Way-Too-Early Preview: Grand Forks Red River

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The Roughriders used elite defense and balanced offense to win 17 games, while playing for an EDC championship before reaching their third straight state tournament. Grand Forks Red River is poised to be one of the best teams in the EDC again this winter, as three starters and four of the team’s top six players should be back.</span> <strong>Go-To Player: [player_tooltip player_id="98748" first="Alex" last="Page"]/Jasmine Sondrol</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Page and Sondrol started and put up similar numbers last year, each averaging about nine points and six rebounds. Page is one of the best 3-point shooters in the state and has the strength to get to the rim while Sondrol is capable of handling the ball, making plays and scoring from the perimeter. </span> <strong>Breakout Candidate: Jocelyn Schiller</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Schiller saw sparing action last year off the bench and showed she’s capable of contributing in a complementary role on the offensive end while defending all over the floor. Defense figures to be the Roughriders’ strength again next winter and with several other players who can take the offensive pressure, Schiller should have a lot of opportunity to grow. </span> <strong>Question: Are the Roughriders the Best Team in the EDC?</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The EDC was top-heavy last year with four teams seemingly separating themselves from the pack. Devils Lake and Fargo Shanley were the two best in the regular season and would’ve played for the state title had the season not been canceled while Fargo Davies and Red River advanced to state by reaching the EDC Tournament Championship game - which the Eagles won. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Devils Lake and Fargo Shanley are both losing critical components from last year while the Roughriders and Eagles both return a majority of their respective cores. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Red River will be as good as anybody on the defensive end of the floor. The answer to this question may end up coinciding with how good their offense can be. That held them back at times last year. </span> <strong>Season Outlook</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Grand Forks Red River seems like a securely solid team heading into next year. They might not have the scoring upside that a team like Fargo Davies, Devils Lake or West Fargo has, but the Roughriders have experience, size and an excellent defense. Elle Fosse and Jade Azure join Page and Sondrol to form a sound foursome, which gives them a high floor and a team capable of winning 15-20 games and competing at the top of the EDC. </span>