Bears Tail Basketball: AAU Tryouts
In this article:
Moorhead, MN – We had AAU tryouts today! Bears Tail Basketball held tryouts for 15U, 16U, and 17U at Moorhead High School this afternoon. Tomorrow, Bears Tail will have tryouts in Bismarck so the players on the west side of…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingMoorhead, MN – We had AAU tryouts today! Bears Tail Basketball held tryouts for 15U, 16U, and 17U at Moorhead High School this afternoon. Tomorrow, Bears Tail will have tryouts in Bismarck so the players on the west side of the state have a shorter drive. There was plenty of impressive talent in the gym today. Take a look below to see who stood out and played well. It was fun to watch live hoops after not seeing the guys play since late summer. It’s November and it is officially HOOPS SEASON!
Erick Paye Erick Paye 6'5" | PF Grand Forks Central | 2024 ND (2024) |6’5 PF| Grand Forks Central
He showed once again that he is an impressive athlete. In warmups, Erick was throwing down crazy dunks! Paye only needed 1 or 2 steps and he was above the rim, this kid can get up!. In the scrimmages/up-and-down play, Paye was virtually unstoppable in the paint. He also showed the ability to score around the rim with both hands. Erick was a horse on the boards and he passed the ball well. Paye also showed tough post-defense. Erick looks ready to have an all-star season.
Dalton Lamp Dalton Lamp 6'1" | SG Jamestown | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’1 G| Jamestown
I was reminded today of his craftiness. Lamp’s offensive bag of tricks and footwork is deep. He has many moves/countermoves to beat the defense and I love his pull-up jumper. He was raining 3-pointers on Saturday afternoon and his range goes out to the volleyball line. Lamp is a microwave that can turn into instant offense in the blink of an eye. I think he will be a breakout player in the WDA this season.
Dane Hagler Dane Hagler 6'4" | SG North Star | 2024 ND (2024) |6’4 SG| North Star
This Bearcat is strong and he rises above the rim with power. Hagler had many eye-openning dunks. In transition, Dane had a spectacular 2-handed baseline WHAM that shook the entire basket. He also looked good catching and shooting the rock. On defense, Hagler looked to be an athletic defender, he also blocked shots around the rim. Dane is a slasher and a bucket-getter. I will not be surprised at all if Hagler is an All-State player and if North Star challenges 4Winds for the top spot in Region 4.
Karter Peterson Karter Peterson 6'6" | PF Thompson | 2025 State ND (2025) |6’6 PF| Thompson
He was a big standout in the warmups. Peterson was throwing down 2-handed WHAMS and 1-handed SLAMS like nothing. He is a BIG kid too and he gets up easy! I liked his game last year, now I admire it. Peterson is even more athletic than I realized, he could have just improved that much over the summer as well. I know he was a good passer for a BIG, today he looked like a great passer. That is impressive to see when he is running with many guys that he has never met before. This shows that he truly is a gifted passer. He is also a smooth finisher that uses his body well. Karter knows how to move and adjust his body to keep the D away from the ball. Karter was also a dawg on the glass and he showed good timing with tip-ins. Peterson is going to be a DUDE this year, mark my words!
John Angau John Angau 6'4" | SG West Fargo Sheyenne | 2024 State ND (2024) |6’2 SG| West Fargo Sheyenne
I have written multiple times about Angau being a shooter and he looked the part again today. He cashed in many triples throughout the afternoon. John has such an easy stroke and he lets it fly with little effort. It seems like he is shooting a free-throw. Angau also slashed to the cup for off balanced finishes. He seems bigger than 6’2″ because his arms are so long. This Mustang is cash-money from beyond the arc. Get ready for John to be raining 3’s all over the EDC!
Zacharia Nhial Zacharia Nhial 6'3" | SG West Fargo Sheyenne | 2025 ND (2025) |6’3 SG| West Fargo Sheyenne
He has really lengthened and stretched out since the last time I watched Mr. Nhial. I have a feeling that he will keep growing, by AAU season, Zach could already be up to 6’5″/6’6″. He looks to be an improved slasher and he gets up and finishes well at the rim. Nhial is also a smooth shooter from the perimeter with a nice and fluid shot.
Rylee Bears Tail Rylee Bears Tail 6'3" | SG Mandan | 2026 State ND (2026) |6’3 G| Mandan
He stuck out right away because of his handles and ball skills. Rylee is a smooth player with a great feel for the game. He showed amazing touch on a beautiful lob pass. Rylee also threw a lefty no-look touch pass, it was a GEM! Bears Tail also picked off passes and he showcased quick hands when picking a pocket. I was impressed with a runner from mid-lane, Rylee looked like Steve Nash on that possession! He also scored with both hands in transition. It looks like he will keep growing and he already has a long wingspan. Rylee has a bright future in basketball!
B Rylee Bears Tail Rylee Bears Tail 6'3" | SG Mandan | 2026 State ND (2026) |6’3 G/F| Mandan
He is definitely longer and more athletic since I watched him last. Like his brother, Brylee looks like he will keep growing. He really stuck out with impressive handles. This kid can really do magic with the rock. He looks to be a scorer from every level and he knows the game well. He anticipates on defense and Brylee looks to have good basketball instincts all over the court. The Bears Tail brothers are two players you need to keep close eyes on, they have a ton of potential.
Anthony Davis Anthony Davis 5'10" | CG Bismarck Century | 2026 State ND (2026) |5’9 G| Bismarck Century
He looked good scoring with a runner in the paint. Davis is an unselfish player that moved the ball and he made the extra pass. Instead of taking a good shot, Anthony made the pass for a great shot. He is a quick and speedy guard. I also liked how hard he worked on both ends.
Ethan Cheaye Ethan Cheaye 5'10" | CG West Fargo | 2024 ND (2024) |5’10 G| West Fargo
This Packer is a pure athlete. Cheaye is quicker than a cat and he is lightning fast. He covers so much ground in such little time. He goes to the basket like an attack dog. The lefty also showed off a capable jumper. Cheaye knocked down pull-ups from mid-range and from beyond the arc. With his foot speed, Cheaye has to be an intriguing defender for the Packers. Ethan has a ton of potential.
Moustapha Diomande (2024) |6’3 SG/SF| Horace
His jumper looked good from beyond the arc. Moose looked athletic in the warmups when attacking the hoop and finishing at the rim.
Carvin Fish Carvin Fish 6'8" | PF Tiospa Zina | 2024 State SD (2024) |6’6 F| Horace
You could tell that Carvin was skilled in the drills. He was a little banged up with a minor injury. However, it was still easy to see that Carvin is a skilled player with a good-looking jumper.
Barry Kpeenu (2024) |5’10 G| West Fargo Sheyenne
He is strong and explosive. Kpeenu looked good when penetrating and jump stopping in the paint. I loved his 2-foot finishes! He is more skilled than I thought and he was aggressive on defense.
Duwayne Mitchell (2024) |5’11 G| Fargo South
He looked to be a skilled player and I liked his ball control. He is a strong guard that attacked well off the dribble. Mitchell also showed a nice-looking shot from beyond the arc. Duwayne is a player to keep track of for the Bruins.
D’angelo Jones (2025) |6’2 G| Moorhead
He is a big guard with impressive athleticism. Jones is a bit raw but he makes up for it with his mobility. He also has long arms. There are all sorts of potential with Mr. Jones!