Glue Guys and Game-Changers

Not every game is won by the loudest scorer or the guy who over-dribbles. More often, it's decided by the players who hold everything together, the ones making the tough plays, filling the gaps, and changing the flow of the game in subtle but meaningful ways. These are the competitors diving on the floor, guarding multiple positions, moving the ball, and doing whatever the moment calls for.   In Glue Guys and Game-Changers, Prep Hoops Dakotas spotlights players from North Dakota and South Dakota who thrive in these roles. Some bring energy and toughness, others provide stability, playmaking, depth, and grit, but all of them consistently make positive plays and leave a meaningful imprint on the game. They may not always dominate the box score, but their influence is felt whenever their team needs a stop, a spark, a clutch score, or a steady hand. See below for notes and comments on each standout.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/NDSD.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/08/NDSD.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2950876" style="width:280px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Glue Guys & Game-Changers    -Shown up big on the defensive side of the ball & on the boards   -While his numbers, 3 per game, don't stand out, those boards have come at crucial times   -Every rebound is important, especially when all but one of the Battlers games this season have been decided by less than ten points     -Provides length & a non-stop motor   -Gives his teammates a kickstart when they start to get tired   -Physical & active the entire time he is own the court   -Great teammate because of how competitive he is   -Hard work & high effort, plays his tail off     -Stands out as a glue guy for the Knights   -Defends bigger players every night and he has become a clutch offensive baller especially down the stretch of tight games   -Plays all five offensive spots, he really is a playmaker   -A positive asset by screening, defending, rebounding, or scoring   -Smart player who knows when and what to do to impact a game     -The glue to the 4-1 Cowboys team   -PG but they call him the General   -For the Cowboys, it is not always about scoring, however, he can do his fair share, Chase plays the role of a General because he knows every player's strength and puts them in the positio   -He runs the offense, defense, and most importantly, the locker room pregame and postgame   -Has the ball in his hands 90% of the time, knows every position on the floor & how to make them thrive   -Studies film & knows the scouting report as if he wrote it up, high IQ   -Will make an amazing coach someday, has an amazing work ethic   -Hard worker, tough, gritty   -Competes in the high school rodeo circuit, helps run the family business, Kling Rodeo, and still finds time to improve in basketball     -Trusted role player for a 6–1 Ray Jays squad that just captured the Mandan Holiday Tournament crown   -Plays hard, great with the hustle plays, high effort   -Grabs loose balls that result in points for the Jays   -Brings value to his minutes on the floor     -Valuable role player for a Ray Jays group that sits at 6–1 and just claimed the Mandan Holiday Tournament championship   -Potential to put up points whenever on the floor, once he gets that going, the Jays will be even scarier   -High IQ bball player, in a totally different role than what he had at his previous school   -Capable defender & good facilitator   -Makes the team better when on the floor     -A starter who does the little things   -2nd on the team in rebounding, always works on the glass fights for extra possessions   -No stranger to outworking the opposition for boards   -Defensively, the Polar Bears constantly preach and yell out “hands up”, so they keep our arms out/up in the zone, bot with Grant, he is one who always keeps his hands up   -Switches off with [player_tooltip player_id='2237846' first='Baron' last='Burns'] when defending the other team's best guard/wing player     -Solid glue/role guy for the 6-1 Rays Jays who just won the Mandan Holiday Tourney   -Makes hustle plays, versatile, plays multiple roles & varying positions   -Great teammate, will do whatever role the team needs him to do for the Jays to be successful     -Dominating teams in the paint & from mid-range   -Leads the team in scoring, averaging 16 ppg   -On defense, he keeps opponents off the glass, pulls down his share, 5 rpg   -Causes problems on defense, averages around 3 spg, turns steals into offensive opportunities for the other four guys on the floor     -Embraces his role and thrives within it   -Strong with the ball in his hands, using skill & physicality to make plays   -Dominant rebounder who brings toughness on the defensive end   -Leads by example with selflessness & team-first mentality   -Blue-collar worker, fights through adversity     -Solid defender & rebounder   -Strong like bull   -His role is to clean up the boards & lockdown on defense   -Positive teammate, good attitude, has the desire to get better   -Vital piece of the puzzle for the Miners     -Earn minutes through relentless effort, embraces the grind, does the dirty work   -Plays through fatigue & adversity without showing it, brings the juice   -Scrappy kid,, being the youngest out of his siblings he's used to fighting for scraps and whatever he can get   -When he gets in the game, his scrappiness on defense helps a ton; he's like a leech that won't get off you     -Proven to be a reliable shooter and quick thinker   -Puts himself in a position for easy buckets each game   -Not a player that lights up the stat sheets, but one whose presence is felt when he's on the floor     -11.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 4.5 apg, 2 spg   -3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio   -One of the Aggies best defenders, guards positions 2-5, versatile   -Become one of the Aggies best defenders, has been matched on opponents' 2-5 players   -Second or third in every stat category   -He will be a big part of everything the Aggies do the next two months     -Accepted his role as the PG, Mason has fully bought into being a floor general for the Spartans   -Capable of scoring more, but his team needs him to be a facilitator 1st, scorer 2nd   -Leads Spearfish team in assists, responsible for 3 players averaging double-digit points   -Great job of being efficient with his shooting, which makes him a dual threat PG, without him, Spearfish would be nowhere near as efficient on offense   -Controls the pace, pushes in transition, and makes the easy play, puts stress on the defense, also stepped up on the defensive end, guarding opposing team's playmakers   -Makes the O go, takes care of the rock, creates shots, and thrives in that role     -Moved from playing a forward-type role as a freshman starter into more of a lead guard as a sophomore   -One of the best perimeter defenders in Tea program has had   -Guards multiple types of scorers & is a real disruptor w/ his athleticism & length   -Still developing as an all-around scorer but has worked on his shooting to go along w/ his natural talent as a rim finisher   -Tremendous leader for a sophomore.      -He is a star and has a good chance at All-State this season, but he made this list for the little things and rebounding   -Great length, protects the rim, alters shots, takes away passing angles   -Averaging a splashy 29.5 ppg & 10.5 rpg     -Working his way into more and more varsity minutes   -Vocal leader for the JV squad, slowly starting to become one for the varsity group as well   -Always talking on defense and knows that is what he is in there for   -Keeps the vibes light in practice with some witty comments   -Crashes the boards, vocal on D, not in to score, but certainly is not afraid to hit the open jumper from the short corner when given the opportunity    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><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" style="width:243px;height:auto" /></a></figure>

Not every game is won by the loudest scorer or the guy who over-dribbles. More often, it's decided by the players who hold everything together, the ones making the tough plays, filling the gaps, and changing the flow of the game in subtle but meaningful ways. These are the competitors diving on the floor, guarding multiple positions, moving the ball, and doing whatever the moment calls for.