Sanford Basketball Academy "Who's Next Combine" Class of 2023

June 15th, 2022 Sanford Power Academy held their first ever "Who’s Next" combine showcasing the top players in North Dakota. I must say I was very impressed with how everything was set up, organized, and how well they ran the 4 hour event. The combine had multiple skill areas they ran though each player. This included dribbling, passing, shooting, 1v1, 2v2, checking their jump height (verticals) followed up by 15min 5v5 games and a few more. This article will be a 4 piece article breaking down players by their respective class. Every athlete at this combine is an impressive athlete that has a bunch of talent, and all were fun to watch. I want to extend a big thank you to Freddie Coleman for inviting me out to cover this event, and also to Sanford Basketball Academy for hosting this event. This was a great opportunity that I know many players in North Dakota, surrounding States and myself will look forward too. Thank you all for putting this together!   <strong>Class of 2023:</strong> [player_tooltip player_id="100436" first="Kacie" last="Burner"]: Kindred High School One thing that stood out about Kacie was her ability to handle the ball, left or right handed and how well she moved. She has good size to her and can shoot from all over. I can’t say enough good things about her shooting abilities, a player like her is exactly what coaches want in a player. She has so many good qualities to her game, I can’t wait to watch more of her as she is only going to get better, which could be a nightmare for other teams. [player_tooltip player_id="211419" first="Ellie" last="Braaten"]: Westhope High School Ellie had a great day at the combine, she is a very gifted player all around. She can handle and protect the ball very well, sees the whole floor and is skilled at driving the lane and finishing the bucket. I was very impressed with her skills, not to mention she can knock down shots from all over. [player_tooltip player_id="196476" first="Solveig" last="Seymour"]: West Fargo Another talented player that has a good size frame to add to her list of good qualities. Solveig plays very well in transition, has great footwork and proved this year she can knock down big-time shots from deep. She proved she can be a deadly shooter as she knocked down 7 3’s in a single game this season for the Packers. Driving the lane and fighting for the finish...no problem, she is fun to watch and a great athlete. [player_tooltip player_id="211416" first="Teagan" last="Bosche"]: Jamestown High School A known name in the WDA for all the right reasons, she is a hardworking composed player that can handle the ball very well. She looks like she has been putting in quite a bit of work this off season, and can do a little of everything. Shooting 10-15’ no problem. I think next year will be her break out year at Jamestown High. [player_tooltip player_id="100424" first="Peyton" last="Breidenbach"]: Fargo Sheyenne High School "Playmaker" came to mind when watching Peyton. She has so many good qualities to her game, the one that stood out the most was how well she took care of the ball, and was looking to to score. I can see why she was #3 in the EDC with 122 assists this season, she is very controlled and likes to put up points, or find her teammate who will. [player_tooltip player_id="100442" first="Arden" last="Faulkner"]: Fargo North High School Arden is one of those players that you can watch all day. She’s gritty, can fight though screens and does not back down on a defender. Not to mention she is also a great shooter, which she proved by putting up 324pts (13.5)ppg this year. She will be a big piece to Fargo Norths team next year in her Senior season. She has a ton of good qualities about her and her game. [player_tooltip player_id="100461" first="Ella" last="Falk"]: Jamestown High School Ella is a good sized athlete that knows how to score, and finds a way to do just that. She is a proven shooter, not afraid to attack the rim and can handle the ball incredibly well for her size. She had a good workout, and keeps getting better and better. Next year will be her Senior year, and there is no doubt we will hear her name plenty. [player_tooltip player_id="100429" first="Ainsley" last="Mclain"]: Grafton High School Ainsley has a little of everything to her game, she dribbles good, she has a good 10-15’ jumper and isn’t afraid to drive the defender to the hoop. She has a ton of good things to her game, but not any one certain skill stands out in particular. She is the type of player coaches like to have, she can do it all and is a impactful player. [player_tooltip player_id="377821" first="Amya" last="Gourneau"]: TMCHS Amya is a known name in the WDA, and for all the right reasons. She is a sniper, she can shoot from all over the