Linton-HMB & Park River/Fordville-Lankin

Prep Girls Hoops Dakotas has two ND Class B Team Previews for basketball fans to read. Both squads are seriously talented and they have the potential to be elite. Take a look at the Lions and Aggies!   Do not be surprised if you see these two ranked in the Top 10 State PollS at some point this season. They will win many games and impress the Bball fans!   This is a "Hoops Profile" article, but Linton-HMB has actually started the season. They are 1-0 with a 63-42 win over Standing Rock. The Lions play their next game tonight (December 5th) at home vs. Oakes. Park River-Fordville-Lankin tips off the season tonight as well (12/5/24) against Griggs-Midkota in Devils Lake.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/lintonlion.jpg?w=810" alt="" class="wp-image-1097245" style="width:175px;height:auto" /></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/11/PGHDakotasTeamPreview-crop-658x432-1701105064.jpg?w=657" alt="" class="wp-image-813156" style="width:175px;height:auto" /></figure>   Linton-HMB   Head Coach: Michael Schirado   Class: B   Region: 1   District: 2   Players to Watch   Comments from coach Schirado   SENIORS   [player_tooltip player_id='1097250' first='Jersey' last='Vogel'] 5'9" Guard/Forward- "Jersey is a very good player and will be looked to as our leader and "need a bucket" type of player. Averaged 12 PPG last year, 7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.5 steals. She's extremely unselfish and a top player in the Region."   [player_tooltip player_id='1097251' first='Amber' last='McCrory'] 5'5' Guard- "Amber is a vocal senior leader with tremendous basketball IQ. She doesn't always fill up the stat sheet, but she is a terrific vocal leader. She's 1 of 3 returning starters."   JUNIORS   [player_tooltip player_id='1097252' first='Brooklyn' last='Schumacher'] 5'10' Forward- "We'll look to Brooklyn to help replace some of the scoring and playmaking we lost from last year, as Allie Dockter and Emma Weiser graduated a combined 26 points per game. Brooklyn is a long dynamic player that can create mismatches for us on the perimeter. She's a terrific defender as well, anchoring the middle of our defense. She has battled some injuries the past 2 seasons, so we're excited to have her healthy this year."       [player_tooltip player_id='1097253' first='Makiah' last='Ryckman'] 5'8" Forward- "Makiah is a very strong defensive player and good finisher at the rim.  She'll be a first time starter, but did contribute as our 6th man off the bench last year."   SOPHOMORES   [player_tooltip player_id='1097254' first='Megan' last='McCrory'] 5'7' Guard- "Megan will serve as our 6th man this year. She's a strong player that can defend in the paint and on the perimeter. She's a high-energy player that will receive starter minutes for us."   [player_tooltip player_id='1097256' first='Avery' last='Vander Vorst'] 5'5' Guard- "Avery is a young exciting guard that will come in this year as a first-time starter. She's strong, quick, and plays fast. She'll need to keep working on playing off of two feet in the lane. She's an exciting young player we're excited to have."   Katelyn Vetter - Key reserve   Emmrey Baumgartner - Key reserve    <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/image_d954a1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1097264" style="width:281px;height:auto" /></figure>   With Michael Schirado   PGHD: Could you write a couple of sentences summing up last season?   "We finished last season 17 and 7, losing in the first round of Regionals to Maple River. It was a solid season for us, but also a heartbreaker. We had high expectations and came up short in the Regional Tournament."   PGHD: Does your program/team have any non-negotiables?   "We always want to leave the court knowing that we "played worthy of winning". Sometimes shots may not fall, but our effort must be there each night."   PGHD: What will your defense "hang its hat on"?   "Ball Pressure: We know we need to pressure the ball to in the full court and half court to be successful this season. We'll need to play fast and aggressive."   PGHD: Who will be your primary ballhandler this year?   "We're blessed to have several capable ball handlers this year, but against good teams, we'll rely on [player_tooltip player_id='1097250' first='Jersey' last='Vogel'] to help us handle pressure. She's smart and tough to guard. She's got a lot of fundamentally strong skills going left or right.  She's patient and reads defenses well."   PGHD: How did the offseason go for your team/program?   "We're very pleased about our offseason. We played a lot of basketball and had a lot of kids in the weight room. I think we gelled as a team. Creating chemistry was probably the biggest success this offseason."   