Rockstar Role Players: ND & SD

Every good team needs standout role players that buy-in and excel at their jobs. In this article, I want to highlight players who do the little things for their team, work hard, make tough plays, play with heart, and make their teammates better. Let us look at the guys that need more attention!   A Role Player in basketball is a team member who focuses on fulfilling a specific function or set of responsibilities to support the team's overall success. Role players excel in areas like defense, rebounding, passing, and/or providing energy off the bench. Their contributions may not always appear prominently in the box score, but their specialized skills and consistency are critical to the team's performance. Role players often adapt to the needs of the team, making them essential in achieving balance and cohesion on the court.   See below for the player comments and why these ballers are Rockstar Role Players. We have info on 15 ballers.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/rockstarroleplayers.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/rockstarroleplayers.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2714467" style="width:300px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='1641563' first='Briggs' last='Knutson'] (2026) |5'9 G| Brandon Valley   Briggs started at PG for BV most of last season as a sophomore and is excelling in that role as a 2nd year starter as a junior. Briggs runs the show on offense by being a vocal leader, he is great at getting BV into their O. He is also the QB for the FB team so this comes naturally for him. Knutson also led the Lynx in taking charges last year, and is just great and doing the dirty jobs that the team needs each night. It is super valuable to have a guy that gets 8 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists with no turnovers, and guards one of the other team's best players.   [player_tooltip player_id='2641659' first='Colton' last='McNeil'] (2025) |5'11 G| Huron   WHY?   Colton has been a tremendous role model and player for the Tigers. He gets to cover the opponent's best player. McNeil comes to practice and energizes everyone by the way he competes and gets after people defensively. He is willing to dive on the floor and do the little things that make a difference for the team to go from good to great. Offensively, he cuts to the rim well and he will hit the open 3 if left open, otherwise, he knows where the ball needs to go for Huron to be successful. Colton is willing to sacrifice his offensive options for the Tigers to be a better team.   [player_tooltip player_id='1497481' first='Charlie' last='Metzger'] (2025) |5'8 G| Fargo Davies   WHY?   The Eagles look like they have the potential to be the top team in the EDC and if they want to do that, they need to get stops on defense. Metzger is known as a D-stopper for Davies. Coach Manson tells PHD that we need to be on the lookout for Charlie. He is starting to come around, keeps improving, and could play important minutes as the year progresses for the Eagles.   [player_tooltip player_id='1951583' first='Grayde' last='Parizek'] (2026) |5'9 G| Ray   WHY?   This kid started as a freshman but came off the bench last year, and is back to starting this year. Grayde doesn't take a play off, he has great awareness while knowing his strengths and his teammates. Parizek does all the little things. He is asked to do jobs that aren't glamorous or get attention but he does it to the best of his ability. Grayde will guard positions 1-5. He can play inside and play outside. Parizek is a very positive communicator, has positive body language, and is tougher than nails. The Jays try to get all of their players to be superstars in their roles and Grayde is a star in his.     [player_tooltip player_id='2630828' first='Jackson' last='DeVries'] (2025) |6'2 SF| Wahpeton   WHY?   He is a great role player for the Huskies. DeVries is an undersized post defender who uses his speed and quickness to defend bigger post players. He's willing to run the floor to create an advantage for him to score or for one of his teammates to get a bucket because he sprinted the floor and occupied his defender. Jackson understands that's his role on the team and he does it to the best of his ability. Jackson is a leader by his actions and he's also a leader by his play. DeVries is a great role model for the younger Huskies.   [player_tooltip player_id='1641566' first='Jhace' last='Woods'] (2026) |6'3 G/F| Sioux Falls Washington   WHY?   He is one of the best defenders and athletes in all of South Dakota. Woods is no stranger to locking up some of the top dudes in AA. He is a tireless worker who moves his feet well, suffocates ballhandlers, contests/alters everything, and is a special rim protector. Woods is also a great rebounder. His perimeter jump-shot has improved and Jhace is a ferocious above-the-rim finisher. This warrior is a D1 athlete but also a blue-collar worker on the hardwood.   Kaden Sayler (2025) |5'11 F| Herreid-Selby   WHY?   He is a bit of a raw basketball player but is tough and athletic, Sayler was All-State in football. On the hardwood, Kaden does everything that is asked of him and he has to take on a leadership role as the Wolverines are extremely young. Kaden rebounds, communicates well, practices hard, and does all of the little things that help the team.   [player_tooltip player_id='1404851' first='Karter' last='Koenig'] (2027) |6'0 G| Oak Grove   WHY?   His role for the Grovers is to shoot triples and knock them down. That is exactly what Koenig does! He drilled 6 three-pointers the other night against Central Cass, Karter played a vital role in the road Region 1 victory. He finished the game with 20 points. This Grover has to be one of the top snipers in class A Region 1.   Kolby Hofer (2025) |5'10 G| Huron   WHY?   He does not get a ton of minutes but is willing to go into a game and do anything the Tigers need from him. Most of the time it is to be a physical defender on the opponent's ball handler. Hofer must cover them all over the court and he does it well. He comes in for a 2-minute spurt to try to disrupt the offensive flow. It is  not a glamorous job, but when seniors buy into their role it makes your team better and sets the tone for the younger players. No job is ever too small to help an organization/team be successful!   [player_tooltip player_id='2630708' first='LeeRoy' last='Delgado'] (2025) |5'10 G| Grafton   WHY?   Delgado is the perfect definition of a rockstar role player. He brings energy on both ends of the floor. He loves to defend and do all the dirty work. LeeRoy is a fierce competitor and plays with no fear. He's an unselfish player who always tries to make a play for his team, whether on defense or offense. Delgado is a great distributor and knows and plays his role to perfection. LeeRoy is also a capable scorer when the opportunity presents itself.      [player_tooltip player_id='1539676' first='Reese' last='Walters'] (2027) |6'3 G| Grand Forks Red River   WHY?   He is the first man off the bench and can handle any role that coach Krefting assigns him. Walters has shown the ability to defend bigs and guards. Reese has been improving daily in practice and in-game situations, which his teammates and coaches appreciate. He has physical toughness, awareness of the game, and a tough mindset when it comes to intense situations on the court. Reese rebounds well at the varsity level, defends, and he brings a scoring presence inside and outside when called upon.   Last but not least...We have four players from Washburn. They call them The Fearsome Foursome! Washburn is 4-0 on the season.   Charlie Sannes (2025) Guard   Becket Kadrmas (2026) Forward   Tanner Fiedler (2027) Forward   Brady Vollmuth (2027) Guard   WHY?   Washburn made a complete program switch this year moving to 32 minutes of chaos. This requires the Cardinals to play 9-11 guys more than 10 minutes a game. All four of the guys listed above sacrifice for the betterment of the team. They have each bought into the new system and have been excelling in their roles. Charlie, Becket, Tanner, and Brady are the first line of defense in the Cardinal press. They set the pace and are key in determining its success. Everything starts with these 4. They are truly the anchors of the Cards press. Sannes, Kadrmas, Fiedler, and Vollmuth are in constant sprint and scramble mode. They never complain and they give everything they have, every night. These four have sacrificed minutes to fulfill their role and do it without complaining. Coach Sharp jokingly tells them they are the sacrificial lambs that make the system work because of what they have to do and how hard they need to work.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/rockstarroleplayers.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/rockstarroleplayers.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2714467" /></a></figure>

Every good team needs standout role players that buy-in and excel at their jobs. In this article, I want to highlight players who do the little things for their team, work hard, make tough plays, play with heart, and make their teammates better. Let us look at the guys that need more attention!