Four Winds/Minnewaukan boys’ basketball should be one of the most interesting teams to follow this season — mainly because it’s hard to know exactly what to expect from this year’s Indians team.
In the first year of the three-class system, FW/M was one of the better teams in Class A. Led by Deng Deng’s Mr. Basketball campaign, and his under-the-radar cousin Dalen Leftbear, the Indians were right alongside Kindred, Devils Lake and Grafton all season. They eventually took tough losses to Devils Lake and Grafton in the Region 2 tournament — the eventual state champion and third-place winner, respectively.
There was a sense of disappointment around the team and the community when they didn’t make it to state. But, as detailed in a Journal article at the time, Region 2 was easily the toughest region in Class A, and the Indians got the short end of a competitive stick.
And so the community rallied around Deng, who was crowned Mr. Basketball with a special ceremony in the Four Winds gym. He was presented with a large sign commemorating his achievement that will hang above all FW/M home basketball games this year.
So now it’s time to think about a post-Deng era, and where this team stands going forward. A longtime nemesis in Class B, it’ll be an adjustment for FW/M to compete in Class A without its superstar, who averaged nearly 30 points a game last year. The Indians were not ranked in the NDAPSSA preseason poll, though they did receive votes. Kids who played smaller roles on last year’s team are going to have to step up.
“Trying to replace not only [the seniors’] skill set, but also their leadership, will take awhile,” head coach Rick Smith wrote in this year’s Hoopster edition. “Multiple players will have to step up and take on new roles, such as scorers, leaders, rebounders, etc. We have many players that can do that, but they will have to dedicate themselves in the gym, weight room and in the classroom. Deng and Leftbear will be extremely tough to replace both on and off the court. We have players that are capable; they will just need to continue to learn how to play with each other and dedicate themselves to the game. Whoever can do this will be on the floor.”
The top returner is junior Marial Deng, Deng’s younger brother. He averaged seven points and 3.5 rebounds per game last season, and added 26 steals. A tall, lanky, athletic kid, he had occasional stretches of dominance when his brother wasn’t putting on a show. He had a solid football season this fall, too, helping Four Winds as a wide receiver to host a playoff game for the first time ever. He’s listed at 6-foot-5 on this year’s roster.
Now an upperclassman, Deng will slide into a bigger leadership role.
“He jumped into the starting lineup in January and never looked back,” Smith wrote. “He played very well in some big games for the Indians. His confidence grew throughout the year. He will be counted on heavily on both sides of the ball next year. Marial can easily be an all-region player.”
Two of the other top returners are seniors Dorvan and Ron McKay, who averaged 5.0 and 4.3 points per game last year, respectively. D. McKay was a transfer student last season and got a few starts. Smith wrote that he “has no fear on the court.” For the 6-foot-2 R. McKay, it was his first year on the varsity team, and he was praised by Smith for his passing and ball-handling skills.
“He shoots with either hand around the basket, which makes him tough to defend,” Smith wrote about R. McKay. “He needs to continue to improve his defense and strength, as he will have to guard bigger and stronger guys in Class A.”
The Indians also return junior Jonte Delorme, who scored three points per game last year and had 11 steals.
“A slick left-handed guard, Jonte can play both guard positions,” Smith wrote. “Jonte will be battling for a starting spot next year. He will have to stay away from nagging injuries and get stronger to guard the quick strong guards.”
FW/M will also look for contributions from seniors Greyson Delorme and Kashton Keja Jr. They averaged eight and six points per game, respectively, on the JV team last year. Keja Jr. was also the starting quarterback on the football team. Junior Richard Cavanaugh Jr. had six points per game on the JV team, while junior transfer Tyler Black Jr. had five points per game.
Smith also mentioned senior Keilan Longie, who was competing for a starting spot last year before his season got wiped out by a knee injury. He called Longie a great shooter who plays aggressive defense.
The squad has three sophomores: Joran Lohnes, Dayson Dubois and Lander Guy. It also has a pair of freshmen in Sylvester Alberts and Keyson Littlewind.
This team will likely have a lot of competition for spots, with few guaranteed roles and a deep and talented, if relatively inexperienced, roster.
The upcoming season will be all about growth and getting comfortable at the Class A level. The Indians are somewhat of a wild card; their performance is hard to predict given the new-look roster and short history of the three-class system.
