large"} --> <p class="has-x-large-font-size"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Unheralded Stars</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1164786' first='Tony' last='Leal'] (2024) |6'5 PF| West Fargo</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If you haven't watched Leal play, you are missing out! Tony is a double-double machine and the state's top returning rebounder in Class AA (10.8 rpg). A bit of a throwback player, Leal made nearly 57% of his shot attempts from inside the arc while averaging 17.8ppg.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1372125' first='Rustin' last='Medenwald'] (2024) |6'2 SF| Mandan</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rustin may have been overshadowed by three all-conference teammates last season, but the 6'2” incoming senior led his team with nearly 3 offensive rebounds a game! The hard-working Mr. Mendenwald also averaged double figures while shooting over 68% from inside the arc!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1643834' first='Ross' last='Wilber'] (2024) |5'10 G| Grand Forks Central</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It seems absurd that a player who made 102 triples and scored over 400 points in the highest division of North Dakota basketball is on this list, but outside of Grand Forks, Mr. Wilber could eat at just about any Applebee's restaurant and go unrecognized! PHD is looking forward to watching this kid eclipse the 1,000-point mark and lead his Knights to the State Tournament for the first time since 2012!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1497589' first='Thomas' last='Newman'] (2025) |6'3 G| Jamestown</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This multi-sport athlete will look to improve his consistency this season, but the now 6'3” junior finished his sophomore campaign averaging double digits in scoring and grabbing 3.6 rebounds per game. Not lost in a season of ups and downs, was a 34-point performance on February 10th against the defending state champs. Hello, Newman.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1557677' first='Alpha' last='Camara'] (2024) |6'5 F| Fargo Davies</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Alpha did not make a 3FG or average double figures in scoring last year. However, what Alpha did do last year was fill up all the non-scoring columns. The Alpha Dog is the only returning AA player in the state who had 40+ blocks and 40+ steals last year. Camara will also be a Top10 returner in rebounds per game, averaging just under 8 last season. If Alpha can be more consistent this winter, the kid has a real shot at being an all-conference player.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1167964' first='Carter' last='Henke'] (2024) |6'1 G| Bismarck</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This 6'1” 205 lb. guard is currently dominating on the gridiron, and you can bet that this winter we will see that same physical mentality on the hardwood. Henke is coming off an extremely productive junior year where he averaged 9.6 points and pulled in 4.5 rebounds per game. Henke cashed in 42 times (35%) from behind the arc last season and will be the Demon's top returning shooter. Carter is also a relentless defensive player, averaging nearly 2 steals per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='2142956' first='Reis' last='Kessel'] (2024) |6'6 PF| Fargo South</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Only twelve Class A players in the entire state averaged 8+ points and 8+ rebounds last season, and Kessel was one of them. While Reis is better known for his recent commitment to the Bison Football Program, look for the 6'6' blonde bomber to average double figures this season and surprise opponents with his ability to stretch the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1194507' first='Drew' last='Kempel'] (2025) |6'3 PG| Bismarck Centruy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I don't know if anybody was overshadowed by superstar teammates more than Kempel was during his sophomore campaign. Maybe overshadowed isn't strong enough – a total eclipse might be more appropriate. The numbers (5.6ppg, 2.9rpg, 2.7apg) will not jump out at you, but there are some advanced analytics that give you a glimpse of what Drew can do. The kid shot over 50% from inside and outside the arc, and despite having a limited role, is the top returning Patriot in rebounds and assists. And let this sink in - Drew's Hollinger Assist Ratio (hAST%) was 32.3%, which is by far the best of any returning Class AA player in the state (minimum 100 pts scored).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1606306,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/NorthDakota.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/09/NorthDakota.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1606306" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->