place and knock them down as well. It explains why she averaged 19.9PPG this last year, she is balanced and isn’t afraid to put the shots up. Aside from shooting she is also a great passer and sees the court well. The sky is the limit for her, next year is going to be a fun year to watch her. She is only going to get better and better. [player_tooltip player_id="100463" first="Delaney" last="Cotton"]: Central Cass High School Delaney had a good day at the combine, she has continued to get better and better. At 5’9 she has a good size, moves well and was putting up a decent amount of outside shots and knocking them down. She runs the court very well and is always aware at whats going on. Good athlete, I have a feeling her Senior season is going to be a big one. [player_tooltip player_id="100445" first="Deconte" last="Smith"]: Central Cass High School Watching Deconte the first thing that came to mind was "Athlete". She is one of those players that is just good at a little bit of everything. When she drove to the rim she was impressive, she uses her good size athletic body to work her way into the hoop and finishes strong. She is also a solid defender that can crash the boards and pull the ball down. She will be a key player next year for Central Cass. [player_tooltip player_id="100457" first="Klaire" last="Cotton"]: Central Cass High School Klaire was fun to watch, she handles the ball incredibly well and knows how to use her size as well. She is a tough kid who can hit the shots from deep, mid-range and also crashes the board. She is a hard worker and fun to watch, any coach would be happy to have her. She can do a little bit of everything and is a very impactful player on the court. [player_tooltip player_id="100420" first="Bergan" last="Kinnebrew"]: Century High School I could write a book about this young lady, if I could describe her in 3 words it would be "FLAT OUT GOOD". The All-Stater can play any 1-5 position, and she controls the tempo of the game incredibly well. I watched her scrimmages and was impressed with her all-around skills and how she always found a way for her team to score. She has good size to her and is a true leader on the court, I expect her to get a lot of offers in the mail this year, and a selection for Ms.Basketball. [player_tooltip player_id="100448" first="Rylen" last="Burgess"]: Cavalier High School Watching Rylen I thought "Leader" immediately. She is a very hard worker on the court and has that "never back down" attitude. An excellent defender that moves her feet very well, and has a good frame to her size. She is a very impactful player on the court that has a ton of tools in her pocket. Fun to watch thats for sure. [player_tooltip player_id="100447" first="Maya" last="Metcalf"]: West Fargo Sheyenne High School Maya is another one of those athletes that is all around impressive. She has great size to her (6’2) and she uses it well. She put up great numbers this year for WF Sheyenne offensively and defensively 13.8ppg and 7.9rpg. She is great in the paint and knows her job on the court. She is another one that I think will have a HUGE senior year, and multiple offers coming her way. She has size, moves well, and is tough to defend. [player_tooltip player_id="196880" first="Brooke" last="Eggermont"]: Valley City high School Brooke has a ton of upsides to her game, she isn’t afraid to get in and do the work and knows her roll very well. She is another one that has a good size frame and knows how to use it well. Last year for Valley City she averaged 13.2 ppg and 7.6rpg. Not only is her size, scoring and rebounding a plus, but she has good ball handling skills as well. She is another one I think will have a break out year her Senior year, she is a player to watch in 2022-2023 for sure. [player_tooltip player_id="211399" first="Halle" last="Crockett"]: Northern Cass There is many good things to say about this young lady. She is an excellent shooter that can score from anywhere. Not only that but has a good size to her, handles the ball incredibly well and can finish in transition. She sees the whole court very well and always knows what is going on offensively and defensively. She is a the type of player any coach would want to have on the court, she is a leader and knows her role on the team. Good athlete, she is another player we will be hearing quite a bit about next year. [player_tooltip player_id="100444" first="Maci" last="Wheeldon"]: Fargo Davies Maci has good size to her (6’2) and knows how to use it. She is good in the paint at pulling down boards off the glass and has decent footwork for her size. She has long arms and can be a havoc for any team to get around when driving the lane as she knows how to protect her area. She has a lot of upside to her game, and I know she will have a big role next year for the Davies.