The Next Level Basketball Academy 17U: Breakdown

This was a fun team to watch as got up and down the court in a hurry and played fast. The Next Level Basketball Academy 17U team played a fun brand of basketball. The squad was mostly made up of Fargo/West Fargo players but also had two Minnesota players from Hawley and Columbia Heights. NLBA was a member of the Prep Hoops Circuit and they competed against tough competition. They also had big success while winning the Midwest Showcase Classic Championship in Omaha, NE.   Take a look below for the NLBA roster and player comments.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/08/NLBA15Uteampic-1.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/08/NLBA15Uteampic-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1536426" width="158" height="114"/></a></figure>   NLBA 17U - ROSTER   [player_tooltip player_id='1207499' first='Kaden' last='Christmann'] (2024) |5'11 CG| Shanley   He was a youngster playing up an age division. Kaden suffered an injury late in the AAU season but you should expect him back ready to roll this winter. He is a tough kid that finishes strong at the hoop. Christmann sees the floor well and he moves the rock. He is great at changing speeds and keeping the D off balance. I like his aggressiveness. Kaden listens well and is a great teammate. He puts in the time and he plays hard. Christmann developed/improved his jump shot over the course of the AAU season. He could be an X-factor for Shanley this winter!   [player_tooltip player_id='1511374' first='Omar' last='Aly Ahmed'] |6'3 SF| Fargo South   He is a blue-collar worker that makes hustle plays. Ahmed puts his hard hat on every game and puts in the extra effort. He works his tail off on both ends of the floor for rebounds. Omar sprints the floor and beats opponents down the floor. He is a master at snagging 50/50 balls. Whenever I have watched Ahmed play he always seems to be having fun on the court and he seems to really enjoy being in the gym. Eveyone loves having a teammate like Omar.   [player_tooltip player_id='1510902' first='Alex' last='Wheelock'] |5'10 PG| Shanley   He is a great kid, teammate, and a long-time player in the NLBA program. He is a hard worker that will do anything for his teammates. Alex is a leader that gets everyone on the same page. He thrives at penetrating and pitching to shooters or dishing to teammates around the hoop. If NLBA needed a bucket, Wheelock would be the man to set someone up for a good look. He also has a nice jump shot. Expect Alex to have the ball in his hands often this winter for the Deacons. He will likely be a key to Shanley's success as one of the Deacons primary ballhandlers.   [player_tooltip player_id='1265203' first='Max' last='Shell'] |5'9 G| West Fargo   He is a scrappy athlete that plays fast and he makes plays in the transition game. Shell runs the floor hard and he is a fun player to coach. During the AAU season, Max would often fly in from the wing and grab a rebound when nobody was expecting it. Shell has the potential to be a nice complimentary player.   [player_tooltip player_id='962254' first='Sam' last='Senske'] |6'5 SF| Hawley   He is a natural scorer that can put up points from all 3-levels. Senske is a skilled baller that can play at his own speed. Sam always seems to be in control and he can get his pull-up jumper off any time that he pleases. Senske has a great feel for the game and he is an underrated athlete. A few times this year I thought he was going up for a layup but went up and slammed it instead. Senske showed that he can produce against high-level athletes in AAU. Expect him to be one of the best players this winter in 8AA.   [player_tooltip player_id='1511581' first='Kemani' last='Davis'] |6'4 G/F| Fargo Davies   He is an athlete and an impressive jumper. Davis is a solid perimeter defender and has the flexibility to match up with forwards. He developed a nice jumper over the AAU season. Kemani finishes well at the rim and his rebounding improved all summer. Davis is a special dunker that can WHAM off 1 or 2 feet. Get ready for some big dunks in the EDC from this Eagle.   [player_tooltip player_id='1470513' first='Jackson' last='Ajeo'] |5'9 G| Shanley   He was the best perimeter defender for NLBA. Ajeo is shifty off the bounce and he is creative. He puts pressure on the defense when going downhill and can cause plenty of problems for opposing teams. Jackson is a crafty finisher around the rim. If given the opportunity, Ajeo will likely shine in the winter season.   [player_tooltip player_id='1510983' first='Levi' last='Rossman'] |5'10 G| West Fargo   At times, Rossman was the best 3-point shooter on this squad. Rossman got hot many times in the AAU season and lit up the scoreboard. He excels and spotting up and drilling jumpers. Levi has the potential to be a game changer this winter from beyond the arc.   [player_tooltip player_id='1213170' first='Vuciri' last='Hakim'] |6'5 F| Shanley   I really like this player's game, Vuciri has the ability to take over on both ends of the floor. Hakim can give opposing teams a headache when it comes to matching up with him. He is too athletic for BIGs to stay with him and guards can not handle him in the paint. Vuciri is an intriguing athlete that can guard 3/4/5. On offense, he will dunk in your face, nail 15-foot jumpers, do work on the block, and score on O-board putbacks. Hakim makes extra-effort plays and he has good anticipation skills. His transition SLAMs were noteworthy on the Circuit and Hakim has a very high ceiling.   [player_tooltip player_id='1536814' first='Sam' last='Kebulu'] |6'4 F| Fargo South   He is a great kid that has improved his overall game immensely in the past two years while with NLBA. Kebulu can score the rock and get stops on defense. Sam is a nice athlete and an impressive dunker. It will be interesting to see where he fits into the rotation this winter for the Bruins.   Donnavin Hinsz (2022) |6'5 SF| Columbia Heights   He is a matchup nightmare. Hinsz is an athlete with nice handles on the wing and in the open court. He can get up and dunk in impressive fashion. Donnavin is a standout that can do it all on the hardwood. He can defend the 1-5 positions and he can get out and D-up for 94 feet.   Marcus Lofton |6'2 G| Fargo South   He came back to the team mid-season due to an injury. Lofton is an athletic player that hits jumpers smoothly from beyond the arc and midrange.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/08/NLBA15Uteampic-1.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/08/NLBA15Uteampic-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1536426"/></a></figure>

This was a fun team to watch as got up and down the court in a hurry and played fast. The Next Level Basketball Academy 17U team played a fun brand of basketball. The squad was mostly made up of Fargo/West Fargo players but also had two Minnesota players from Hawley and Columbia Heights. NLBA was a member of the Prep Hoops Circuit and they competed against tough competition. They also had big success while winning the Midwest Showcase Classic Championship in Omaha, NE.