North Dakota Preps

12 kids from the AA (18 teams)

6 kids from A (32 teams)
6 kids from B (74 teams)

So in a nutshell, likely 2/3's or 66% of the AA teams get a player
18% of A teams get a player
8% of B teams get a player

Laughable.

Like the 3 class plan, this was probably done to "benefit the small school".

Flying Wallenda wrote:12 kids from the AA (18 teams)

6 kids from A (32 teams)
6 kids from B (74 teams)

So in a nutshell, likely 2/3's or 66% of the AA teams get a player
18% of A teams get a player
8% of B teams get a player

Laughable.

Like the 3 class plan, this was probably done to "benefit the small school".

I thought the same thing when I saw the interview, what a joke!

Why not East vs West like the Shrine football? Not that they are everything and it is not an exact science, but if you use the Prep Hoops rankings for the Class of 2024, you take the top 6 ranked players from Class A, they met their allotment, meanwhile the players from Class B have not got their 6 players yet, if I looked at it correctly and this assumes they all want to play, you would bypass 5 higher ranked Class A players by time you get to your 6 players from Class B.
Take that with a grain of salt, the Prep Hoops rankings say they rank based off college potential, not necessarily how they are playing in high school. I am just using it to create a baseline.
Who was interviewed? I would love to hear how they come up with some of the ideas they have had lately

I thought it would play out this way. Nothing changed for the big schools. Can understand frustration from the smaller schools as Devil’s Lake, Turtle Mountain, Valley City, Wahpeton, and Watford City can now get the small school spots.

I guess I don't have an issue with it. The AA and B schools will have a few more kids on it than they would have in past years. The A schools will get squeezed a few kids.

What is the issue with the setup and what is the fix?

Flip wrote:I guess I don't have an issue with it. The AA and B schools will have a few more kids on it than they would have in past years. The A schools will get squeezed a few kids.

What is the issue with the setup and what is the fix?

Issue - 12 kids for 18 teams and 12 kids for 104 teams
Yes I realize the 12 kids for 18 teams are metro areas

Fix: Select the best 24 kids regardless of geographic location. I realize that isn't as easy as it sounds, and it could lead to more than 12 kids for the AA areas, I just look at this like all-state - don't have a preset number that need to be selected from each region or class. Have the coaches decide who the best 24 are and that's who plays. As far as teams, west vs. east sounds good.

Everyone be sure to send a hand-written thank you to Josh Johnson and all of the "Good Ol' Boys" that keep making these decisions. What a joke.

BasketballMind wrote:Everyone be sure to send a hand-written thank you to Josh Johnson and all of the "Good Ol' Boys" that keep making these decisions. What a joke.

Pretty sure the Lions games are independent from the NDHSAA.

Flying Wallenda wrote:

Flip wrote:I guess I don't have an issue with it. The AA and B schools will have a few more kids on it than they would have in past years. The A schools will get squeezed a few kids.

What is the issue with the setup and what is the fix?

Issue - 12 kids for 18 teams and 12 kids for 104 teams
Yes I realize the 12 kids for 18 teams are metro areas

Fix: Select the best 24 kids regardless of geographic location. I realize that isn't as easy as it sounds, and it could lead to more than 12 kids for the AA areas, I just look at this like all-state - don't have a preset number that need to be selected from each region or class. Have the coaches decide who the best 24 are and that's who plays. As far as teams, west vs. east sounds good.

If they did this, there might never be a kid from B selected again. My guess would be 1-2 per year.

packers21 wrote:

Flying Wallenda wrote:

Flip wrote:I guess I don't have an issue with it. The AA and B schools will have a few more kids on it than they would have in past years. The A schools will get squeezed a few kids.

What is the issue with the setup and what is the fix?

Issue - 12 kids for 18 teams and 12 kids for 104 teams
Yes I realize the 12 kids for 18 teams are metro areas

Fix: Select the best 24 kids regardless of geographic location. I realize that isn't as easy as it sounds, and it could lead to more than 12 kids for the AA areas, I just look at this like all-state - don't have a preset number that need to be selected from each region or class. Have the coaches decide who the best 24 are and that's who plays. As far as teams, west vs. east sounds good.

If they did this, there might never be a kid from B selected again. My guess would be 1-2 per year.

Why?

What is a better solution?

The appeal of the Lions game was that one team was big school kids and the other is small school kids. We don't have that any more with three classes. If you drop the AA players out and leave it as the "New Class A" vs the "New Class B" it waters down the game. The solution was voted out in Valley City last February.

ndlionsfan wrote:

BasketballMind wrote:Everyone be sure to send a hand-written thank you to Josh Johnson and all of the "Good Ol' Boys" that keep making these decisions. What a joke.

Pretty sure the Lions games are independent from the NDHSAA.

This is correct...has nothing to do with Mr. Johnson and the NDHSAA

WalkingStick wrote:

ndlionsfan wrote:

BasketballMind wrote:Everyone be sure to send a hand-written thank you to Josh Johnson and all of the "Good Ol' Boys" that keep making these decisions. What a joke.

Pretty sure the Lions games are independent from the NDHSAA.

