demonfan74 wrote:I don't think it would be a game at all. Mandan is a team that you have to play more than once a year to learn from your mistakes. They come out of the gates at full force and cause so many turnovers. There would be a timeout called by the shanley coach in the first 45 seconds of the game just to settle his players down. If that matchup happens, Shanley will get blown out of the water.
I agree, You can't simulate how Mandan attacks you in practice, you might think you are ready for them and WOW what a difference when you actually play them, this is a huge advantage for BHS and Century, because they will have played Mandan two or three times before State and they know how to play against them. Look at last year, South beats Century in the semi's a team they played at Christmas then gets blown out vs Mandan in the Championship...Century would have given Mandan a much better game because of their previous experiences vs Mandan.
Coach J did a good job with them, but they wouldn't have been nearly the team they were without Schuler. They'll still do fine this year, but the east is a bad league again. south is good, maybe shanley, maybe red river, and maybe devils lake if privratsky scores 40 a game. shanley's posts are as good as anyones in the east, but they need someone to run the show - a good point guard is essential to have success against good teams - (i.e. at state tourney time) and i just don't think shanley has a proven point guard - i still think by the end of the year, their freshman pg will be their starter (if not sooner)
