ECI 14U WEST Nissley: Team Deep Dive
In this article:
This ECI team had a really nice season with a very talented bunch of guys! They did plenty of winning this spring/summer, Nissley’s team finished with a 17-7 record! I am excited to see where they all take their talent…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThis ECI team had a really nice season with a very talented bunch of guys! They did plenty of winning this spring/summer, Nissley’s team finished with a 17-7 record!
I am excited to see where they all take their talent level over the school months! There is a ton upside with this group!
At the 14U level, there is still uncertainty on how tall each guy will get, but this group of players is very intriguing. In the next month, the 2026 Prospect Rankings will come out and all of these players will be in the rankings.
In this article you will see ECI 14U Nissley team results, player comments, and Q & A with coach Nissley.
RESULTS
Information from coach Nissley
April 2-3 – Comets Shootout – St. Cloud – “Went 3-1 playing really well for the first tourney. Was happy with the weekend for the start of the season.“
April 30-May 1 – MN Heat Meg Vang – Minneapolis – “We played some of our best basketball of the season going 3-1 in a very good tourney.“
May 14-15 – ECI Spring Showcase – St. Cloud – “3-1 and a Tournament Championship, we really put together a solid weekend. For sure one of our best overall weekends of the season.“
May 21-22 – ECI Spring Preview – Moorhead – “Went 3-1 again in this one but stumbled a little bit, felt like we could have played better and more consistent“
June 29-30 -Great Plains Alliance – St. Cloud – “Went 2-2 here with two really good battles against a physical 15U team & a top regional team from SD. Had chances in both.“
July 15-17 – Dakota Challenge – Sioux Falls – “Went 3-1 to finish the year but not the way we’d hoped. Played a poor 1st half against a really anticipated game with our 14U East team who is very well coached and super talented!!”
14U ECI – ROSTER
Comments from coach Nissley
Garrett Nissley Garrett Nissley 6'3" | CG Bismarck Century | 2026 State ND |6’0” G| Bismarck Century
“Highly skilled athletic guard. Really developing as a scorer, and sees the floor exceptionally!”
Braylon Aldinger Braylon Aldinger 6'4" | SG Bismarck Century | 2026 State ND |6’1 F| Bismarck Century
“Long athletic versatile player that’s getting better every time out! Makes a lot happen on the floor!!”
Chris Benning Chris Benning 5'10" | SG St. Mary's | 2026 State ND |5’8” SG| Bismarck St Mary’s
“Very skilled shooter that is a bucket waiting to happen. Can attack from anywhere against any matchup.”
Zavion Harildstad Zavion Harildstad 6'3" | PF Bismarck Century | 2026 State ND |6’1” F| Bismarck Century
“Tremendous energy and physicality, really elevated his game both on the perimeter and in the paint this season.“
Brody Weigel Brody Weigel 6'0" | SG Bismarck Legacy | 2026 State ND |6’0” F| Bismarck Legacy
“Super athletic high energy player that is an excellent rebounder as well as a top defender.”
Joey Kraljic Joey Kraljic 6'3" | SF Bismarck Century | 2026 State ND |5’11 F| Bismarck Century
“Tough gritty player that is very versatile defensively, a much-improved perimeter shooter that makes great decisions.”
Carter Evanson Carter Evanson 6'2" | SG Horace | 2026 State ND |5’8” G| Horace
“Extremely talented player that is capable of changing the game at any moment. Makes athletic plays and shoots it really well.“
Grant Bieber Grant Bieber 6'2" | SG Bismarck | 2026 State ND |6’0” G| Bismarck
“Athletic scorer that is explosive on the offensive end. Good shooter with excellent attack capabilities.”
Jack Dieterle Jack Dieterle 6'7" | C Valley City | 2026 State ND |6’5” PF| Valley City
“Really strong physical player, much-improved rebounder that is getting better all the time playing downhill, finished through contact consistently this season.”
Q & A with coach Nissley
PHD: What is your best memory from this AAU season?
Coach Nissley: “Winning ECI Spring Showdown Tourney in St. Cloud. We were playing really well at this point.”
PHD: Who were a few of your hardest workers?
Coach Nissley: “ Zavion Harildstad Zavion Harildstad 6'3" | PF Bismarck Century | 2026 State ND & Brody Weigel Brody Weigel 6'0" | SG Bismarck Legacy | 2026 State ND played extremely hard at both ends of the floor consistently every tourney! Loose balls, rebounding, defending, It was very noticeable & impactful, the effort they give!!”
PHD: Can you talk about a few of your best defenders?
Coach Nissley: “ Braylon Aldinger Braylon Aldinger 6'4" | SG Bismarck Century | 2026 State ND & Joey Kraljic Joey Kraljic 6'3" | SF Bismarck Century | 2026 State ND took ownership in their defensive assignments every game out! Watching them buy-in and give that level of effort on the defensive end of the floor was fun to watch!!”
PHD: Who was your best rebounder and why?
Coach Nissley: “BIG Jack Dieterle Jack Dieterle 6'7" | C Valley City | 2026 State ND was a force in the paint this year! Has such a huge presence in the lane. Completely changed the game many times with his length and strength from a rebounding standpoint!”
PHD: Can you talk about your best shooter and what makes them so effective?
Coach Nissley: “ Chris Benning Chris Benning 5'10" | SG St. Mary's | 2026 State ND & Carter Evanson Carter Evanson 6'2" | SG Horace | 2026 State ND are both as good of shooters as there are around! Not only from normal shooting areas but their ability to consistently score from range, really makes them deadly from far beyond the 3 PT line!”
PHD: Who improved the most over the season?
Coach Nissley: “ Grant Bieber Grant Bieber 6'2" | SG Bismarck | 2026 State ND made big strides this year as a more complete player. He really played with more purpose on both ends of the floor. He was impactful throughout the season!”
PHD: When you needed a big bucket, who was your “go-to” player?
Coach Nissley: “ Garrett Nissley Garrett Nissley 6'3" | CG Bismarck Century | 2026 State ND hit some big buckets again this season continuing from last year. His hard work and improvement with the ability to score at all 3 levels were very evident! He was consistently good in tough situations!”