This is correct...has nothing to do with Mr. Johnson and the NDHSAA

The reason for needing a new Lions game format has a little bit to do with Mr. Johnson and the NDHSAA.

BasketballMind wrote:

WalkingStick wrote:

ndlionsfan wrote:

BasketballMind wrote:Everyone be sure to send a hand-written thank you to Josh Johnson and all of the "Good Ol' Boys" that keep making these decisions. What a joke.

Pretty sure the Lions games are independent from the NDHSAA.

This is correct...has nothing to do with Mr. Johnson and the NDHSAA

The reason for needing a new Lions game format has a little bit to do with Mr. Johnson and the NDHSAA.

I actually thought the could do a AA v A, A v B, AA v B over 3 days...definitely would have been better than this new format...AA v B wouldn't be much of a game for either gender

BasketballMind wrote:

WalkingStick wrote:

ndlionsfan wrote:

BasketballMind wrote:Everyone be sure to send a hand-written thank you to Josh Johnson and all of the "Good Ol' Boys" that keep making these decisions. What a joke.

Pretty sure the Lions games are independent from the NDHSAA.

This is correct...has nothing to do with Mr. Johnson and the NDHSAA

The reason for needing a new Lions game format has a little bit to do with Mr. Johnson and the NDHSAA.

Yes, in a round about way. But I am still much happier with competitive balance for a season for all teams versus an all-star game in the summer. Plus, it's the first time the Lions is trying to tackle this change. I'm sure it will be adjusted over the next couple years.

On that note, I would rather see and East vs West game. 12 player rosters for each side and all players can be chosen from any division. If it must, put a rule in place each division must have at least two players represented. That way if any division is strong in any given year, 5-6 could be selected from it. Yes, most of the time that will be AA players but it wouldn't be guaranteed.

Flying Wallenda wrote:12 kids from the AA (18 teams)

6 kids from A (32 teams)
6 kids from B (74 teams)

So in a nutshell, likely 2/3's or 66% of the AA teams get a player
18% of A teams get a player
8% of B teams get a player

Laughable.

Like the 3 class plan, this was probably done to "benefit the small school".

The AA teams (Lions A) are really not affected other than having to select from a few less smaller schools. Most likely will not affect the team they field at all. The A and B teams (Lions B) will without a doubt field a stronger team with addition of the larger schools. One thing to remember, a lot of kids in B schools have to select between Shrine Football Game and Lion's Allstar Game. This affects the B team much more than the A team.

At the end of the day, the "B team" will be better than in the past and percentages will not be too far off from past rosters when many alternates played due to Shrine Football game, baseball, etc.

Lions Roster A/B

Deng Deng, Four Winds
Braylon Baldwin, Grafton
Boeden Duffield, Bowman County
Bishop Duffield, Bowman County
Dane Hagler, North Star
Max Musland, LLM
Tyson Wick, Hazen
Jacob Friesz, Flasher
Wylee Delorme, Devils Lake
Cole Holzer, Central Cass
Kai Thomas, Williston Trinity Christian
Atticus Wilkinson, Shiloh Christian

Coaches: Dustin Brodina, Anthony Lee

Alternates:

Jace Jochim, Linton-HMB
Carson Eggert, Valley City
Landon Moser, Northern Cass
Talan Devine, Cavalier
Braxton Iglehart, Garrison
Gunner Zerr, Turtle Mountain
Braylon Fisher, Des Lacs-Burlington
Jack Zimmer, Kenmare-Bowbells

Flying Wallenda wrote:12 kids from the AA (18 teams)

6 kids from A (32 teams)
6 kids from B (74 teams)

So in a nutshell, likely 2/3's or 66% of the AA teams get a player
18% of A teams get a player
8% of B teams get a player

Laughable.

Like the 3 class plan, this was probably done to "benefit the small school".

As of 2022, North Dakota had 116,639 students enrolled in a K-12 public school.
https://ballotpedia.org/Public_education_in_North_Dakota#:~:text=The%20North%20Dakota%20public%20school,schools%20in%20179%20school%20districts

Of them, 63,871 (55%) were enrolled in a AA public school district.
https://www.niche.com/k12/search/largest-school-districts/s/north-dakota/

The percentage will continue to rise.
In that way, it makes plenty of sense to give half the Lions All Star slots (one team) to the AA schools.

BasketballMind wrote:Lions Roster A/B

Deng Deng, Four Winds
Braylon Baldwin, Grafton
Boeden Duffield, Bowman County
Bishop Duffield, Bowman County
Dane Hagler, North Star
Max Musland, LLM
Tyson Wick, Hazen
Jacob Friesz, Flasher
Wylee Delorme, Devils Lake
Cole Holzer, Central Cass
Kai Thomas, Williston Trinity Christian
Atticus Wilkinson, Shiloh Christian

Coaches: Dustin Brodina, Anthony Lee

Alternates:

Jace Jochim, Linton-HMB
Carson Eggert, Valley City
Landon Moser, Northern Cass
Talan Devine, Cavalier
Braxton Iglehart, Garrison
Gunner Zerr, Turtle Mountain
Braylon Fisher, Des Lacs-Burlington
Jack Zimmer, Kenmare-Bowbells

Wow......