Killdeer & Oak Grove: Hoops Recap

The club/grassroots season is starting to heat up, before we get too deep into the spring, PHD wants to look back at the high school season.   In this article, we are highlighting two class A squads, one from the west and one from the east.   We are talking Cowboys & Grovers!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1842251" style="width:233px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Killdeer Cowboys   Head Coach: Greg Pruitt   Class: A   Region: 4    Record: 21-7 (State Qualifier)   Killdeer is fresh off back-to-back historic seasons. North Dakota has had the "3 Class System" for two years and the Cowboys went to State both years! SHOUT-OUT and CONGRATS to [player_tooltip player_id='2625146' first='Cooper' last='Bang'], [player_tooltip player_id='1390216' first='Owen' last='Schleppenbach'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1765803' first='Jaxon' last='Reese'] for being named to the All-Region 4 Team!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/QA.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/QA.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2511663" style="width:239px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   With Coach Pruitt   PHD: How would you sum up the season?   "We feel we had a very successful season. Our team achieved multiple goals that they set forth prior to the season. One of these goals was to have a season record of 18-3 or better. The second goal was to make it back to the State Class A tournament. Although we didn't do like we would have liked to, we still went back-to-back in a very tough division."   PHD: Do you have any fun memories you want to share with us?   "This particular group of Seniors have had the opportunity to participate in team camps over the last two summers at the Kansas Jayhawks team camp in Lawrence, Kansas and Gonzaga Bulldogs team camp in Spokane, Washington. Being able to travel across the United States and become what we consider family is something very special to us all. Making the State Class tournament, back-to-back is something they will never forget."   PHD: How did your team overcome adversity?   "The season is a marathon and all teams go through adversity. We played most of our season with kids battling through injuries, having to be cowboy tough to play games in the end of the year so we could have a chance to making history again for the Killdeer community."   PHD: What are a few things your team improved on?   "I think our team became less dependent on individual basketball and more dependent on team basketball. We didn't have the one standout player like most teams have that goes and gets you 25 points a night. We had multiple players that shared the ball and got us 10-13 points a night."   PHD: Who are some role players that stood out to you?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2634212' first='Chase' last='Kling'], junior for the Cowboys, really stepped up down the stretch for our team. He had a phenomenal postseason and made some huge plays for us to help us keep games close or seal up a victory for the Cowboys."     PHD: Can you talk about your seniors?   "Having 10 seniors is something you don't hear much about in basketball programs. This goes to show that this group of young men had a special bond and whether you were a starter or you were the last guy off the bench, being part of a team meant something special to you. I wouldn't trade this group of players for anyone. We might not have won the State Championship, but we did win a lot of hearts from fans, and for the most part, won a lot of days we were together."   PHD: Who are some up-and-comers to look out for?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1765803' first='Jaxon' last='Reese'], [player_tooltip player_id='2634212' first='Chase' last='Kling'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2525695' first='Trey' last='Larimer'] are three juniors who got a lot of playing time this past year. Jaxon is a returning 3-year starter for the Cowboys and is a unanimous All-Region selection.  [player_tooltip player_id='2634212' first='Chase' last='Kling'] had one of the best post-season performances for a non-starter anyone could ask for. He will surely be a player that many will enjoy watching in the future. [player_tooltip player_id='2525695' first='Trey' last='Larimer'] showed in the State Tournament that he can defend and score when he wants, and his success is just starting."   PHD: Who was your best defensive player?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2634199' first='Jekori' last='Dahlen'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2634201' first='Nekori' last='Dahlen'] were our team's best defensive players. They cause havoc in the full court and have shown over their career that they are lock-down defenders by guarding some of the best offensive players in the state and holding them to single digits."   PHD: Who was your top interior player?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1390216' first='Owen' last='Schleppenbach'] was one of our best interior players. Owen was a 1000 pts scorer, with rebounds reaching well over 600 in his career. When he is healthy, he is a handful to play against."   PHD: Any last comments/thoughts on the season?   "The Cowboys had a great run the last three seasons by making the Regional Tournament for the first time in many years in 22-23 season. The 23-24 season, they made history by making the State Class A tournament for the first time in 71 years. Finishing 6th , was just some of the icing on the cake. This year in 24-25 season, having a 21-win season, making the State Class A Tournament again, even though finishing 8th place, we felt we accomplished a lot. We gave the community a lot of memories they can reflect on for many years and proved that the Killdeer Boys could play with some of the best teams in the state. Think about it, Kindred #1 Team in State, State Class A champions, the Cowboys lost to by 7 pts in the regular season. We will take that."   BEST OF LUCK TO THE COWBOYS THIS OFFSEASON!!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1842251" style="width:284px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Oak Grove Grovers   Head Coach: Kyle Card   Class: A   Region: 1   Record: 3-19   Player Comments from Coach Card   [player_tooltip player_id='2237763' first='Aidan' last='Saunders'] (2027) |5'9 G|   "He was our leading offensive player and really came into his own this year, to the point where some other teams would face guard him.  