James Valley Thunder 17U: Team Review

Today, we are looking at another AAU team from the newly formed James Valley Thunder (JVT). This 17U team is out of southern North Dakota. They were coached by Jeremy Skoglund. They had 8 Kids from 2 different schools and only 5 kids of the 17U age. JVT had 2 juniors and 1 freshman on the team. If you are a Class B fan, check out these players that will be balling in Region 1 and Region 3 this winter.

Team Comment from coach Jeremy Skoglund

“We began the summer season going 13-3, starting out with the Park Bench Tourney in Rapid City where we went 3-1, losing in the semis by 1 to the eventual Tourney Champs. Our next stop, we moved on to the Missouri River Shootout in Bismarck. We played some great ball and went 3-1 losing to the Champs (Northern Thunder) in the quarter-finals. The next stop was Watertown for the Dakota Niners Tourney. We went 3-1 losing only to a solid ND Attack 17U team. The highlight of the summer season came in early June as we went 4-0 in the Midwest Championship Circuit 17U division, leading the entire game and knocking off the powerhouse high school team of Aberdeen Christian. For the remainder of the season we ended up going 3-5 as we lost some key players to baseball, so we ended 16-8 on the summer.” 

“I was very impressed with how our team developed as the season went along. We had a very raw, inexperienced group of athletes that just needed to get in the gym. Our tallest player was only 6’4” with the rest of the guys going a solid 6’0, so height was an issue. We played a very scrappy 1-2-1-1 zone press and hassled the ball all over the court. We always held teams to the lowest points scored in every tourney we played. I was very fortunate to have a group of kids that had big hearts and were not afraid to work. These guys are all a bunch of younger underrated athletes or have just been in the shadows of others for most of their careers.“

Player Comments

Information from coach Jeremy Skoglund

Josh Wittich Josh Wittich 6'5" | PF Sargent County | 2024 State ND (junior) |6’4 F| Sargent County

“Josh gets downhill quick and plays well above the rim, he’s dangerous from behind the arc and can rim protect with the best. Josh has been a very quiet bucket the last few years, but I look for him to be on all teams radar this winter. He led us in scoring, averaging 17 points and 4 blocks a game.“

Fletcher Willprecht Fletcher Willprecht 5'9" | PG Sargent County | 2023 State ND (senior) |5’9 G| Sargent County

“Fletcher is lightning quick and has a great finish at the rim for his size. He played the front end of the zone for us and put a lot of pressure on the other team’s point guard. Fletcher put up 27 points in a pure shooting display hitting on 6-8 from behind the arc against a tough Nebraska team towards the end of the season. He was All-Region last year for the Bulldogs and will no doubt find that kind of hype again this season.” 

Gavin Christianson (senior) |6’0 F| Sargent County

“Gavin was the hustle and the muscle this season. No one outworked him on the glass and his vision in the paint is maybe the strongest part of his game. Unselfish and just did things right on the floor. 8 pts, 3 assists, and 10 rebounds per game.“

Trey Skoglund Trey Skoglund 6'0" | PG Oakes | 2024 ND (junior) |6’0 G| Oakes

“Trey ran the point for us this summer. A very unselfish player with a win-or-nothing attitude. He works hard in and out of the season on various parts of his game. His handles are tight, he sees the floor very well, and his shot is deadly when he shoots. When we needed a big stop on defense it was Trey that usually took on the challenge and got one. He is a strong leader and a very smart player. Look for a breakout year from Trey this winter. 12 pts 6 assists and 8 rebounds per game.“

Noah Sundby Noah Sundby 6'1" | SG Oakes | 2023 State ND (senior) |6’1 G| Oakes

“Noah just started to really let his game show this summer. A strong kid with an incredible work ethic. Noah is a slasher that is learning how to get to the rim and find the open area on the floor. He can really get in a rhythm from the mid-range. As Noah continues to develop his defense, he will be a very useful tool for the Tornadoes this winter.“

Alder Paeper Alder Paeper 6'1" | SG Oakes | 2023 State ND (senior) |6’1 G| Oakes

“Adler has crazy vision and incredible handles. Another very quick athlete that just needed to get in the gym and gain confidence. Adler can get hot and very hard to guard. He was also depended on for his ability to shut down opposing forwards with his long wingspan and shifty feet. 4 steals per game.“

Andrew Wolff Andrew Wolff 6'3" | SF Oakes | 2023 State ND (junior) |6’3 F| Oakes

“Andrew is a long body that plays above the rim. His ability to slash/cut baseline off the block are a few of his strengths. Andrew is another kid that always finds a way into the gym. The first one to show up and the last to leave as he continues to build his game.“

Eddie Garza (soph) |6’3 F| Oakes

“Eddie is a special player with a tremendous amount of potential. He played center for us this summer and has a strong inside presence with a soft touch around the rim. As he continues to develop his tools around the rim and his confidence to shoot from distance, I look for Eddie to be a big-time presence on the floor in the future. 8 pts 6 rebounds.“