North Dakota First Look: Grand Forks Red River
Grand Forks Red River won 16 games and reached the state tournament a year ago, thanks to one of the state’s best offenses. The Roughriders lose several longtime varsity starters and will enter the 2019-20 season with some questions, but…
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Continue ReadingGrand Forks Red River won 16 games and reached the state tournament a year ago, thanks to one of the state’s best offenses. The Roughriders lose several longtime varsity starters and will enter the 2019-20 season with some questions, but there’s still enough talent in the program for excitement.
GO-TO PLAYER: Shelby Frank
Frank averaged 11.5 points and 7 rebounds while earning all-EDC honors. She’s a strong finisher inside and while her life gets a little more difficult without the senior guards the Roughriders had a year ago, she’s capable of producing points in the paint on her own too.
BREAKOUT CANDIDATE: Alex Page
Page saw big minutes as a sophomore and averaged 10 points and four rebounds. She was extremely efficient, shooting better than 50 percent from the field while also knocking down nearly 40 percent of her 3-point attempts. She’ll be one of the featured offensive players for the the Roughriders this year and it wouldn’t be surprising if she led them in scoring.
QUESTION: Who steps up in the backcourt?
Jadyn Sondrol and Kenady Steffan formed one of the best backcourts in the EDC last year and with them gone, there will be a big void when it comes to experience on the ball. Who can fill those roles? Jasmyn Sondrol saw minutes a year ago and will likely see an increased role this year. Figuring out who else is capable of stepping in and contributing big minutes will be an important key to this team’ season.
OUTLOOK
The Roughriders are losing quite a bit when it comes to scoring and experience in the backcourt. With that in mind, it could be a challenge out of the gate early in the year as some of the organizational things those seniors brought to the table. Red River will have to lean on its forwards for production and Frank and Page have both proven they are ready for bigger roles this winter. The EDC as a whole is going to be strong this year and the Roughriders have the talent necessary to be competitive.