PGHD: Who are a few of your top players to look out for?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1097250' first='Jersey' last='Vogel'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1097252' first='Brooklyn' last='Schumacher']: See their above comments"   PGHD: Who are a couple of up-and-comers to look out for?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1097254' first='Megan' last='McCrory'], [player_tooltip player_id='1097256' first='Avery' last='Vander Vorst'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1097253' first='Makiah' last='Ryckman'] are 3 really strong fast guards. They'll have a few more years to play together. We're hoping for them to continue to grow throughout the season, but they have a ton of upside for the next few years."   PGHD: Who do you think will be your best rebounders?   "We talk a lot about team rebounds. We don't have a lot of post size, so all 5 players must box out. With that being said, Brooklyn and Jersey are both instinctive rebounders.  They make really good reads once a shot goes up and they have the athleticism to go get the ball."   PGHD: What are your team goals this year?   "We always want our players to have high standards and expectations for themselves and for the program. We'd like to play faster this year than we have in years past. Our goal is to put in the necessary work and growth throughout the season to be as successful as possible come tournament time."   PGHD: Who are some of the top teams & players in your Region?   "Top teams: Maple River, Sargent County, E-K-M, LaMoure"   "Top players: [player_tooltip player_id='889645' first='Karleigh' last='Kadoun']- Sargent County, [player_tooltip player_id='415685' first='Taylor' last='Zimmerman']- Kidder County, Delabarre- LaMoure, [player_tooltip player_id='1048745' first='Violet' last='Richman']- Maple River"   "I'll put our own [player_tooltip player_id='1097250' first='Jersey' last='Vogel'] as a top regional player as well."   PGHD: Any last comments about the upcoming season?   "We're excited and ready to go! We just want to keep growing as developing as the season goes on. We'll be asking some younger players to develop fast, and if we continue to gel, we feel that we'll have a chance to have a successful season and be a threat come Regional time."   BEST OF LUCK TO THE LIONS!!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/11/PGHDakotasTeamPreview-crop-658x432-1701105064.jpg?w=657" alt="" class="wp-image-813156" style="width:288px;height:auto" /></figure>   Park River/Fordville-Lankin   Head Coach: Jonathan Berg   Class: B   Region: 2   District: 3   The Aggies received votes in this week's State Rankings and tip off the season tonight with game 1 in Devils Lake vs. Griggs-Midkota.   2023-24 Stats   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/image_78d566.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1097363" /></figure>   Player to Watch   Comments from Coach Berg   5'8” Jr. guard [player_tooltip player_id='1097386' first='Allison' last='Gudmundson'] - "Has good length and speed that she can use to attack the basket, and is also a good on-ball defender. She was a primary sub for us last year so we are looking for her to expand her role and leadership this year by stepping into a starting role."   5'4” Sr. guard [player_tooltip player_id='1097369' first='Madi' last='Bernhoft'] - "One of our senior captains this year, Madi brings a steady presence to the floor for us offensively and defensively. She is a great communicator on the floor and has hit many big shots and free throws to close out games."   5'3” So. guard [player_tooltip player_id='1097367' first='Lily' last='Skibicki'] - "A spark plug defensively, she has great hands and speed and has taken a lot of points away from opponents the last few years. We expect her to expand her role offensively and look to be more of scoring threat and distributor this year."   5'10” So. forward [player_tooltip player_id='1097368' first='Lauren' last='Bell'] - "Our lone All-District player from last season and leading scorer, we expect her to continue to be a strong post presence both offensively and defensively. She is very athletic and natural so we will look to utilize her in different ways to expand her game even more this year."   5'9” Sr. forward [player_tooltip player_id='1097377' first='Emma' last='Porter'] - "Another senior leader that really plays within herself. She sees and reads the floor very well and is a good passer on offense. Defensively she understands and communicates our team defense. We will look for her to continue to be a steady presence for us this season."   5'7” Jr. forward [player_tooltip player_id='1097383' first='Nora' last='Wharam'] - "Naturally strong post player that has some flexibility on defense for us and is a great rebounder. We are looking for her to build off a solid year last year to become a more consistent scorer offensively, and continue to help us rebound inside."   