After taking down the South Prairie-Max Royals in a regional tournament qualifier last year, the Our Redeemer’s Knights fell to the Rugby Panthers in the quarterfinals of the Region 6 Tournament and are focused on development this season.

Part of the equation for development and success on and off the court comes at the hands of a new head coach in Hart Andes, who will take over at the helm of the Knights this year.

“I’m super excited for the opportunity. We have a good group of girls and great senior leadership. Coming into the position has definitely been new for me, but getting to know the girls has been awesome,” Andes tells The Minot Daily News.

With a new season on the horizon, the goal for Andes and the Knights is to focus on the development of the players, helping them become great young ladies not only on the court, but off the court as well.

“I think sports can do that, creating a team bond almost helps you prepare for the real world outside of school and the court. I’m really excited to see how they develop from the beginning of the year to the end of the year and seeing them reach their goals,” he said.

On the court, Andes expects Maya Vibeto to make a big impact. In addition to Vibeto, Leah Conway and Mikayla Altringer, as well as freshman Kayden Braun, are younger players expected to make impactful contributions as well.

With a talented young roster that the Knights squad currently has, Andes isn’t just excited for this year, but is excited for the future of the program, too.

“We have some really good girls coming up through junior high. The potential for the Our Redeemer’s girls’ basketball program is going to be very big, especially if we can stay dedicated with these girls.”

Andes would add, “these up-and-coming girls have great senior leadership, allowing them to see how things are done right away and they can develop into their fullest potential.”

The foundation of the Knights team is expected to be built through defense, and Andes believes that their offensive game will develop and be created from their defense. With the group he has, he believes the team will be able to play into that easily.

In addition to development and defense, Andes believes that the key to success for the Knights will be a result of the leadership skills gained in the offseason and the relationship the players already have with each other.

“I know a lot of the girls play volleyball with each other and that relationship is there. I really think that’s going to be our key to success, paired with our ability to play defense and come together as a team to execute the gameplan,” he said.

The Knights will hit the court for the first time starting with the Nedrose tournament which begins on Dec. 5. Following the tournament, they will have a road game at TGU before hosting Nedrose for their first home game on Dec. 15.

All in all, Andes believes with the talent he has, 2022-23 will be an exciting season for the Knights. “We’ve got a good group of core girls and enough supporting links to make it a big year.”