ECI 17U Selects Sorby: AAU Look Back

Today we are checking out a 2023 squad from ECI. The incoming seniors played hard all season and they proved to be a tough bunch of players. ECI 17U Selects has players from both Minnesota and North Dakota on the roster. All of these players will have the chance to be impact players back on their high school teams. Read below for detailed information on ECI 17U Selects.   Team Comments From Coach Karl Sorby   "This year it was tough to get team chemistry going, as we consistently had different guys missing tournaments for various reasons. The thing that I was most proud of was the toughness of the guys that played hard game in and game out, for each tournament despite the adversity. It will serve them so well as the move throughout life."   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/ECI-1.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/07/ECI-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1529994" width="320" height="200"/></a></figure>   ECI 17U Selects   Player comments from coach Sorby   [player_tooltip player_id='1326861' first='Kyler' last='Card'] |6'0 G| Park Christian      "Kyler developed his ability to attack closeouts, get into the paint, and distribute to his teammates. A highlight for him was being a playmaker for his teammates at the Great Plains Alliance Tournament."   [player_tooltip player_id='1169979' first='Gannon' last='Swanson'] |5'10 G| Bismarck   "Known for being a deep ball threat, but maybe his best attributes were his IQ and desire to win. Gannon successfully changed defensive philosophies from high pressure and denial to pack line throughout the AAU season and became a trusted defender. Gannon also really understood how this team was trying to play offensively as well, becoming a guy that we wanted out there as much as possible down the stretch."   [player_tooltip player_id='1139277' first='Aiden' last='Jacobson'] |6'0 G| Valley City   "The biggest thing that Aiden is known for is his competitiveness. Aiden has the ability to push himself as few can. Aiden is not afraid to mix it up with anyone, at any size, on defense, and on the glass. His IQ is very high and he consistently makes the right read on offense. Definitely, a guy we tried to have out there as much as we could."   [player_tooltip player_id='1400953' first='Dean' last='Grant'] |6'4 SF| Fargo South          "Dean could arguably have the highest ceiling of anyone on this team. His ability to shoot the ball at a high level, combined with his length gives him the ability to be a 3-level scorer at times. Defensively, he has the flexibility to guard both wings and forwards. He is able to rebound all areas effectively."   [player_tooltip player_id='1167890' first='Malaki' last='Sik'] |6'3 G| Williston   "Malaki could also arguably have the highest ceiling on this team. Malaki has a scoring mentality and has the ability to put the team on his back offensively when he's hot. Defensively he is able to guard multiple positions and is also an effective rebounder on the defensive end."   Rylan Larson |6'0 G| Moorhead    "Rylan is a very strong guard who has the ability to get into the paint at a high level. Rylan has the ability to be a playmaker for both himself and for his teammates. Defensively, his strength allows him to guard much bigger defenders."   [player_tooltip player_id='1530371' first='Devon' last='Church'] |6'1 G| Mandan   "Devon's biggest strength is his coach-ability. Devon always will do his best to execute the game plan every time he's out there. Also, he consistently tries to improve himself and is very inquisitive."   [player_tooltip player_id='1138746' first='Jay' last='Wanzek'] |6'6 PF| Shiloh Christian   "Jay does a lot of damage in the post! His size and strength make him a handful for opposing big men to defend, and he often faces double teams as a result. Jay is also a shot-altering presence around the rim, and collects rebounds on both sides of the court."   [player_tooltip player_id='1184662' first='Brady' last='Norenberg'] |6'9 C| Garrison   "Brady has come a long way in his first year of AAU basketball. He went from being generally behind while on the floor to making an impact in the post, being an effective pick-and-roll big man, altering shots at the rim, and rebounding effectively."   [player_tooltip player_id='1510858' first='Gabe' last='Allmaras'] |6'4 F| Harvey-Wells County   "Gabe was a jack-of-all-trades for this team during the season. Gabe played everything from the wing through center. Gabe has the potential to be an excellent all-around player who one day could score on all three levels, and defend positions 1-5. Gabe has a high motor, and is very tough to keep off the boards."   Q & A with coach Karl Sorby   PHD: Who were a few of your hardest workers?   Coach Sorby: "Our two hardest workers were [player_tooltip player_id='1139277' first='Aiden' last='Jacobson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1510858' first='Gabe' last='Allmaras']. Aiden has such a high level of competitiveness to him that he tries to do everything he can do in order to win. He always kept the ball in front of him, was unafraid to mix it up with anyone on the perimeter or in the post, and never let a free basket go. Gabe has a non-stop motor on both ends of the floor. He gives his all every time he's on the floor and is nearly impossible to keep him off the glass."   PHD: Can you talk about a few of your best defenders?   Coach Sorby: "[player_tooltip player_id='1326861' first='Kyler' last='Card'] had a great tournament in St. Cloud, successfully taking defensive assignments of opposing players who were hurting us to shut them down for the rest of the game. [player_tooltip player_id='1530371' first='Devon' last='Church'] will do what he is asked to do. Gannon really came on during the last few tournaments being a very quality defender."   PHD: Who was your best rebounder?   Coach Sorby: "[player_tooltip player_id='1510858' first='Gabe' last='Allmaras'] was such a good offensive rebounder for us. His ability to get us 2nd chances was very valuable in games. [player_tooltip player_id='1138746' first='Jay' last='Wanzek'] was a vacuum on the defensive end, seemingly scooping up all the rebounds when he was in."   PHD: Can you talk about your best shooter and what makes them so effective?   Coach Sorby: "[player_tooltip player_id='1169979' first='Gannon' last='Swanson'], [player_tooltip player_id='1400953' first='Dean' last='Grant'], and [player_tooltip player_id='1167890' first='Malaki' last='Sik'] all had the ability to get going shooting the ball from deep. Whenever we got going shooting the ball, it really gave us a lot of momentum."

Today we are checking out a 2023 squad from ECI. The incoming seniors played hard all season and they proved to be a tough bunch of players. ECI 17U Selects has players from both Minnesota and North Dakota on the roster. All of these players will have the chance to be impact players back on their high school teams. Read below for detailed information on ECI 17U Selects.