ECI 17U Selects: Overview
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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…
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Continue ReadingWe 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.
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
Zach Hendrickson Zach Hendrickson 6'0" | PG Our Redeemer's | 2022 State ND (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.
Kaleb Larson Kaleb Larson 6'3" | SG West Fargo Sheyenne | 2022 State ND (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.
John Jenkins John Jenkins 6'5" | SF Moorhead | 2022 MN (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.
Connor Trahan Connor Trahan 6'5" | SG Bismarck Century | 2022 State ND (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.
Keauno Newton Keauno Newton 6'3" | SF Devils Lake | 2022 State ND (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!
Jalen May Jalen May 6'3" | SF Fargo North | 2022 State ND (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.
Alijah Dixson Alijah Dixson 5'11" | PG Enderlin | 2022 State ND (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: Connor Trahan Connor Trahan 6'5" | SG Bismarck Century | 2022 State ND & John Jenkins John Jenkins 6'5" | SF Moorhead | 2022 MN
Rim Attacker: Mason Hills & Jalen May Jalen May 6'3" | SF Fargo North | 2022 State ND
Long-Range Bomber: Kaleb Larson Kaleb Larson 6'3" | SG West Fargo Sheyenne | 2022 State ND & Zach Hendrickson Zach Hendrickson 6'0" | PG Our Redeemer's | 2022 State ND
Defensive stopper: Connor Trahan Connor Trahan 6'5" | SG Bismarck Century | 2022 State ND & Kaleb Larson Kaleb Larson 6'3" | SG West Fargo Sheyenne | 2022 State ND
Pressure Cooker (Best Pressure Defender): John Jenkins John Jenkins 6'5" | SF Moorhead | 2022 MN and Alijah Dixson Alijah Dixson 5'11" | PG Enderlin | 2022 State ND
Most Improved: Keauno Newton Keauno Newton 6'3" | SF Devils Lake | 2022 State ND
Hardest Worker: Karsten Stumo
Best Rim Protector: Keauno Newton Keauno Newton 6'3" | SF Devils Lake | 2022 State ND