ND Mr. Basketball - Do they get it right?

[classB4ever]

Having the luxury of hindsight, has the selection committee gotten it right each year with their selection of Mr. Basketball? We all know it's a high school award, but some players reach their maximum potential in high school, some in college and some even after that. With that said, thought it would be fun looking back to see if the committee got it right by comparing careers after high school. Listed are the winners of each year. Have no idea of the other nominees in each of the years. Bring up someone who you thought might have been just as deserving and give some proof as to why.
(Side note: Unique situation on the girl's side this year, in that the 2 top finalist will be teammates and we as fans will be able to watch them play together.)

2015 Brad Heidlebaugh Rugby
2014 Tanner Kretchman Fargo Davies
2013 A.J. Jacobsen Fargo Shanley
2012 Melvin Langstaff Warwick
2011 Phillip Shanilec Midway-Minto
2010 Adam Randall Kidder County
2009 Cameron Malzer Turtle Lake
2008 Austin Dufault Killdeer
2007 Brian Qvale Williston
2006 Travis Mertens Devils Lake
2005 James Hennessy Williston
2004 Lucas Moorman Dickinson
2003 Tyler Koenig Fargo North
2002 Tommy Leikas Fargo North
2001 Adam Dobmeier Fargo South
2000 Tyrone Terry Valley City
1999 Jeff Brandt Minot
1998 Jeff Boschee Valley City
1997 Travis Sturdevant Bismarck Century
1996 Kenny Younger Minot
1995 Hunter Berg Grenora
1994 Dustin Undlin Mohall
1993 Randy Torgrimson West Fargo
1992 Marty McDonald Munich
1991 Bart Manson Minot
1990 Rob Stefonowicz Divide County
1989 (tie) Chris Gardner Fargo South
1989 (tie) Ben Jacobson Mayville-Portland
1988 Scott Guldseth Edinburg
1987 Bryan Flam Jamestown
1986 Todd Olson Cavalier
1985 (tie) Juno Pintar Fargo North
1985 (tie) Chris Lamoureux Newburg

[Sticks11]

I think a lot of years they get it right. There are arguments that could be made a lot of years for a ton of kids I'm sure. One thing that stuck out to me last year, and maybe this is just my opinion, but I thought if Kretchman is on there, how can Christian Adams not be? Don't get me wrong, Carter was a good player, but I thought Adams was the better player. He averaged more points and boards and more often than not, guarded the other team's best player. But again, a lot of arguments could be made for kids either being on or off the list.

[Bison-Vikes #1]

2001 Adam Dobmeier Fargo South

I am a bit bias on this one, but thought Evan Lindahl should have won it this year. Believe he went on to have a slightly better college career as well.

[Sniper]

I think a lot of years they get it right. There are arguments that could be made a lot of years for a ton of kids I'm sure. One thing that stuck out to me last year, and maybe this is just my opinion, but I thought if Kretchman is on there, how can Christian Adams not be? Don't get me wrong, Carter was a good player, but I thought Adams was the better player. He averaged more points and boards and more often than not, guarded the other team's best player. But again, a lot of arguments could be made for kids either being on or off the list.

I would assume that Kretchman having a crazy good game in the state championship, when everyone was watching, was a big reason he was up for it. I actually thought Adams played better in their first two state tournament games that same year.

[go maji]

In 2012, I was shocked when Dexter Werner didn't win. Turns out I was right.

[balla45]

2011 - Joe Hanstad
2012 - Dexter Werner, Mack Arvidson, Dan Yale, and Devin Coyle

I made my opinions known on this site at that time. My opinions have not changed.

[Run4Fun2009]

2011 was sadly a joke...2012 Langstaff had a great year...but so did everyone on balla45's list. 2012 was a tough decision...2011 was a poor choice (with a no-brainer in Hanstad)

[senditin]

2011 - Joe Hanstad
2012 - Dexter Werner, Mack Arvidson, Dan Yale, and Devin Coyle

I made my opinions known on this site at that time. My opinions have not changed.

