Way-Too-Early Preview: Enderlin
The Enderlin Eagles were one of the best teams in Class B last year, going 19-1 in the regular season before getting upset in the first round of the Region 1 Tournament. That may have been just the start though,…
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Continue ReadingThe Enderlin Eagles were one of the best teams in Class B last year, going 19-1 in the regular season before getting upset in the first round of the Region 1 Tournament. That may have been just the start though, as the Eagles return an excellent core of young players and the best prospect in the state in junior big man Joe Hurlburt.
Go-To Guy: Joe Hurlburt
This one’s obvious, as Hurlburt was a force in his sophomore season, averaging 21 points and 15 rebounds. The 6-foot-10 center has a soft shooting touch from the 3-point line, excellent mobility and athleticism to score in transition and in the mid post and the passing ability to make teams pay for devoting extra defenders to slowing him down. He’s the best prospect in the state regardless of class and is starting to draw national attention as a high major Division I prospect. His effectiveness should only continue to go up as he gets stronger and more experienced.
Breakout Candidate: Carson Bartholomay
The Eagles bring back their top five scorers from last year but the guy who has a chance to take perhaps the biggest jump is sophomore forward Carson Bartholomay. As a 6-foot-5 freshman, Bartholomay averaged 8.4 points and nearly six rebounds while knocking down 38 percent of his 3-pointers (limited volume). With opposing defenses gearing up to slow down the Hurlburts inside, Bartholomay will be in position to shine. He’s got the skills to cause all sorts of matchup issues for people.
Question: Can The Hurlburts Dominate?
As long as Joe and Gus Hurlburt are in Enderlin, the team’s success is going to be largely on those two guys. The complementary players around them should be better this year as Bartholomay, Alijah Dixson and Dawson Lemna are a year older but the team still goes as they go. Last year, it went awfully well. Can it go better this year? And longer as the team should once again be among the favorites in Region 1?
Outlook
Enderlin was a top-five team in Class B for a good chunk of last season and will be in that range again heading into next winter. The Eagles have experience, capable shooting, incredible size and the individual talent to win every game they play. The floor is set for a team that should, at minimum, contend for a top seed in Region 1. If things come together, this is one of the handful of teams that can legitimately win a state title.