Preview of the ECI Spring Preview
It’s that time of year once again for the ECI Spring Preview and PHD gets you ready for the event with today’s look at the event.
Overview. The ECI Spring Preview is held in Fargo this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. The games will be held at Shanley High School, Davies High School, and South High School. There is events for teams at the 12U (6th graders) up through 17U (current 11th graders). A grand total of 52 teams in all will be at the event this weekend.
17u. The best part of this event is that the North Dakota Attack (8-6) and the ECI Prospects (6-8) are in the same pool. We will get to see two of the better teams in North Dakota face-off in pool play (10:10 am on Sunday) and the way that ECI scheduled it, every team plays four games (no more, no less) so this assures basketball fans that these two teams will play. Also in the pool along with the Attack and ECI is the West Central Wildcats Orange (1-6) team from Minnesota, and Earnest Elite Academy out of Minot which we know nothing about (although we do know they have girls teams). In the opposite pool is ECI Selects (13-5), West Central Elite (5-6), Comets Regional (5-6), and the mystery crew, the Plainzmen.
Who are the best prospects to watch? Here is a quick top 15 for the seniors:
- Joe Jahner of ECI Prospects/Bismarck
- Ben Bohl of North Dakota Attack/Bishop Ryan
- Maleeck Harden of ECI Prospects/Moorhead (MN)
- Dalton Albrecht of North Dakota Attack/Grafton Area
- Treyton Mattern of ECI Prospects/Bismarck Century
- Christian Kuntz of ECI Prospects/WF Sheyenne
- Isaac Undlin of ECi Prospects/Mohall
- Mason Walters of ECI Prospects/Jamestown
- Macauley Young of ECI Select/Shiloh Christian
- Tyson Powell of WC Wildcats/Ortonville (MN)
- Braeton Motschenbacher of ECI Selects/Fargo Davies
- Carter Cresap of WC Wildcats/Perham (MN)
- Noah Glad of WC Wildcats/Hawley (MN)
- Keaton Hoeg of ECI Prospects/Fargo North
- Jaret Johnson of WC Wildcats/Morris Area (MN)
16U. The 16u division has a dozen teams and half of them are the six 16u teams in North Dakota that are playing in consistent events this year. So far The Alliance (8-4) has had the most success, North Dakota Attack (7-5) has played well, Gordon DTA Gold (5-6) has been solid, the hosts ECI Prospects (3-9) and ECI Select (4-12) are ready for a big weekend, and Gordon DTA (2-9) is playing as well. What we have as a North Dakota State Tournament with all these teams competing. Want to say you are the best in North Dakota at 16U? Here is your chance to prove it.
So far this year the Alliance has defeated Gordon DTA Gold, North Dakota Attack has beaten ECI Select, and the Attack has also defeated Gordon DTA. There has been some North Dakota vs North Dakota battles this year but the ECI Spring Preview aka The North Dakota 16u State Tournament, will give us even more results to compare. ECI Prospects and Gordon DTA are in the same pool and Alliance and Gordon DTA Gold are in the same pool so they will play for the second time this year.
Of course there are six other teams playing although most of them appear to be high school teams: Greenwave likely from East Grand Forks, the Midwest Magic is playing, there is the Northland Ballers, Lake Country, the Grizzlies, and Comets Petermier. The Comets squad is 3-8 on the season.
15U. The 15u level is close to a full North Dakota State Tournament (no North Dakota Phenom) with all three ECI teams and the two North Dakota Attack squads. Who is the best ECI Team? Let’s find out. ECI Prospects (7-8), ECI Kretchman (8-8), and ECI Purintun (7-9) all have very similar records so hopefully we can get some ECI bragging rights out of the good competition. Attack Green (6-7) and Attack Blue (6-7) are right there in the .500 club as well.
The North Dakota teams have some Minnesota squads to find off though with Comets Thuok (13-9) heading up to play along with the second Comets Regional squad. West Central United Regional (4-10) will also compete in Fargo as will the West Central Wildcats, Earnest Basketball Academy, and Next Level.