North Dakota Preview: St. John

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The St. John Woodchucks won 15 games last year, advancing to the Region 4 semifinals before losing to eventual state champion Langdon/Edmore/Munich. With some of the other top teams in the region potentially taking a (slight) step back, and the Woodchucks returning every key player including two double-double players, there should be a lot of optimism for a strong season.</span> <strong>Go-To Girl: [player_tooltip player_id="204021" first="Kendra" last="Prouty"]</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Prouty was an all-region performer as a junior, stuffing the stat sheet to the tune of 17 points, 11 rebounds, nearly four assists, seven steals and three blocks. She’s an absolute two-way force who can impact the game in a big way on both ends. She’s efficient as a scorer, shooting 32 percent from the 3-point line plus better than 50 percent from inside the arc. She gets to the foul line frequently and can not only create her own shot, but get teammates easy looks on a regular basis too. She’s one of the most talented individual players in the region.  </span> <strong>Breakout Candidate: Megan Boe</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Boe averaged 6.4 points and 8.6 rebounds as a sophomore, showing strong defensive chops and an activity level that could allow her to average a double-double despite playing with two players who averaged double-doubles last year. Her efficiency wasn’t great, as she shot 42 percent from the field and less than 50 percent from the free throw line. If she takes a step forward in those areas - a fair expectation for an upperclassman - she could be a legitimate difference-maker. </span> <strong>Question: Can the Woodchucks Contend in Region 4?</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">Region 4 is always one of the toughest in the state and that’ll be the case again this winter. LEM may not be as dominant as it was last year, but the Cardinals will be tougher than nails. Four Winds/Minnewaukan returns three double-figure scorers. Dunseith has one of the best inside-outside duo in the state. But St. John has the on-paper talent to compete with everybody. Prouty and sophomore forward Natalie DeCoteau form an outstanding tandem and the rest of the roster is back too. </span> <strong>Outlook</strong> <span style="font-weight: 400;">St. John won’t go into the season ranked or expected to beat LEM or Four Winds/Minnewaukan in the region, but they’ve got the makings of a darkhorse outfit. Prouty and DeCoteau are elite level players on both ends of the floor and should be even better this winter. If the young players who broke into the lineup last winter make some improvements, this is a team that can get to the region tournament and potentially do damage. </span>