North Dakota Preview: Central Cass

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Central Cass crashed the Class B State Tournament party last March, pulling the huge upset over Kindred in the Region 1 Championship. The Squirrels did so despite not having a player average double figures in scoring, winning with incredible depth and balance. With eight players back from that team, expect big things from Central Cass again this winter.</span> <strong>Go-To Girl: [player_tooltip player_id="100445" first="Decontee" last="Smith"]</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The strength of the Squirrels was incredible depth last season. Relying on a 10-player rotation, there wasn’t a go-to player last year for Central Cass. And while balance should be a big strength for this team again next winter, it won’t be quite as lopsided. If there’s a player who can step into something of a go-to role, it’s Smith. The 5-foot-9 sophomore led the team in scoring last year, averaging just under 10 points per game off the bench. She’s athletic, skilled and active in the paint. She averaged nearly seven rebounds per game and has double-double potential over the next three years. Expect her to be one of the best players in Region 1.</span> <strong>Breakout Candidate: [player_tooltip player_id="99826" first="Jaylin" last="Cotton"]</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Cotton isn’t necessarily a breakout candidate in the sense that she’s coming out of nowhere, as she’s been a key component for the team since her eighth-grade year. But when she’s healthy, Cotton is an impact player inside and has double-double ability. With the Squirrels graduating two frontcourt players, there will be more minutes for the 5-foot-10 junior to shine, and she’s already shown in smaller doses that she’s got all-region potential.</span> <strong>Question: Can the Squirrels Win With Less Depth?</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">The Squirrels pulled a massive upset in the region tournament to get to state, but they were a very good team throughout the season as well. They won 19 games before the state tournament thanks in large part to incredible balance, strong defense and depth. With as many freshmen and sophomores as the Squirrels had, there should still be a lot of improvement left in the tank. Can a few of those players who were solid last year in platoon roles emerge and grow into all-region type players? Kailee McKinnon, [player_tooltip player_id="208167" first="Morgan" last="Lee"] and [player_tooltip player_id="99820" first="Rylie" last="Holzer"] are all back after starting as sophomores and Cotton’s got two-plus years of varsity basketball already under her belt. If they can, the ceiling for this team is awfully high. </span> <strong>Outlook</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Central Cass is going to go into next year likely as a top-10 team in Class B. Returning eight players from a team that went 10-deep allows for a lot of continuity to carry over from last year and the experiences gained from a deep postseason run should benefit a team that still has a lot of upside. Kindred will still be among the favorites in Class B, but Central Cass has already shown that it should be considered in that mix too. </span>