North Dakota Preview: Region 8 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 8</span> <strong>Alyssa St. Pierre, Trenton</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">St. Pierre’s been a rock-solid player for the Tigers for years and she’ll finally be the go-to girl as a senior. Trenton is going to have to undergo a bit of an identity shift after graduating [player_tooltip player_id="97876" first="Kaity" last="Hove"], but St. Pierre is capable of being the best player in the region. She’s long, athletic, skilled and smart. She averaged nearly 15 points and 10 rebounds last year and will have an even bigger role this winter. </span> <strong>Alexa St. Pierre, Trenton</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Alexa St. Pierre likely gets a much larger role this winter with the Tigers losing Hove at the point guard spot. She’s been productive for years now and averaged nearly 10 points and three assists while providing top-notch perimeter defense. With the ball in her hands more this winter, don’t be surprised if she puts up big numbers. </span> <strong>Faith Johnson, Divide County</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Johnson’s been a productive player for a while now, and she was an all-region player as a junior, providing consistent scoring and playmaking for a Maroon team that struggled to put a lot of capable scorers on the floor. Region 8 should be more competitive this season and if Divide County is going to make a move up, Johnson will have to be one of the best players in the region.</span> <strong>Savanna Fredrickson, Powers Lake</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Fredrickson has already established herself as one of the best guards in the region and was the top scorer for the Ranchers last season. She’s a solid perimeter shooter, big enough to score in the paint and a quality ballhandler who can make plays. If she can be a little more consistent as an upperclassman, the Ranchers have a chance to move up the Region 8 ladder. </span> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="97773" first="Taylor" last="Dean"], Stanley</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Dean’s one of the best overall players in the region and stuffs the stat sheet on a regular basis for the Bluejays. She’s long, athletic and skilled, and terrific on both ends of the floor. She can score from all over the floor, she is an excellent playmaker and facilitator and her ability to force turnovers triggers transition opportunities for a team had a tendency to get bogged down in the halfcourt otherwise. </span> <strong>Kate Zimmer, Kenmare</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Zimmer earned all-region honors as just a freshman, and established herself as one of the most dynamic scoring guards in the area in very little time. The Honkers are returning a big chunk of the core that won 18 games and reached the region championship game; if Zimmer can take her game to another level with a year of experience, this team can get to a state tournament. </span>