Brandt, Duppong together for last time

• Casey Duppong

Press Photo by Dustin Monke Beulah guard Casey Duppong handles the ball against North Star on Dec. 22. Duppong and his high school head coach, Jeremy Brandt, are together for two more games as part of the Class B Lions All-Star boys basketball team.

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Lions All-Star

Basketball Series

Today (all times CDT)

At Bismarck Civic Center

Class A Girls vs. Class B Girls, 6 p.m.

Class A Boys vs. Class B Boys, 8 p.m.

Wednesday

At Fargo Civic Auditorium

Class A Girls vs. Class B Girls, 6 p.m.

Class A Boys vs. Class B Boys, 8 p.m.

Jeremy Brandt coached Beulah past three undefeated teams to claim the 2012 Class B boys basketball state championship.

As a little reward, Brandt received the nod to coach the Class B Lions All-Star boys team against the Class A Lions All-Star team tonight at the Bismarck Civic Center and Wednesday at the Fargo Civic Auditorium.

“It’s fun to get back on the court and do a little coaching again,” Brandt said. “Especially when you get to coach the best of the seniors from this past year, it’s fun to get to know some of these kids.”

Brandt has two players that he’s familiar with — Beulah’s Casey Duppong and Mott-Regent’s Chad Mosbrucker.

Duppong, who averaged 14.7 points in Region 7 last year and was named District 14 Senior Athlete of the Year, helped Brandt win a state title. The soon-to-be freshman at Bismarck State College said it’s great to be selected to play in the series, but it’s even better playing for Brandt one last time.

“All plays and drills that we do, I’m really familiar with, so I’m able to help other people out if they are lost,” Duppong said. “It’s great to have a last chance to go out with coach Brandt.”

Mosbrucker, who averaged 16.8 points for the Wildfire last season and is set to play football for Dickinson State University in the fall, isn’t as familiar with Brandt. Nonetheless, he’s excited to play for a state champion head coach.

“He’s a really good coach,” Mosbrucker said. “I know him since he’s in our region and I’ve enjoyed having him this week of practice.”

This isn’t Brandt’s first go-around with the Lions All-Star games. In 1989, he was selected as a player and then in 2005 he was the Class B team’s assistant coach.

“It’s an honor to have the opportunity,” Brandt said. “That means, number one, you had a good season.”

Brandt said he isn’t going to implement too many new concepts, adding playing time will be the biggest difference for the players.

“I think the hardest thing with our kids is that they are used to playing most or the full game,” Brandt said. “It’s going to a little bit different situation, because each kid is required to get so many minutes. So these kids are probably going to be playing in three-, four-, five-minute spurts. That’s probably going to be the biggest adjustment for all these kids.”

Duppong, who hasn’t decided if he’s going to play any sports at BSC, said playing with the state’s best Class B players has already been a great experience through the six practices.

“It’s an incredible experience just to see the level that’s out there,” he said. “Just to be part of it is amazing, but you really get a chance to see how good the players in the state are.”

This two-game all-star series is Mosbrucker’s final chance to step onto the court before focusing on football for the next four years.

“It’s been really fun,” Mosbrucker said. “It’s good for me to get out there and play tougher competition before I go off to play football at college.

“Playing with 11 other guys that are the best players in Class B has been a lot of fun, it’s been a good experience for me because I haven’t really faced this many guys that have this kind of talent level in basketball.”

Tags: beulah miners, casey duppong, jeremy brandt, chad mosbrucker, mott-regent wildfire, high school basketball, lions all-star basketball, sports, basketball, preps