North Dakota Preview: Thompson
Prep Girls Hoops Kansas Scouting Report
Matt Bigelow
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Thompson has been one of the top programs in Class B for years. The Tommies won 19 games and advanced to the Region 2 final last year, losing to eventual state runner-up Grafton. Armed with an elite defense and an all-state lead guard, the Tommies figure to be one of the top teams in the state next winter. </span>
<strong>Go-To Player: Kenzie Hughes</strong>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Hughes is a multi-year all-state selection and among the best two-way perimeter players in the state. She’s undersized, but terrific on the defensive end of the floor, spearheading an elite defensive group while carrying the load on the offensive end. She averaged 21 points, five rebounds and nearly four assists as a junior, nearly doubling her scoring average from her sophomore season and showed against top-notch competition that she can carry the load. She’s capable of taking over a game and she’ll have the ball in her hands with a ton of responsibility as a senior. </span>
<strong>Breakout Candidate: [player_tooltip player_id="206339" first="Libby" last="Koerber"]</strong>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">The Tommies have to replace a couple of key starters including two of their top perimeter players. That creates a lot of opportunity and Grafton’s junior class has a number of potential options to step in and provide production. Koerber saw spot rotation minutes last year and the kind of length and quickness that should allow her to contribute even more as an upperclassman. </span>
<strong>Question: After Hughes, who can score consistently?</strong>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Thompson is going to grind out wins because of a strong defense and Hughes controlling games. But when the Tommies run into good teams, or if Hughes is struggling and they need the complementary players to make shots, do they have enough firepower? </span>
<strong>Season Outlook</strong>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Thompson is heading into the year with some significant questions regarding who will contribute, but the sustained excellence of the program makes it easy to bet that the Tommies will figure things out. They have an elite lead guard who can control a game, solid frontcourt returners in Jade Welke and Madeline Stefoniwicz, a strong defensive culture and promising young players like Olivia Dick, Koerber and [player_tooltip player_id="14177" first="Bailey" last="Munson"]. They won’t be the favorite in the region, but they are good enough to rack up wins and contend. </span>
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