Wow, did Langstaff $%^& in your cornflakes? Those players are good, but Langstaff had a career/senior year that you only see once every 20 years. The kid is a pure baller, unstoppable on offense.

[east sider]

In 2012, I was shocked when Dexter Werner didn't win. Turns out I was right.

Shocked? He averaged 20 and 9 and his team had a mediocre finish at State. Langstaff destroyed the Class B record for ppg in the modern era, probably won't be touched for another 20 years if ever. Barely lost to NS in Regionals which was favored to win their 2nd straight state title. Give me a break.

[east sider]

2010 was definitely questionable although I don't remember a lot of controversy with it. 2011 was such an odd situation, IMO Hanstad should have gotten it. 1999-2003 every pick is controversial.

[winner-within]

Like I said before

any award out there can be altered easily when few votes are considered

use twitter or text and get statewide voting going....sort out 5,000 votes

with that said nothing tells me a Mr. Basketball award was "way off"....

[Wildcat]

Joe Hanstad only played in 14 of 23 games his senior year. This is a senior award based solely on a senior season.

On that basis, it's hard to justify Joe Hanstad, who definitely had the most deserving career. But sticking to the guidelines of it being based on one season, hard to give it to Hanstad.

I am sure that was a difficult situation for voters.

[Wildcat]

I would also like to add that who you think is the best college prospect is not necessarily Mr. Basketball. I am sure some would be comfortable with just asking players around the state how many D-1 letters they received, with the most becoming Mr. And Miss Basketball.

But production in your senior season seems to be pretty important. In the case of Hanstad, he unfortunately missed games because of injury. For Langstaff, he dropped 40 and 50 point bombs night in and night out in one of the toughest Class B regions in the state. People can say "this Class A player could do that if they played Class B." But there are many good Class B players that are agreed upon as being able to fare well in Class A, and nearly all still don't accomplish what he did in terms of production. From what I remember, they had almost no bench, another benefit Class A schools enjoy.

To me, it is a little like the triple crown in baseball. Sabermetricians aren't fond of it in determining the MVP because it often doesn't tell the whole story of the player's value, yet it is still often a feat that gets you MVP. Because it just does not come around very often. And a player averaging 41 points doesn't come around very often. Thus, Langstaff won the award.

One more thing. i know it is easy to look at one of the Mr. Basketballs and see how they did in college vs. another finalist that you feel should have gotten the award. But that is really not fair. Circumstances completely change in college. The award is not based on who will have the better college career, it is based on what was done during the senior season.

You can find countless examples on both sides of the Mr. and Miss Basketball award in which the winner did not have as good of a college career as one of the finalists,

[balla45]

I think Mr. Basketball should go to the best player. Hanstad was the best player. Langstaff was not, in my opinion, a better high school player than any that I named.

[Flying Wallenda]

2010 was definitely questionable although I don't remember a lot of controversy with it. 2011 was such an odd situation, IMO Hanstad should have gotten it. 1999-2003 every pick is controversial.

Who in your opinion was as good or better than Brandt in 99?

[Sportsrube]

I think Mr. Basketball should go to the best player. Hanstad was the best player. Langstaff was not, in my opinion, a better high school player than any that I named.

I agree with this, if you were going to "draft" a team of Seniors, Hanstad would have been the first one picked. He simply was a better player than Langstaff was.

[east sider]

2010 was definitely questionable although I don't remember a lot of controversy with it. 2011 was such an odd situation, IMO Hanstad should have gotten it. 1999-2003 every pick is controversial.

Who in your opinion was as good or better than Brandt in 99?

1999 Travis Kraft - MPCG
2000 Robert Lawrence - Warwick (didn't seen him play in HS, but heard from others I respect)
2001 Evan Lindahl - Cando
2002 Adam Grant - Berthold (I believe he was ineligible, so actually no controversy but he probably was the best player in the state)
2003 Craig Nelson - MPCG

I'm not saying they got it wrong, but these years definitely stand out as somewhat controversial.

