After making it to the state tournament last season, the Dickinson Boys Basketball team were about to suit up to play their fifth place game when a national emergency was declared due to the coronavirus pandemic — which in turn canceled the tournament. With only two returning starters coming into the ‘20-21 season, the Dickinson Boys Basketball team is looking fairly young this season yet they are willing to put in the extra mile for a successful season and return to that tournament court.
In its first game of the season, the Midgets earned a 93-37 landslide victory on Dec. 15 against Watford City but followed it with an upset loss to Minot on Dec. 19 with a 90-80 score, Head Coach Dan Glasser noted that his team has some setbacks they need to work on moving forward.
“We’re just trying to get experience right now. We played that first game against Watford and after the game and looking at our shooting percentage, I started looking at the kids and realized just how much time they haven’t spent on the court for varsity minutes,” Glasser said. “It’s new for them and it’s a tough adjustment… Not only are they new to the varsity style of play but they’re just trying to get their feet wet right now. I can definitely see that in the first game that we played this year.”
The team ended last season with a 16-12 overall record, 12-8 in the conference. The Midgets will have to adapt after losing a key senior class and its top three players including guards Kobe Krenz, Jaiden Wright and center Tallon Klatt. The only starters returning are Jayden Hocker and Kyle Brilz. Glasser also remarked how Britton Cranston, who is a junior that transferred from Watford City, will add work ethic and determination to this season’s roster as he has been a two-year starter for his previous team.
“We have the talent and ability and I just think it’s a matter of getting the experience. We got good kids, we got good people and we got some pretty good basketball players. They want to be successful and they want good things to happen for this program, and I can really tell that they’re willing to put in the work,” he said. “So it’s a great combination; it’s just a matter of getting on the court and getting minutes on the varsity level.”
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As far as goals, Glasser said getting back into the state tournament is always the end goal. But he’s also eager to see how his new team will work together to get there.
“(I’m looking forward to) actually watching these guys grow. There’s a lot of talent there and there’s a lot of good basketball players. They’re eager and willing to put in the work and now it’s just a matter of helping them, correcting them, having patience with them,” he said, with a laugh, “as they learn throughout the process and just being able to watch them grow into basketball players that they want to be.”
The team will suit up Dec. 22 for its home match against Bismarck Legacy High School; and return to go head and head with Williston at 3 p.m. Jan. 2 at Williston High School.
