Q&A: Douglas, Larimore, Sargent County

Practices are well underway and all the teams across the Dakotas will have a game under their belts soon. Before that happens, we need to check out a few more teams. PHD has previews on three more teams. We have 2 from NoDak and 1 from SoDak in this article.   These Previews are coming at you Q&A style!   We are looking at the Douglas Patriots, the Larimore Polar Bears, and the Sargent County Bulldogs.   When do they play?   Douglas: Saturday (12/14/24) home vs. Rapid City Christian   Larimore: Saturday (12/14/24) @ Midway-Minto   Sargent County: Monday (12/16/24) @ LLM   Douglas Patriots   Head Coach: Travis Miller   Class: AA   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/QA.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/QA.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2511663" style="width:220px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   With Coach Miller   PHD: What can you tell me about last season?   "We had a lot of ups and downs last year. We had some disappointing losses and some good wins. Hopefully, we can build on that this year and make improvements."   PHD: What will your defense "hang its hat on"?   "We need to keep the ball in front of us and make sure we box out and rebound."   PHD: Who will be your primary ballhandler this year?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2288281' first='Isaiah' last='Brewer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2433229' first='Caden' last='Walters'] will share the ball-handling responsibilities. They both can handle the ball and are able to attack the basket and score."   PHD: How did the offseason go for your team/program?   "We had a lot of players get in the weight room and come to basketball workouts. We hope to see that improvement on the court."   PHD: Who are a few of your top players to look out for?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2288281' first='Isaiah' last='Brewer'] - Isaiah is coming into his 3rd year on varsity. He will be a major contributor to our team."   "[player_tooltip player_id='2433229' first='Caden' last='Walters'] - Senior in his second year of varsity. Main ball handler and scorer for us."   "[player_tooltip player_id='2338061' first='Connor' last='Wright'] is a Junior and will give us size and scoring."   "Brock Morgan"   PHD: Who are a couple of up-and-comers to look out for?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2570847' first='Jared' last='Hoki'], [player_tooltip player_id='2640521' first='Lane' last='Paulsen'], Brayden Henderson, Hayden Hand."   PHD: Who do you think will be your best rebounders?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2338061' first='Connor' last='Wright'], Josh Divis, Brock Morgan."   PHD: What are your team goals this year?   "We want to compete in every game.  We want to make the SoDak 16."   PHD: Who will be your hardest worker?   "We have a lot of hard workers and we will need to be the hardest workers in order to compete."   PHD: Who are some of the top teams in your Region?   "Stevens, Sturgis, Custer, Spearfish, and RC Christian"   BEST OF LUCK TO THE PATRIOTS!!   Larimore Polar Bears   Head Coach: Kyle Kleven   Class: B   Region: 2   District: 4   2023-24 Stats   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/image_c9f7f4.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/image_c9f7f4.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2692172" style="width:813px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Players to Watch   Comments from Kyle Kleven   [player_tooltip player_id='2277114' first='Jace' last='Collison'] 6'0 Sr. - "Baller. Jace can score in many ways and has improved on his defense. We expected him to be an All-Region caliber player who could potentially be an All-Stater if he can improve on his rebounding and assist numbers. If he has a season like last year, he should hit the 1,000-point mark toward the end of the year (327 points away)."   [player_tooltip player_id='2276981' first='Avery' last='Gratton'] 6'1 Sr - "Great leader for our team. Avery is the vocal leader on the floor and in the huddle for us. He's got a smooth shot with a good mid-range jumper and can get to the basket when he wants to as well. His best attribute is probably his distributing of the basketball to his teammates. He got the unofficial school record for assists in a season last year and looks to build on that. Also could surpass the 1,000 point mark towards the end of the season (302 points away)."   [player_tooltip player_id='2237846' first='Baron' last='Burns'] 5'10 So. - "Another great leader for as young as he is. He is very smart and understands the game. He is a very good ball-handler and a pest on the defensive end. Defense is where Baron is the biggest asset. He is always pestering the guards full court and gets a lot of steals. If he can improve on his shot-making and just overall offensive game, he could be a big-time player for us, and in the Region."   [player_tooltip player_id='2617642' first='Dyllan' last='Rethemeier'] 6'3 Jr. - "Very athletic kid that is going to get his shot at being a big part of this team. He is a really good rebounder as he is always involved on the offensive glass. Dyllan has improved on his shot this summer and is another guy who could become a big threat for us if he starts to use his athleticism to get the basket."   [player_tooltip player_id='2380546' first='Brison' last='Falch'] 6'2 Sr - "Brison does the dirty work. Brison is the guy that teams sometimes forget about and he gets easy baskets just by being in the right spot. Brison is one of our top defenders along with [player_tooltip player_id='2276981' first='Avery' last='Gratton'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2237846' first='Baron' last='Burns'] and we hope that Brison can become a little more a part of the offense this season."   