He can score from a lot of different ways, so we are excited for his future."   [player_tooltip player_id='1541564' first='Noah' last='Meidinger'] (2026) |6'0 SF|   "He was our leading rebounder. Noah is an undersized post player but works super hard and is an athlete. He was also our top defender."   Carter Wendelbo (2025) |6'0 G|   "He was a do-it-all player who will be missed tremendously. Carter worked super hard and brought so much to the game all year. His energy and leadership will be missed."   Jack Deitz (2025) |6'3 F| & Greyson Dockter (2025) |6'2 F|   "They were our other 2 seniors that provided us with some great leadership on and off the court. Both had a different role for us and accepted it all year long."   [player_tooltip player_id='2092234' first='Kai' last='Zabel'] (2027) |6'0 G|   "Kai started last year as a freshman and again this year as a sophomore. He came on for us at the end of the year, particularly on defense."   [player_tooltip player_id='1404851' first='Karter' last='Koenig'] (2026) |6'0 G|   "He was one of the first players off the bench for us and was instantly a threat that other teams had to be aware of. Koenig can shoot it from anywhere on the floor, and can get hot if left alone."   Individual Statistical Leaders   [player_tooltip player_id='2237763' first='Aidan' last='Saunders'] - 13.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 2 apg, 34.4 FG%   Greyson Dockter - 3.7 ppg, 2.3 rpg, .7 apg, 28.3 FG%   Carter Wendelbo - 8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.2 apg, 37 FG%   [player_tooltip player_id='2092234' first='Kai' last='Zabel'] - 7.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.8 apg, 38.2 FG%   [player_tooltip player_id='2715957' first='Will' last='Olson'] - 3.8 ppg, 3.5 apg, 1.2 apg, 57.6 FG%   [player_tooltip player_id='1404851' first='Karter' last='Koenig'] - 7.1 ppg, 1 rpg, .4 apg, 32.7 FG%   Jack Deitz - 3.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.2 apg, 34 FG%   [player_tooltip player_id='1541564' first='Noah' last='Meidinger'] - 6.7 ppg, 7 rpg, 2.7 apg, 39.9 FG%   Zach Winter - 1.5 ppg, 1.9 rpg, .3 apg, 25 FG%   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/QA.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/QA.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2511663" style="width:188px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   With Kyle Card   PHD: How would you sum up the season for your squad?   "We did not finish as we had hoped, record-wise. We figured it was going to be another tough year, but we were hoping to get a few more wins. We definitely made some strong improvements throughout the year, and a lot of our younger guys started making good strides. Hopefully, this will carry over into next year."   PHD: Do you have any fun memories you want to share with us?   "Despite not a lot of wins, it was still one of the most fun teams to coach. A lot of different personalities and characters that made the season way more fun."   PHD: How did your team overcome adversity?   "Just constant conversation with kids, noting how young our team was, and we will get there eventually. Hopefully next year."   PHD: What are a few things your team improved on throughout the season?   "Our turnovers went way down from where they were at the beginning of the year. We started taking care of the basketball, which is why we were in a lot more games at the end of the year."   PHD: Who are some role players that stood out to you?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2715957' first='Will' last='Olson'] was a good addition for us when he came off the bench. He is a good rebounder and defender, and other players enjoyed playing with him on the offensive side of the ball. He is very unselfish, and he knows what he needs to do to be successful. [player_tooltip player_id='1404851' first='Karter' last='Koenig'] gave us some instant offense when he got hot from the perimeter, but will need to improve other parts of his game next year."   PHD: Can you talk about your seniors?   "The leadership they brought to the team every day will be missed. We had a rough couple of years, but the seniors always stayed positive and pushed the underclassmen to get better."   PHD: Who are some up-and-comers to look out for?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2237763' first='Aidan' last='Saunders'] ended up being our leading scorer this year, and he learned to score from different places on the floor. [player_tooltip player_id='2411681' first='Ryder' last='Soper'] continued to improve a lot and played quite a bit more down the stretch. He can score, defend, and rebound, which makes him a great asset for us. He will be a sophomore next year."   PHD: Who was your best defensive player?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1541564' first='Noah' last='Meidinger'] was often asked to guard the other teams' better players. Even though he is a little undersized for his position, he never backs down from a challenge."   PHD: Who was your top interior player?   "The interior for us this year, was not a major factor. We just don't have a lot of size, so we had to try some things out to see what would work. If we could get some mismatches with some of our smaller, quicker players against some opponent's interior players, then we would be able to convert a little more."   PHD: Any last comments/thoughts on the season?    "It was not as successful as we had hoped, but we played a lot of younger kids, and we are excited for the future. We don't have a lot of size, so we need to develop a couple of younger players to give us more of an inside presence. I thought we would be a little more consistent from the perimeter, but it was tough for some of our guys to get off shots against other, more aggressive, bigger teams. I am super excited for summer team camps and getting guys to buy into their roles going into next season."   BEST OF LUCK TO THE GROVERS THIS OFFSEASON!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ClassABasketball.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/ClassABasketball.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2713048" /></a></figure>

The club/grassroots season is starting to heat up, before we get too deep into the spring, PHD wants to look back at the high school season.