“Nelson is a physical throwback big. He will bring intensity to every possession on both ends of the floor. He screens, he boxes out, he sprints, he crashes, and he does what is asked to impact winning. Nelson is committed to Valley City State University.“

The future Viking is one of the best BIGs in the state. Nelson did not shoot the 3-ball very often in club basketball with ND Phenom , but he can certainly knock them down. I watched Decoteau fill it up from behind the arc at the BHS Team Camp and I know he was capable from beyond the arc last season. Nelson does his best work in the paint/around the basket but has no problem hitting the open 15-footer, and knocking down the occasional triple.

The big man for the Dragons is one of the top power forwards in ND regardless of class. He helped the Dragons get to State, was named All-State, and put together a nice season of club hoops. Dunseith will come into the season ranked in the top 5. DeCoteau is poised to put up splashy numbers and push for First Team All-State honors, and we expect the Dragons to be right back in the mix at State.

-4 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl

-Walled up in front of the rim, blocked a shot w/o fouling

-Pick & roll, catch & finish, smooth, Great Scott with the dime

-Used his length & timing to alter shots & force misses

-Easy assist to Oak for a 3-ball

-Transition score, caught high & finished high, ran the floor well

-Loose ball steal

-Set effective screen, executed sets

2025-26 Stats: 23.5 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 2.5 rpg, 62 FG%

-Nelson made a name for himself this winter, named All-State & got the Dragons to a long-awaited State Tourney. DeCoteau has the length that college coaches covet & is receiving serious interest. Get ready for an incredible senior season.

-Knocked down more triples on day 2

-Blocked shot, great anticipation, but also very patient & does not jump too early

-Another transition bucket, opportunistic on Saturday AM

-Shooting stroke looked good from the charity stripe

-Quality post move, went one direction, spun back the opposite, sweet baby-hook, wish he would get more post touches

-Noteworthy transition score, ran the floor like a long-legged moose (they can run up to 35 mph)

-Had a splashy game

-Did not see much of the first half, but whenever I looked over, Nelson was scoring at the hoop or snagging a rebound

-Grabbed multiple O-boards for extra possessions

-Multiple easy scores abound the ring, efficient finisher

-Post entry catch, turn & score, used his length wisely

-Shared the ball, fun to see even after an All-State season, did not hog the ball

-Coast to coast push, attacked, got to the elbow & cashed the jumper

-Extremely hot from 3-point land in the 2nd half

-Drained 4 or 5 triples in the second half

-Better 3-shooter than I realized

-Free flowing shot, doesn’t rush, relaxed shooter

-Extended the lead, helped the Dragons build a comfortable lead

-Super impactful in the game I watched

-Did the little things to help the team

-Long with lanky arms

-Rebounded well, always around the ball when it’s coming off the rim

-Excellent timing for boards, O-board tip-in

-Another offensive rebound tip-in, reacted well to the ball

-Dive on the floor, not afraid to get dirty

-Effective ball screen, PNR, roll, catch, finish

-Another O-board, he was cleaning up

-Gobbled up and offensive rebound, fouled on putback, 2/2 FT’s

-4 points

-Played hard, hustled, did not force shots, did the dirty work

-Quick to dive on the floor for loose ball, on the hardwood multiple times

-Seal & score, smooth catch & finish

-Point blank score, efficient

-Boarded up on both ends, multiple O-boards