Teams That Will FEAST in the 3-Class System

Happy Thanksgiving! Typically on this day people get together, watch sports, and have a BIG meal. Most people will have a "Thanksgiving Feast", that is how we came up with this article.   North Dakota high school basketball will look a bit different this year. NDHSAA has adopted a 3-Class System. Teams have moved around a bit and schedules have changed. The new Classes are AA, A, and B. Some programs will benefit from the changes and others might not like it as much. Today, we are looking at Teams that will thrive or FEAST in the new 3-Class system and we will explain why.   Best of luck to everyone as practices get started for the A and B teams on Monday.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><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" style="width:451px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Teams That Will FEAST in 3-Class   Devils Lake   WHY? The Firebirds stay in Class A and the rest of the "big" EDC teams move up to AA. If Devils Lake was in AA, they would easily be a top 5 team in the State. DL would have no trouble competing/beating the top Fargo/WF and best WDA teams. However, this season, they will be playing against the bigger "Class B" teams and the other former EDC squads (Wahpeton and Valley City).   The Firebirds basically bring back all of their team from last year. [player_tooltip player_id='1411320' first='Wylee' last='Delorme'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1750475' first='Parker' last='Brodina'] were All-EDC last season and coach Dustin Brodina was EDC coach of the year. Guess what? They are all back and they also have budding stars in [player_tooltip player_id='1746515' first='Oliver' last='Wirth'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1769085' first='Joel' last='Nelson']. The Firebirds have a nice cast of role players who will buy into their roles and do the little things. [player_tooltip player_id='1632626' first='Mason' last='Palmer'] is a player to watch this winter, he is coming off an impressive football season where he threw for over 2,200 yards and 25 TD's. Palmer should have plenty of confidence and see solid minutes as a reserve backcourt player, every great team has a spark off the bench and Mason could fill that role. [player_tooltip player_id='1918762' first='Beau' last='Brodina'] will be another key player who will have the ball in his hands often, he could be an X-factor if he takes on the role of a facilitator and D-stopper. Brodina's teams play with high NRG, heart, and tenacity. DL's size, skill, and high-octane pace will overwhelm most of if not everyone in Class A. When the Firebirds play, expect the game to be high-scoring and full of splashy plays. DL has plenty of shooters and they have enough depth where they should not fall off when they are subbing guys for rest or foul trouble. 2023-24 is going to be a memorable season for the Devils Lake Firebirds!   Bowman County   WHY? The Bulldogs stay in Class B and they will not have to fight with the "big" schools like Beulah, Dickinson Trinity, and Hazen. Even when they did, Bowman competed at a high level and they went to State two years ago when the Duffields were sophomores. Bowman finished last season with a 23-3 record and they lost in the Region Championship to Beulah. This season, the Bulldogs are in Region 3 District 5. Their stiffest competition in Region 3 will come from Flasher who is also in District 5.   [player_tooltip player_id='1144932' first='Bohden' last='Duffield'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1144931' first='Bishop' last='Duffield'] are the bellcows for Bowman. Bohden was 1st Team All-State last season and Bishop was 2nd Team All-State. Bohden was also 2nd Team All-State in the 2021-22 season. Last year, Bohden put up impressive numbers with 24 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 2.5 apg, 3 spg, 52.3% FG, 65.3 2FG%, and 36.4% 3FG. Bishop went for 21 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3 apg, 2.5 spg, 66 FG%, 40 3FG%. I would assume that those numbers will only improve this year. The Bulldogs will likely come into the season ranked #1 in the NDAPSSA State Poll. Keep tabs on the Bulldogs and the Duffields, it will be an epic season in Bowman County!   Bishop Ryan   WHY? Last season, the Lions finished with a 23-3 record, they were upset in the Region Championship by DLB. Ryan was already a perennial power in Class B, now when you take away the "big schools" like DLB, Rugby, South Prairie, and Nedrose, the Lions will FEAST! With Ryan being a private school in the metropolis of Minot, their roster could easily add new talent from year to year to keep bolstering the talent pool. How will the Lions be this year?   