North Dakota Preview: Region 7 Top Guards

<span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s never too early for too-early-season. With fall sports and school underway, it’s only a matter of time before the winter sports season is upon us. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the top guards in Region 7</span> <strong>Madi Wilhelmi, Beach</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Wilhelmi earned all-region honors as a sophomore and has emerged as perhaps the premier guard in the region thanks to her ability to get it done on both ends of the floor. She’s a talented scorer who can break down defenders and get to the rim. She’s a steady ballhandler and solid facilitator who makes the game easier for her teammates. And she’s excellent defensively. Beach should be considered one of the favorites in Region 7.</span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="14181" first="Bailee" last="Pierce"], Hettinger/Scranton</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Pierce averaged 10 points per game for a Night Hawks team that reached the state tournament for the second year in a row. She’s a skilled perimeter scorer and with [player_tooltip player_id="97903" first="Alyssa" last="Andress"] gone to graduation, she’ll have the ball in her hands a lot more as an upperclassman, pairing with Sam Oase to form what should be a terrific one-two punch. </span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="199304" first="Kinsey" last="Zuroff"], Beulah</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Zuroff moved to Beulah after earning all-region honors as a freshman at Glen Ullin/Hebron and wasted little time making a big impact for the Miners. She’s a skilled perimeter scorer who has the athleticism to get to the paint and make plays, and she’s got the length and toughness to guard up or down against an opposing lineup. </span> <strong>Caylee Wilke, Heart River</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Wilke earned all-region honors for Heart River last year and was one of the team’s most consistent perimeter scorers. On a team that won a lot of games in low-scoring fashion, Wilke’s overall floor game is a big positive, as she’s able to impact the game in a variety of ways. She’s a terrific, multi-positional defender who provides a little bit of everything. </span> <strong>Taylor Christensen, Glen Ullin/Hebron</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Christensen was an all-region player in just her freshman season and emerged as one of the best all-around players in the area. She’s a dynamic long-range shooter who can get hot and take over stretches of a game at any time. She’s athletic and can get her own shot with relative ease, and she’s a competitive defender on the perimeter. </span> <strong>Madison Rafferty, Mott-Regent</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Rafferty is one of the top lead guards in the area already and earned all-region honors as a sophomore. She’s a solid scorer who can create her own shot off the bounce, but she’s an excellent facilitator and playmaker. If the Wildfire is going to make a move up the Region 7 standings, Rafferty is going to have to take her game to an even higher level - and she’s proven she’s capable.  </span>