Bears Tail Basketball 16U: AAU Spotlight

<p>First of all, check out this team’s schedule, wow! They will be putting on many miles this spring/summer over the road and through the sky all across the country! They will also be hitting up 5 Prep Hoops events and we are very excited to see them play live.</p> <p>The Bears Tail Basketball 16U team will be a hardnosed defensive up-in-your-face, deny the ball type of team. On offense, they will run multiple different sets depending on what the defense is giving them. However, their first option will always be to play fast and look to score in transition. This is a nice squad with size, athletes, and skilled players. Be on the lookout for Bears Tails Basketball!</p> <h4><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Bears Tail 16U Roster</strong></span></h4> <p><strong>Cedric Taylor (2024) |6-2 G| West Fargo </strong></p> <p>He is a tremendous athlete who can jump out of the gym. Taylor is very capable of getting to the rim anytime he wants to. Once he gets out in the open floor he is going to be a force to stop. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1167962" first="Jaylen" last="Martinez"] (2024) |5-10 G| Minot</strong></p> <p>He is fresh off of winning a Class A State Title this year for Minot. Martinez was a key role player for Minot’s Championship run. Jaylin is going to be the floor general for this team. He will lead the Bears Tail squad into their offensive sets and get them up and down the floor. Martinez is a very talented ball-handler who is very shifty and quick. He is going to be a great on-ball defender for Bears Tail.</p> <p><strong>Atticus Willkinson (2024) |6-5 PF| Shiloh Christian</strong></p> <p>He is a big powerhouse! Willkinson is very strong on the block and he can knock down 15 footers all day if you leave him. He is an athletic kid who is going to defend against opposing BIGs and work hard on the boards. Atticus is a BIG with the potential to be a scary player in the near future. </p> <p><strong>Josh Pease (2024) |6-4 F| West Fargo</strong></p> <p>He is a 6’4 long and lengthy stretch post. Pease is going to be great at playing baseline to baseline. He is able to consistently knock down three-point shots and 15 footers. This kid has basketball in his blood and he will be a playmaker. The game comes easy to Josh.</p> <p><strong>Carter Seifert (2024) |6-1 G| Shiloh Christian</strong></p> <p>He is a kid who does all the little things that you don’t see in the stat book. Seifert is going to be the best defender for the Bears Tail team. Carter will bring the maximum effort to every single game. He is a player who will do whatever you ask of him to do on the floor. If they need him to bring up the ball he’ll bring it up, if they need him to go to the post he’ll go to the post. Seifert is one of the best all-around players for this squad.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1168187" first="Andrew" last="Jablonski"] (2024) |6-4 F| Bismarck Legacy</strong></p> <p>He is a 6’4 stretch wing. Bears Tail is going to run a lot of high pick-n-roll with him. Jablonski is able to knock down three-pointers just as much as he can roll to the basket. He finishes well after contact. On defense, his length will help with interior defense. Andrew is athletic enough to guard in the paint and on the wing. His versatility is a huge asset. </p> <p><strong>James Melberg (2024) |5-11 G| Shiloh Christian</strong></p> <p>He will be another one of the floor generals for this group. Melberg is going to help control and set up a lot of the Bears Tail offense. James is great with a triple threat move and he connects nicely with 15-foot jumpers. When Melberg is at wheel, he is going to be a fun player to watch. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1161524" first="Daniel" last="Yorke"] (2024) |6-0 G| Fargo Davies</strong></p> <p>He is an explosive guard that will be playing a lot of 2-guard for this team. Yorke excels at getting to the rim with his impressive athleticism. Daniel is very shifty and he will bring a lot of energy to this team. Yorke is also capable of knocking down jump shots. Dan is dynamic in the open court and he scores quickly in transition. Yorke is a high flyer that can play above the rim. When he gets a breakaway, lookout, it’s going to be SHOWTIME! He is a very exciting player to watch and I expect him to be one of the leaders on this impressive team. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1161538" first="Dalton" last="Lamp"] (2024) |6-1 SG| Jamestown</strong></p> <p>He is a pure shooter and a natural scorer. I like his confidence. If you give him an inch, Lamp will drill the jumper in your face. He has smooth ball skills and he is a better athlete than people give him credit for. Dalton is very smart when coming off ball screens. He understands timing, spacing, and positioning very well. Lamp can also create his own shot. If this team needs a bucket, Dalton might be the guy to take the shot. He will also be a leader for this Bears Tail team.