[east sider]

I think Mr. Basketball should go to the best player. Hanstad was the best player. Langstaff was not, in my opinion, a better high school player than any that I named.

By that logic Hanstad could miss his entire Sr. season and win Mr. BB.

[Flip]

I agree with this, if you were going to "draft" a team of Seniors, Hanstad would have been the first one picked. He simply was a better player than Langstaff was.

Not sure if this is a statement or an argument, but they weren't in the same graduating class.

[Sportsrube]

I agree with this, if you were going to "draft" a team of Seniors, Hanstad would have been the first one picked. He simply was a better player than Langstaff was.

Not sure if this is a statement or an argument, but they weren't in the same graduating class.

Just a statement, I believe the award should go to the best player, period. (Not necessarily the one who scores the most.) In 2012 I thought Dexter Werner deserved the award. (And Hanstad deserved it his Senior year.)

[balla45]

I think Mr. Basketball should go to the best player. Hanstad was the best player. Langstaff was not, in my opinion, a better high school player than any that I named.

By that logic Hanstad could miss his entire Sr. season and win Mr. BB.

No. If he did not play, he would not be the best player. He did play. I am done with this discussion though.

[Sticks11]

2010 was definitely questionable although I don't remember a lot of controversy with it. 2011 was such an odd situation, IMO Hanstad should have gotten it. 1999-2003 every pick is controversial.

Who in your opinion was as good or better than Brandt in 99?

1999 Travis Kraft - MPCG
2000 Robert Lawrence - Warwick (didn't seen him play in HS, but heard from others I respect)
2001 Evan Lindahl - Cando
2002 Adam Grant - Berthold (I believe he was ineligible, so actually no controversy but he probably was the best player in the state)
2003 Craig Nelson - MPCG

I'm not saying they got it wrong, but these years definitely stand out as somewhat controversial.

Don't get me wrong, Travis Kraft was a stud of a high school player. However, I don't see how Jeff Brandt getting the award in 1999 could stick out as controversial.

[Sticks11]

2010 was definitely questionable although I don't remember a lot of controversy with it. 2011 was such an odd situation, IMO Hanstad should have gotten it. 1999-2003 every pick is controversial.

Who in your opinion was as good or better than Brandt in 99?

1999 Travis Kraft - MPCG
2000 Robert Lawrence - Warwick (didn't seen him play in HS, but heard from others I respect)
2001 Evan Lindahl - Cando
2002 Adam Grant - Berthold (I believe he was ineligible, so actually no controversy but he probably was the best player in the state)
2003 Craig Nelson - MPCG

I'm not saying they got it wrong, but these years definitely stand out as somewhat controversial.

Don't get me wrong, Travis Kraft was a stud of a high school player. However, I don't see how Jeff Brandt getting the award in 1999 could stick out as controversial.

It was controversial because Kraft had more first place votes, but was left off a number of ballots. You can't tell me Kraft wasn't one of the top three that year.

No I can't, and I'm not trying to. I'm simply saying that Jeff Brandt winning it that year, to me, was how it should have played out.

[canoworms]

They get it right every time.

The award is from the NORTH DAKOTA ASSOCIATED PRESS SPORTSCASTERS and SPORTSWRITERS.
It is their AWARD not yours not mine it is theirs. They can vote for who ever they want.
Become a member of the NDAPSS and you can vote too.

They get it right every time!!

[east sider]

They get it right every time.

The award is from the NORTH DAKOTA ASSOCIATED PRESS SPORTSCASTERS and SPORTSWRITERS.
It is their AWARD not yours not mine it is theirs. They can vote for who ever they want.
Become a member of the NDAPSS and you can vote too.

They get it right every time!!

You sound like a fun guy to be around at parties.