Vision, IQ, and Dimes: North Dakota AA’s Best Facilitators

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">In North Dakota Class AA boys' basketball, scoring may grab headlines but assists define how well a team truly functions. The players who led the state in regular-season assists weren't just stat accumulators — they were decision-makers, tempo-setters, and the engines behind their offenses.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">An assist is more than a pass that leads to a basket. It reflects vision, timing, trust, and basketball IQ. The best playmakers see angles before they develop. They understand spacing. They recognize when to push in transition and when to pull the ball out and organize. In close games, they control possessions. Over the course of a season, that consistency becomes invaluable.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">Leading the state in assists in Class AA — the highest level of competition in North Dakota high school basketball — requires more than opportunity. It demands durability, unselfishness, and the ability to elevate teammates night after night. Defenses game-plan for them. Pressure is constant. Yet they continue to create.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size">This list of the Top25 dime-droppers in AA highlights the players who distributed the ball at the highest level throughout the regular season. Their numbers represent more than passes completed — they represent points created, teammates empowered, and offenses orchestrated. In a division where every possession matters, these were the players who made the game easier for everyone around them.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"style":{"typography":{"fontSize":"30px"}}} --> <p style="font-size:30px"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Assist Leaders</span></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:table --> <figure class="wp-block-table"><table class="has-fixed-layout"><tbody><tr><td><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Player</span></strong></td><td><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">High School</span></strong></td><td><strong>Games</strong></td><td><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Assists</span></strong></td><td><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">APG</span></strong></td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1680906' first='Aiden' last='Green']</td><td>WF Horace</td><td>21</td><td>113</td><td>5.4</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1327797' first='Carter' last='Evanson']</td><td>WF Horace</td><td>21</td><td>108</td><td>5.1</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1327795' first='Beckett' last='Pfau']</td><td>West Fargo</td><td>21</td><td>95</td><td>4.5</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='2447389' first='Jacob' last='Kraft']</td><td>Shanley</td><td>19</td><td>81</td><td>4.3</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='2132773' first='Crew' last='Rickard']</td><td>Fargo North</td><td>21</td><td>86</td><td>4.1</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1632702' first='Thomas' last='Lawrence']</td><td>Fargo Davies</td><td>21</td><td>87</td><td>4.1</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1798694' first='Brooklan' last='Bruce']</td><td>GF Central</td><td>11</td><td>44</td><td>4.0</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1327800' first='Sam' last='Glandt']</td><td>West Fargo</td><td>19</td><td>76</td><td>4.0</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1657449' first='Weston' last='Scott']</td><td>Bismarck</td><td>20</td><td>78</td><td>3.9</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='2525625' first='Patrick' last='Shanahan']</td><td>Minot</td><td>21</td><td>80</td><td>3.8</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1539675' first='Nathan' last='Stevenson']</td><td>Dickinson</td><td>21</td><td>78</td><td>3.7</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1543337' first='Michael' last='Hollcraft']</td><td>Shanley</td><td>20</td><td>74</td><td>3.7</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1541299' first='Chase' last='Speelmon']</td><td>WF Sheyenne</td><td>19</td><td>70</td><td>3.7</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1332144' first='Garrett' last='Nissley']</td><td>Bismarck Century</td><td>21</td><td>71</td><td>3.4</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1975416' first='Khaliq' last='Austin']</td><td>Bismarck</td><td>21</td><td>69</td><td>3.3</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='2118617' first='Matt' last='Kragness']</td><td>Fargo North</td><td>20</td><td>66</td><td>3.3</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='2237807' first='James' last='Schindler']</td><td>GF Red River</td><td>21</td><td>70</td><td>3.3</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1510889' first='Boston' last='Cranston']</td><td>Dickinson</td><td>21</td><td>69</td><td>3.3</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='2436103' first='Yeseff' last='Aikens'] </td><td>Fargo South</td><td>21</td><td>69</td><td>3.3</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='2237726' first='Oakley' last='Trueblood']</td><td>Minot</td><td>21</td><td>68</td><td>3.2</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1657451' first='Brooks' last='Armstrong']</td><td>St. Mary's</td><td>14</td><td>45</td><td>3.2</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1338493' first='Aiden' last='Samek']</td><td>West Fargo</td><td>21</td><td>68</td><td>3.2</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1632632' first='Artie' last='Carlow']</td><td>Bismarck</td><td>21</td><td>65</td><td>3.1</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='1332141' first='Cameron' last='Miller']</td><td>Fargo Davies</td><td>21</td><td>64</td><td>3.0</td></tr><tr><td>[player_tooltip player_id='2338190' first='Tayvin' last='Archer']</td><td>Minot</td><td>21</td><td>60</td><td>2.9</td></tr></tbody></table></figure> <!-- /wp:table --> <!-- wp:image {"id":3067070,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/classAA.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/classAA.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-3067070" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image -->