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1401336" first="Erick" last="Paye"] (2024) |6-5 PF| Grand Forks Central</strong></p> <p>This kid is a physical beast. He stuck out this year in the EDC as a player that will not back down against bigger and older players. I am expecting huge things for Paye this AAU season. In many games, Erick will look like a man amongst boys. He is a dominant post that is very strong and he can jump out of the gym. His post presence on defense is going to be very good as he is going to alter a lot of shots. Paye will shine on the block, high post, and short corner. He can post up with his back to the basket and he can also score off the bounce. Erick will score many points off O-board putbacks. When teams forget to block out, look out! Paye is a great all-around player. </p> <h4><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Q &amp; A with coach <em>Dee Jay Two Bears</em></strong></span></h4> <p><strong>PHD: Who are a couple of your up-and-coming players?</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Coach Two Bears</span>: "<em>We really don’t have any upcoming players as we have a very talented group from top to bottom. Any one of these players is capable of being a starter and they will play their role very well.</em>"</p> <p><strong>PHD: Who will be some of your best interior players and why?</strong></p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Coach Two Bears</span>: "<em>Our interior players will be <strong>Atticus Willkinson</strong> who is 6’5 and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1401336" first="Erick" last="Paye"]</strong> Who is also 6’5.</em>"</p> <p>"<em>Atticus and Eric are very versatile players they can play anywhere from the three-point line to the block. We are going to play a lot of high post offensive this year, we like to keep the lanes open and the floor spread.</em>"</p> <p>"<em>We also have two 6’4 kids, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1168187" first="Andrew" last="Jablonski"]</strong> and <strong>Josh Pease</strong>. They are the stretch 4’s for the team. They will play a lot of our baseline sets from three-point line to three-point line. They are very long and lanky. Both are very capable of knocking down three-point shots and at the same time isolating at the post if need be.</em>"</p> <p><strong>PHD: Who will be a few of your top shooters?</strong></p> <p>"<em>[player_tooltip player_id="1161538" first="Dalton" last="Lamp"] will be one of our main shooters this year but all of our guards are capable of knocking down three-point shots. If we were to have to run a three-point set for a shooter Dalton would be our guy.</em>"</p> <h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Impressive Schedule</strong></span></h4> <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 210px;"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>DATES</strong></span></td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>EVENT</strong></span></td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>LOCATION</strong></span></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">April 30-May 1</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">MN Heat Meg Vang </td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Minneapolis, MN</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">May 6-8</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Prep Hoops-Battle at the Lakes</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Minneapolis, MN</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">May 13-15</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">The Circuit</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Shakopee, MN</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">June 3-5</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Prep Hoops-NHR State Tournament</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Minneapolis, MN</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">July 1-3</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Prep Hoops-The Finale</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Oklahoma City, OK</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">July 7-10</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Prep Hoops-2K22</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Atlanta, GA</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">July 16-17</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Prep Hoops-Hustle Region Finals</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Los Angeles, CA</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">July 23-24</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Pentagon Summer Classic</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Sioux Falls, SD</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">July 27-31</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Las Vegas Classic</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Las Vegas, NV</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Bears-Tail-Basketball-Logo-2-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone wp-image-1423735" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/04/Bears-Tail-Basketball-Logo-2-2-300x193.jpg" alt="" width="236" height="152" /></a></p>