5'8” Jr. guard [player_tooltip player_id='1097380' first='Molly' last='Moen'] - "A good outside shooter that came off the bench for us last year. She can really help to stretch out a defense and open things up inside with her outside shooting. We are looking for her to step into a more prominent and consistent role this year."   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/image_c4a142.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1097391" style="width:243px;height:auto" /></figure>   With Jonathan Berg   PGHD: What can you tell us about last season?   "We had a good season last year finishing 13-10 as we had only 1 returning player with significant varsity experience. We played in a lot of competitive games and gained a lot of valuable experience to build on for this upcoming season."   PGHD: Do you have any non-negotiables?   "Our non-negotiables include giving maximum effort every day, focusing on fundamentals, and sticking together."   PGHD: What will your defense "hang its hat on"?   "We spend a lot of time working on our team defense in practice and trying to make the game chaotic for our opponents. Our hope going into each game is that we are able to keep consistent pressure and contest all shots so our opponents have to work extremely hard to go against us."   PGHD: Who will be your primary ballhandler?   "I think we will have a committee approach for ball handling at times between [player_tooltip player_id='1097367' first='Lily' last='Skibicki'], [player_tooltip player_id='1097369' first='Madi' last='Bernhoft'] and possibly another guard mixing in. Lily and Madi have the most experience, but both were also secondary ball handlers last year so they will need to share the duty initially unless one starts to really take hold of that role."   PGHD: How was the off-season?   "We had a good summer this year with great participation so it was great to see the team buy into the development program in the off-season. We are hoping the girls will be able to see some of those improvements within themselves, and in turn the team once we get a few games under our belt."   PGHD: Who is a top player to keep eyes on this season?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1097368' first='Lauren' last='Bell'] for sure is going to get a lot of attention as a returning All-District player and leading scorer for us. As the season goes on we hope that teams will have to start to focus on another player or two that will help to open things up for us offensively."   PGHD: Do you have any up-n-comers to look out for?   "We have a few younger players that had solid seasons last year at the JV level, that might be pushing for some varsity minutes as the season progresses. Charley Moen, Alexis Miller, Ruby Hagen, Kinley Sveen, Maddie Houser, and Mckenzie Moen all improved last year and have a chance to do even better this season."   PGHD: Who will be your top rebounders?   "Lauren and Nora will likely be our main rebounders this year again. They were both excellent for us last year mainly because of position and playing closer to the basket defensively, but both are also physical and aggressive inside."   PGHD: Do you have any team goals?   "Our team goals this year are to continue to build off the success of last season and improve as the season goes on. We hope to eliminate some of the youthful mistakes made last year, and replace it with experience and execution of our game plan to help us play our best basketball by the end of the year."   PGHD: Who will be your hardest worker?   "Our hardest worker is going to be hard to predict, we had 3 or 4 different girls that were up for this distinction last season. All of our girls work extremely hard and they seem to really pick up the slack for one another if someone is struggling. We are looking forward to see who this will be with each game we play."   PGHD: Who will be the top teams in Region 2?   "Benson County and Langdon Area will be tough teams in the Region for sure this season."   PGHD: Any lost thoughts on the season?   "We feel like we had a very good off-season this year and the girls have been working extremely hard to build off the success of last year. Hopefully, we can continually improve to be playing our best basketball of the year at tournament time."   BEST OF LUCK TO THE AGGIES!!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/prepGIRLShoopsdakotas.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1056252" /></figure>

Prep Girls Hoops Dakotas has two ND Class B Team Previews for basketball fans to read. Both squads are seriously talented and they have the potential to be elite. Take a look at the Lions and Aggies!