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/QA.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/QA.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2511663" style="width:224px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   With Coach Kleven   PHD: How would you sum up last season?   "Summary of last season: It was a rollercoaster for the Polar Bears. We started the season 1-4 after a couple promising close losses against North Border and Langdon and started to figure things out in the middle. We then went on a seven-game winning streak beating some good teams along the way (New Rockford and Cavalier). Then when the flu bug hit our entire team hard, we seemed to lose some of our conditioning and didn't seem to quite get it back in time. I would say overall it was a big step forward for this group and program as we were so close to being a part of the March run after a heartbreaking district loss to MPCG."   PHD: What will your D hang its hat on?   "Defense: Our defense will hang its hat on by pressure. We should be a very deep team, so pressuring ball handlers up the floor in a man-to-man type scenario and being athletic in our zones by not allowing one person to cover more ground than another is what we will focus on since we are a very athletic team."   PHD: Who will be your primary ballhandler?   "Our Primary ball handler will be [player_tooltip player_id='2237846' first='Baron' last='Burns']. He is our floor general and a very good decision-maker and ball-handler. He is smaller, but doesn't get fazed by making mistakes. [player_tooltip player_id='2277114' first='Jace' last='Collison'] will also be another primary ball handler in certain situations."   PHD: How did the off-season go for the team?   "The off-season was very productive. There were a lot of the guys that went out and did individual camps (Love of the Game camp, prospect camps, etc) and we did go to a team camp to try and keep them playing. A lot of gym time for this crew and just playing together has been a big asset as well. There always seemed to be a group playing together."   PHD: Who are some of your top players?   "Few players to look out for besides the few I mentioned up top (Collison, Gratton, Burns) are: [player_tooltip player_id='2335354' first='Mason' last='Myers'] 6'4'' Jr, Case Knudson 6'2 So, and Tatum Stark 5'7'' So. Mason has some big shoes to fill as his brother Michael graduated. But Mason has been doing a lot to improve his game by just playing. We are expecting him to get a lot of time with this crew and help fill the void his brother left, especially in the rebounding and down-low scoring categories. But Mason can also step out behind the three-point line and give us another scoring threat too. Case is another very athletic kid that is very similar to [player_tooltip player_id='2617642' first='Dyllan' last='Rethemeier']. Case has a nice jump shot and has some nice post moves down low and does a great job on the defensive end. Case saw a little time last year and he will only continue to improve. Tatum is another kid that is just a pest for the other team's guards. He has a ton of energy and is a good ball-handler and a decent shooter. He will only get better as he sees time vs the older guys."   PHD: Who are your up-n-comers that we should know about?   "Up and comers: Collyn Peterson 6'2 So and Ivan Pic 5'7 Fr. Collyn has shown a lot to us this summer that shows he could be a nice piece for this team. He is another kid that works hard and is in the right spot a lot of the time. He does some of the dirty work and gets a lot of nice put backs. He will be looked at as one of the leaders of our JV squad and could potentially see some varsity minutes. Ivan is new to the JV and varsity program being a freshman, but he possesses some good ball handling skills and has a good-looking shot. Another good quality is, when he's playing with the older and more physically mature guys, he shows no fear. He still plays his game. He will be another one who will see significant JV minutes."   PHD: Who will be your best rebounders?   "Best Rebounders: I think we will get a lot of different guys that will lead us in rebounding on a specific night, but I would pick [player_tooltip player_id='2335354' first='Mason' last='Myers'], [player_tooltip player_id='2617642' first='Dyllan' last='Rethemeier'], and Case Knudson as our top rebounders. They all do a good job of crashing the offensive glass while down low and that will only help add to their numbers."   PHD: What are your team goals?   "Team Goals: First team goal is to win a district championship. Going in as the 2 seed last year and losing out left a sour taste in our mouths from last year. We also want to put ourselves in a position to be able to get to Minot. Whether that is getting to a Region Championship or at least making a challenge game just to give us a shot. It won't be easy as there are some very talented teams in our Region."   PHD: Who are your hardest workers?   "Hardest worker: [player_tooltip player_id='2277114' first='Jace' last='Collison'] I believe will be our hardest worker. It is his last season and he is a kid who would like to continue playing after high school is over. He spent a lot of time playing this summer and is always asking to get in the gym. We can tell he is ready to take his game up a notch."   PHD: Who are the top teams in your Region?   "Top Teams: North Border, Midway-Minto, New Rockford-Sheyenne, along with us are some of the top teams in Region 2 in my opinion. A sneaky pick will be Griggs Midkota with [player_tooltip player_id='1165343' first='Brady' last='Haugen'] back and a handful of guys returning they could sneak up on some people."   PHD: Who are the top players in your Region?   "Top Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1165355' first='Grant' last='Cosley'] – North Border potential All-State player, [player_tooltip player_id='2237765' first='Kaden' last='Moore'] North Border, [player_tooltip player_id='1843885' first='Elijah' last='Feather'] – Warwick, [player_tooltip player_id='1632742' first='Easton' last='Simon'] – New Rockford-Sheyenne, [player_tooltip player_id='2270551' first='Bennett' last='Meier'] -New Rockford Sheyenne, [player_tooltip player_id='2277114' first='Jace' last='Collison'] – Larimore, [player_tooltip player_id='1165343' first='Brady' last='Haugen'] – Griggs/Midkota, [player_tooltip player_id='1165097' first='Ben' last='Gudajtes']- Midway-Minto, Elijah and [player_tooltip player_id='1632700' first='Ezra' last='Robinson'] – Midway-Minto."   PHD: Any final comments on the season?   "Final comments: The polar bears are ready to play fast with a lot of depth and continue to improve on the year we had last year. Very excited to see the potential this team could have. Play two of the top teams in Region 2 to start the year on the road by going to Midway-Minto and North Border. That will be a great test and opportunity for us to show what kind of team we can be."   BEST OF LUCK TO THE POLAR BEARS!!   Sargent County Bulldogs   Head Coach: Ryan Weber   Class: B   Region: 1   District: 1   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/QA.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/QA.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2511663" style="width:371px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   With Coach Weber   PHD: Could you write a couple of sentences summing up last season?   "Last season was great. Making it to State is always special and to do it with the crew we had made even better. It was the goal for those seniors from the beginning and to see them achieve their ultimate goal was great."   PHD: Does your program/team have any non-negotiables?   "Work hard or sit the bench. Good sportsmanship is a must."   PHD: What will your defense "hang its hat on"?   "We want to play man as much as we can. We do have a couple "junk" defenses that we can throw at folks to throw them off."   PHD: Who will be your primary ballhandler this year?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2252792' first='Jace' last='Fyre'] will be our primary guy. He is trustworthy with the ball in his hands and can handle pressure. Really good at getting his shot from 8-10 feet."   PHD: How did the offseason go for your team/program?   "We had a great offseason. We needed to get to a lot of camps to give these young guys a chance to play together. We also brought in somebody to hold a private camp for our players in Sargent County."   PHD: Who are a few of your top players to look out for?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2252792' first='Jace' last='Fyre'] - Brings a lot of experience from last year. As good of a guard as there is."   "[player_tooltip player_id='2528188' first='James' last='Throener'] - Ultra quick guard. Gets to the bucket. Hard-nosed defender."   "Michael Hoistad - Big kid. Good outside shot."   "Andrew Yagow - Young kid, but big. Got more aggressive as the year went on last year as he had to go against a couple of top-tier guys on our team."   PHD: Who are a couple of up-and-comers to look out for?   "Andrew Yagow - Only a sophomore, but will be our guy in the middle. Big shoes to replace."   "[player_tooltip player_id='2692311' first='Hans' last='Hanson'] - 8th grader that we're bringing up this year. BRIGHT future."   "Tristen Peterson - Super long and athletic guard. Once he figures it out, he'll be a menace."   "Cole Fyre - Knows the game and knows how to get his shot. Can't wait to see what he can do."   PHD: Who do you think will be your best rebounders?   "Andrew Yagow - Learned how to be aggressive and go get the ball. Fundamentally sound."   "Michael Hoistad - Knows how to position himself down low and does a good job crashing boards."   PHD: What are your team goals this year?   "Continue to improve as the year goes. There will be bumps along the way and hopefully our guys grow from those bumps. These kids have the talent, they'll just need to figure what style fits them and how to play with each other."   PHD: Who will be your hardest worker?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2528188' first='James' last='Throener'] - Goes hard all the time. If you asked our team, there's no doubt they would name him. There's no quit in him."    PHD: Who are the top teams & players in your Region?   "Teams: Hankinson, EKM, Linton."   "Players: [player_tooltip player_id='1559968' first='RaeShaun' last='Earl'] from Hankinson, [player_tooltip player_id='1144603' first='Gentry' last='Richter'] from Linton, [player_tooltip player_id='1167615' first='Tee' last='Sylling'] from Maple River, [player_tooltip player_id='2052770' first='Beau' last='Thorpe'] from Oakes, [player_tooltip player_id='1725175' first='Brayan' last='Karlgaard'] from LLM."    PHD: Any last comments about the upcoming season?   "I'm excited to get going. I'm excited to see who comes out on top. I think all the coaches are excited for what this year brings. It really can be any team, any night. I want to see the growth our young guys make. There's a lot of talent and promise, they need to dedicate themselves to improving through the season and learning from mistakes they make."   BEST OF LUCK TO THE BULLDOGS!!   <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>

Practices are well underway and all the teams across the Dakotas will have a game under their belts soon. Before that happens, we need to check out a few more teams. PHD has previews on three more teams. We have 2 from NoDak and 1 from SoDak in this article.