Class A Region 1 - State Qualifier Prediction

VALLEY CITY   Valley City is currently ranked 2nd in the latest Class A polls. They are 19-2 overall and 11-1 in Region 1. Valley City is a very long and athletic team. They run a tough full-court press defense and are solid in the half-court. They have multiple scoring options and girls that can contribute off of the bench.    I really like watching Dacota play. She is a 'slippery' type of player, meaning she finds ways to slip past defenders to gain advantages offensively. She is a big, athletic player who can get to the rim. She is a lefty, which is an advantage in itself in high school basketball. She can score, defend, and shoot from the perimeter.     Katie is a bonafide superstar. She should be on the All-State team this season and if not, will be her junior and senior season. She is a scoring machine and is very difficult to defend due to her ability to keep the ball high on her shots. She is long and athletic and uses her size to gain great position around the rim. She is an excellent offensive rebounder as well.     Anderson is a quick and athletic guard. She is a hustler out on the floor. She has a nose for getting into loose ball situations and is aggressive taking the ball away from opponents. She plays really hard and fights for extra possessions with offensive rebounding opportunities.     Greta really shines on the defensive end. Her length makes it difficult for opposing teams to pass around. She is a great athlete who never seems to get tired. She runs the floor hard and Valley City is really good at throwing the ball ahead to her in transition.     Skye plays with the presence of a veteran player, even though she is just a freshman. She doesn't get rattled in big moments and is trusted to help break opposing team's full-court press defenses due to her excellent passing. She is good in the half-court, doing a nice job of passing to Burchill down low. She is also capable of exploding for 20 points any given game.    KINDRED   Kindred is ranked 4th in the latest Class A polls. They are 16-4 overall, and 9-2 in Region 1. They have a seasoned Championship coach, three star scorers, and a nice mix of role players. They can blow the lid off of the rim with their scoring and also compete defensively.    Liza is a very good point guard. Her height allows her to see over smaller defenders and her great vision and passing is vital to Kindred's offensive success. She is a good handler in the full-court, doing a nice job of protecting the ball against pressure defenses. She can shoot from the outside, but she is most effective driving to the rim and utilizing her size and strength for finishes at the basket.     Siera is another superstar and will be a multi-year All-State player. She can do everything offensively. She is a very good outside shooter, but like her teammates, is best driving to the basket. She has an array of finishes but has a particularly nice floater game. She is a solid athlete and has the ability to be a great defender.     Kennedy is a really good player and tough athlete. She is an exceptional defender and is one of the best competitors on the floor. She hustles to the loose balls and fights for rebounds. She runs the floor hard and can finish at the rim. She is a great three-point shooter and seems to have the hunger of a senior looking to find her way back to the state tournament.     Leah is a solid point guard who is a great role player. She is very quick and a very good defender. She has great anticipation and is usually good for a handful of steals each game. She is patient in the half-court, knowing she has three scoring machines to defer to. She brings the energy for Kindred right from the tip.     Taylor is a young, athletic post. Her role right now is to defend and rebound. She does a nice job of this and is a reliable player for Coach Sam Brandt. She has the tools that make her a nice prospect going forward due to her good size and athleticism. She seems to have a good basketball mind on her as well.    Wahpeton is my sleeper pick out of Region 1, having won 4 of their last 5 games. Six of their 11 losses have come against teams in the top 5 rankings. They have a veteran stud in [player_tooltip player_id='385165' first='Scout' last='Woods'] and a nice mix of younger players. Coach Watson is an excellent coach and will have them ready to compete come region tournament time.

VALLEY CITY