North Dakota Preview: Grafton/St. Thomas
Grafton/St. Thomas was one of the five best teams in Class B last season, going 18-2 in the regular season with just one loss to North Dakota competition while beating state-ranked clubs like Thompson and Kindred. The Spoilers lost to…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingGrafton/St. Thomas was one of the five best teams in Class B last season, going 18-2 in the regular season with just one loss to North Dakota competition while beating state-ranked clubs like Thompson and Kindred. The Spoilers lost to Thompson in the Region 2 final, missing the state tournament field, where they would have undoubtedly been a threat to win the whole thing. With four starters and five of the team’s top six players back, Grafton will once again be among the state’s elite.
GO-TO PLAYER: Carlee Sieben
Sieben’s been one of the team’s best players for a few years now and she’s just entering her upperclass years. The junior guard earned all-state honors last year, averaging better than 17 points per game in her sophomore year. She’s the floor-general for this team and makes everything go on the offensive end. She’s excellent on the defensive end of the floor too, keying a team that allowed less than 40 points per game.
KEY RETURNERS: Julia Dusek, Cassie Sieben, Anna Carignan, Reagan Hanson
Dusek and Cassie Sieben were starters last year and averaged better than 10 points per game each. Dusek is one of the best players in Class B for a couple years and one of the toughest players to defend in the area because of her length, athleticism and skill.
Sieben emerged last year as a really nice complementary scorer, averaging double-figures on the wing. She’ll have even more opportunity now as an upperclassman and could be a breakout player despite enjoying a very good year last season.
Carignan was a starter and played a role very well, excelling on the defensive end while doing a lot of the little things that don’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet. She’s a solid screener and does a good job running the floor hard. She’ll be counted on to contribute a little more this year with the Spoilers needing to replace their top interior player from a year ago.
Hanson saw rotation minutes as a freshman last season and likely steps into a starting role this upcoming year. With all the attention defenses will have to pay to Dusek and the Sieben sisters, Hanson could be the beneficiary of a lot of space to operate.
QUESTION: Can the Spoilers break through?
Grafton/St. Thomas has had plenty of success in recent years, winning at least 16 games each of the last five seasons. The Spoilers have gone into the postseason as one of the team’s to beat and just haven’t quite gotten over the hump. This team has all the components to do it.
OUTLOOK
Grafton/St. Thomas has the pieces to not only get to the state tournament, but to win the championship. The Spoilers play in an always tough Region 2 with Thompson, so getting there is no guarantee. But this team won 20 games last year and could be even better this winter. This season has a chance to be special.