The answer is TOUGH! [player_tooltip player_id='1189452' first='Ramsey' last='Walz'] was All-Region last year and put up nice numbers with 14 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.3 apg, 1.2 spg, 1.3 bpg, 64 FG%, 37.5 3FG%. Walz will be one of the elite BIGs in B and I expect him to average 20 ppg and 12 rpg at the minimum. Walz is an athlete who can hit the 3, put you on a poster, and protect the rim. [player_tooltip player_id='1376819' first='Jett' last='Lundeen'] will be the best guard for the Lions. He is a skilled baller and a major shooting threat from deep. Lundeen is a multi-sport athlete and a star QB. I expect to see the Lundeen to Walz connection early and often this winter. Ryan's stiffest competition in Region 4 will come from Westhope/Newburg who is also in District 8 with the Lions. PHD predicts [player_tooltip player_id='1189452' first='Ramsey' last='Walz'] to be an All-State player and for the Lions to battle the Sioux in the Region 4 Championship game!   North Star   WHY? The Bearcats bring back all the main pieces and they stay in Class B. Gone are Four Winds/Minnewaukan and Dunseith. The Bearcats finished last season with a 17-8 record. North Star is the favorite to come out of Region 2 and their toughest competition will come from Langdon, North Prairie, Nelson County, May-Port-CG, and Warwick. There are a handful of other teams that could surprise people. [player_tooltip player_id='1324683' first='Dane' last='Hagler'] is the best player in the Region, an All-State type player, and is good enough to be in the conversation for Mr. Basketball.   The Bearcats bring back a ton of experience. [player_tooltip player_id='1324683' first='Dane' last='Hagler'] (22.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.8 apg), [player_tooltip player_id='1367009' first='Parker' last='Simon'] (7.6 ppg, 2 apg), [player_tooltip player_id='1367010' first='Karsen' last='Simon'] (7.2 ppg, 2.1 apg), [player_tooltip player_id='2256887' first='Brett' last='Dilley'] (8.4 ppg), [player_tooltip player_id='1632620' first='Hunter' last='Hagler'] (7.9 ppg), Garrett Westlind (3.9 ppg), and Chas Bisbee (2.7 ppg). They have impressive size for a Class B team. Dane is going to put on a show with highlight-reel dunks and he will stuff the stat sheet. He is a complete player that will D up, dominate the boards, and share the rock. [player_tooltip player_id='1632620' first='Hunter' last='Hagler'] had a great summer and is an impressive athlete. He suffered an injury in football but will be back on the hardwood shortly after Christmas. The Simon brothers are big and physical and they will be a problem inside the arc for every team. North Star also has group of solid role players and a quality head coach. PHD is high on the Bearcats, North Star should enter the year ranked #2 in the State Preseason poll. Get ready for a magical year of basketball in Bearcat country!   Sargent County   WHY? The Bulldogs finished last season with a 20-3 record. They were knocked off in the Region Semifinal game. Sargent County was a highly ranked team all of last season and this year will be no different. The uBlldogs stay in Class B and Central Cass, Kindred, Oak Grove, and Northern Cass move up to A. What does that mean? The Bulldogs are heavy favorites in District 1 but District 2 has some tough squads that will be no pushover come tournament time. Sargent County is still the favorite in Region 1 and they should be a top 3 or 4 team when the first NDAPSSA Poll comes out.   Sargent County lost a couple of dudes/All-Region players from last season with Gaven Christianson and Fletcher Wilprecht. However, the Bulldogs bring back their height/size and some quality backcourt play. [player_tooltip player_id='1145108' first='Luke' last='Martinson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1551198' first='Josh' last='Wittich'] are "Twin Towers" for the Bulldogs, they were both All-Region last season and they have the athleticism/talent to be All-State type guys this year. [player_tooltip player_id='2252857' first='Grady' last='Wehlander'] is a big/wide player who will help spread the floor, hit triples, and make teams pay for doubling the Twin Towers. [player_tooltip player_id='1694357' first='Nick' last='Hansen'] will be the X-factor, he is an athletic guard with loads of potential. The Bulldogs have a few up-n-comers, if they want to make the State Tournament, the role guys need to develop and take the next step. I watched SC a few times this summer, and they are the real deal. Ryan Weber does a nice job as the head coach and I think the squad is ready for a historic season and a State Tournament trip!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><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" /></a></figure>

Happy Thanksgiving! Typically on this day people get together, watch sports, and have a BIG meal. Most people will have a "Thanksgiving Feast", that is how we came up with this article.