by UNDSiouxfan » Tue Nov 16, 2021 2:45 pm
4 small town players I expect big things from in R1 that don't get a lot of mention:
MNS - Luke Martinson, sophomore.
I thought he was their best player last year as a Freshman. He is a kid that can score 20/10 on any night and is one of the better players in R1 that nobody knows about.
Hankinson - Cruz Hernandez, Jr.
Probably the best defensive player in all of R1. Has started since the 8th grade for the Pirates and was All Region last year. Knows how to get to the hoop and is very good in transition.
Hankinson - Kaden Kelley, Sr. Makes an excellent 1-2 backcourt with Hernandez, and they are one of the better guard combos in R1. Kelley has been a two year starter and has improved each year. He was their top scorer last year, is an excellent FT shooter, and is their main 3 point threat.
Maple Valley - Evan Richman, Sr. Tough player who is hard to stop in the lane. He is one of the better rebounders in R1, and will likely be the go to guy for Maple Valley.
Overall, I think both MNS and Hankinson are going to be much better than most people think. MNS goes 8-10 deep, and has very good guard play in Fletcher Willprecht, Gavin Christianson, and their PG Avery McFarland is a very good floor general. Hankinson returns 3 starters to begin the year, but depth and height are their main issue. They will get one of their returning starters back in late Dec., Chase Evans, who is recovering from a FB injury. He will help them for the 2nd half of the season as he is another good player who has the potential to get 15/10 every night. Hankinson is older and they return a lot so this should be their best team in the last few years.
Other than Kindred & Enderlin, teams 3-11 in R1 should be very competitive. Richland will likely have difficulties due to numbers, and I predict W-L will struggle a bit more than others think. W-L has a very big defensive presence in the middle with Kaszinski, but W-L will have to prove they have guards that can hit the outside shot to open up the lane. Teams will likely double team their big guy and make him ineffective. I think W-L will lose more than they will win, and their wins will come by 40-39 type of defensive scrappy games.
Can't wait for some R1 basketball.