ECI 17U Selects: Overview

We have a talented and athletic group of incoming seniors here! The majority of the team is from North Dakota, but they have three players from Moorhead, MN. These guys played well this summer and improved as basketball players. Look for the ECI players to have a big senior season with their high school teams. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/ECI-crop-658x432-1617414285.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1161479" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/ECI-crop-658x432-1617414285-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Comments from Coach Karl Sorby: I really enjoyed coaching this group. The guys were hungry to prove that they were one of the top teams across the Dakotas, and they certainly proved that. We ended the season with 20 wins, a tournament championship at the Great Plains Alliance Tournament in St. Cloud, and a memorable trip to Atlanta. What I will remember most about this group was that we seemed to enjoy comeback victories and overtime games. It became a joke amongst the team that when we would be down 10+ points in a game that “we got them right where we want them!” I want to say thank you to the players, parents, and Coach Moormann for allowing me to coach this group this season. Roster <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1260630" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/zh-crop-3024x1986-1628258473-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="1046357" first="Zach" last="Hendrickson"] (2022) |5-11 G| Our Redeemer’s Zach’s biggest improvement over the AAU season was his adjustment to the speed of the game. Once he became more comfortable with the AAU game, we saw Zach be the playmaker we knew he was. His 3pt shooting and deep range make him a tough cover for opposing teams. I appreciated his willingness to get around and front opposing big men when he got switched onto them defensively. Mason Hills (2022) |5-10 G| Moorhead I have coached Mason over the past two summers, and I have enjoyed watching his development over that time. Mason was one of our most crafty scorers this season, especially around the rim. It was so fun to watch when he had it going, we just knew he would find a way to get a bucket. Mason has an absolute desire to be on the court at all times, and I always appreciated that about him. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/kaleblarson-crop-1125x739-1625974675.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1234396" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/kaleblarson-crop-1125x739-1625974675-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1133064" first="Kaleb" last="Larson"] (2022) |6-2 G| W.F. Sheyenne Kaleb was the best surprise for our team this year in my opinion. I knew going into tryouts that Kaleb was a terrific shooter and had deep range. What I did not know was how special of a defender, rebounder, and competitor Kaleb had become over the last high school season! Kaleb was a tremendous “3 and D” wing for us this season. He was a guy that was tough to take off the floor. In our last couple of tournaments, I noticed Kaleb has been working on getting into the paint and finishing around the rim, and I look forward to seeing him continue to improve in that area. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/john-jenkins-moorhead-2022.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1063558" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/john-jenkins-moorhead-2022-300x188.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="188" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1139205" first="John" last="Jenkins"] (2022) |6-5 F| Moorhead It was very special to watch John evolve into a tremendous 2 way player for us! Over the course of the season, John improved his ability to get to and finish at the rim. Where I enjoyed seeing his progress most was on the defensive end. John discovered an aggressiveness defensively both on and off the ball that made our team better, and he rebounded well for us on both ends. John was an invaluable part of this team. Karsten Stumo (2022) |6-1 G| Moorhead Karsten is a guy that coaches love to have on their team. He plays as hard as he can every time he is out there. Karsten is going to give the team everything he has. He is coachable and will try to implement what he is taught. Karsten had struggled to shoot the ball well early on in the season, and after implementing an adjustment with his shot, he hit some big shots for us, which I was so happy to see for him. [player_tooltip player_id="812232" first="Connor" last="Trahan"] (2022) |6-5 G| Bismarck Century Connor did so many good things for our team this season that it’s hard to include it all. He guarded the opposing team’s best scorer, did not matter what position they played, and he usually shut them down. Connor rebounds very well on both ends of the floor. He shoots the 3 well. He is a fiery competitor who plays with a chip on his shoulder. Where I saw the best improvement from him was going from more of a role guy with his high school team to being a “go-to” guy for us. Specifically, his ability to create a scoring opportunity for himself in the paint was a big area of improvement for him this season. [player_tooltip player_id="812236" first="Keauno" last="Newton"] (2022) |6-3 F| Devils Lake Keauno’s game probably improved the most over the course of this AAU season. His athleticism made him an excellent rim protector, on and off-ball defender, and rebounder for us. I saw tremendous improvement in his ability to play in a motion offense, ability to get into the paint off the dribble and finish at the rim. Keauno has a ton of yet untapped basketball potential, I am very excited to see his improvement over the coming year! <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1260729" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/may-crop-3024x1986-1628268815-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> [player_tooltip player_id="1046363" first="Jalen" last="May"] (2022) |6-3 F| Fargo North I have had the opportunity to coach Jalen over the past two AAU seasons. I saw a lot more comfort from him this season, and I think that led to him being one of our best scorers this year. Jalen has a tremendous ability to get to the paint and finish at the rim and has an understanding of when to use quickness and when to use his strength. I thought Jalen had a big-time chip on his shoulder this season, and I enjoyed watching him be able to shut down opposing players that were much larger than him. Jalen is sitting on a very good season this year at North. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/dixsonA-crop-3024x1986-1621742274.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1200275" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/dixsonA-crop-3024x1986-1621742274-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1129974" first="Alijah" last="Dixson"] (2022) |5-11 G| Enderlin As far as potential ability goes, Alijah may have the most within our team this year. Alijah has superior quickness and leaping ability than most, can shoot the 3, and get into the paint at will. I enjoyed watching Alijah become more and more comfortable with the speed of the AAU game, and be able to make plays more frequently for us as the season went on. I am very excited to follow Alijah’s development over the year! Schedule MN Comets Shootout (St. Cloud, MN) April 17 & 18 Sanford Spring Jam (Sioux Falls, SD) April 24-25 Sandford Pentagon Tournament Series #1 (Elkhorn, NE) May 1-2 Sandford Pentagon Tournament Series #2 (Minneapolis, MN) May 15-16 ECI Spring Preview (Moorhead, MN) May 22-23 Great Plains Comet Alliance (St. Cloud, MN) June 24-26 Best Of The South HOOPSEEN (Atlanta, GA) July 8-11 Pentagon Summer Classic (Sioux Falls, SD) July 16-18 Recognitions Best Rebounder: [player_tooltip player_id="812232" first="Connor" last="Trahan"] & [player_tooltip player_id="1139205" first="John" last="Jenkins"] Rim Attacker: Mason Hills & [player_tooltip player_id="1046363" first="Jalen" last="May"] Long-Range Bomber: [player_tooltip player_id="1133064" first="Kaleb" last="Larson"] & [player_tooltip player_id="1046357" first="Zach" last="Hendrickson"] Defensive stopper: [player_tooltip player_id="812232" first="Connor" last="Trahan"] & [player_tooltip player_id="1133064" first="Kaleb" last="Larson"] Pressure Cooker (Best Pressure Defender): [player_tooltip player_id="1139205" first="John" last="Jenkins"] and [player_tooltip player_id="1129974" first="Alijah" last="Dixson"] Most Improved: [player_tooltip player_id="812236" first="Keauno" last="Newton"] Hardest Worker: Karsten Stumo Best Rim Protector: [player_tooltip player_id="812236" first="Keauno" last="Newton"]