The Rotation: Carrington
Carrington went into last season gunning for a trip to the state tournament and the Cardinals did it, winning 23 games and finishing fourth in the Class B State Tournament. With two senior guards now playing in the college ranks, Carrington will attempt to retool on the fly.
Must Be Replaced: Garrett Bickett, Kolton Vetter, Jayden Shipman
Bickett was the engine last year, averaging 20 points per game and delivering consistently in big moments. As dynamic a lead guard as there was in Class B, Bickett’s ability to get to the rim coupled with deep range made him a headache to check for opposing teams all year. Kolton Vetter joined him in the backcourt to form a devastating duo and he was terrific all season too, averaging 11 points and leading the team in assists. Shipman was a solid rotation guy.
Returning Starters: Seth Nelson, Trey Roseneau
The cupboard isn’t bare though as Seth Nelson emerged as arguably the team’s most dynamic player late in the season. The 6-foot-3 swingman is the team’s best athlete and averaged 12.3 points and 6.7 rebounds as a sophomore. He’ll take over in a starring role the next two years. Trey Roseneau heads into his third year as a starter in the frontcourt and brings solid energy, defense and rebounding. He’ll be asked to provide a little more offense as a senior.
Stepping Into New Roles: Drew Page, Payton Smith, Hunter Mittleider
With practically the backcourt minutes now available, there will be a lot of guys stepping into new roles this winter for the Cardinals. Drew Page is a logical choice to fill in as one of the team’s primary perimeter options after playing fringe rotation minutes as a junior. Payton Smith and Hunter Mittleider were on the team as sophomores and earned spot minutes but will likely see big increases in workload this winter.
Season Outlook
Carrington won’t go into this season with state aspirations but they can certainly still expect to be competitive. Nelson is one of the best players in Class B and will certainly be a handful for teams in the region. If Rosenau and a few of those young guards can work through some inevitable growing pains, the Cardinals should be right in the mix in Region 3.