Bears Tail Basketball 16U Gold
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Time to check out the Bears Tail 16U Gold team. This squad has a ton of talent with emerging college prospects. This 16U Gold team missed an early tournament in Omaha due to some bad weather but they played last…
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Continue ReadingTime to check out the Bears Tail 16U Gold team. This squad has a ton of talent with emerging college prospects.
This 16U Gold team missed an early tournament in Omaha due to some bad weather but they played last weekend in Chicago. Bears Tail 16U Gold is off until next weekend, they travel to California.
This team will be playing at the Stomping Grounds in Sioux Falls in early May, I am excited to see how they look against quality Midwest talent.
Bears Tail 16U Gold, is an intriguing group with athleticism, loads of shooting, versatility, and smart players. If they can put it all together, watch out!
PHD will have all eyes on this team when they hit Sioux Falls!
16U Gold – SCHEDULE
16U Gold – ROSTER
# | PLAYER | SCHOOL |
0 | Zacharia Nhial Zacharia Nhial 6'3" | SG West Fargo Sheyenne | 2025 ND | West Fargo Sheyenne |
1 | Noah Meissner Noah Meissner 6'1" | CG Jamestown | 2025 State ND | Jamestown |
3 | Parker Brodina | Devils Lake |
4 | Grady Swanson Grady Swanson 6'1" | SG Bismarck | 2025 State ND | Bismarck |
5 | Joel Nelson Joel Nelson 6'6" | SF Devils Lake | 2025 State ND | Devils Lake |
10 | Karter Peterson Karter Peterson 6'6" | PF Thompson | 2025 State ND | Thompson |
11 | Grant Cosley Grant Cosley 6'0" | SG North Border | 2025 State ND | North Border |
13 | Oliver Wirth Oliver Wirth 6'6" | PF Devils Lake | 2025 State ND | Devils Lake |
31 | Jenner Smude Jenner Smude 6'4" | SG Century | 2025 State ND | Bismarck |
Player Comments from coach Swanson
Zacharia Nhial Zacharia Nhial 6'3" | SG West Fargo Sheyenne | 2025 ND – “Long, athletic wing that can score from all three levels, He uses his length well on defense helping him force turnovers.“
Noah Meissner Noah Meissner 6'1" | CG Jamestown | 2025 State ND – “Playmaking point guard that handles pressure well. Smart and able to get us settled into our offense, quiet leader.“
Parker Brodina – “Big, athletic wing/forward, great at getting downhill to his spots, and a solid 3-point shooter. Can guard 1-5.“
Grady Swanson Grady Swanson 6'1" | SG Bismarck | 2025 State ND – “Crafty guard, very good shooter, and has the ability to get downhill. 3 and D type of player, very hard worker.“
Joel Nelson Joel Nelson 6'6" | SF Devils Lake | 2025 State ND – “Lefty wing/forward crafty and elite rim finisher. Can defend 1-4 and uses athleticism well.“
Karter Peterson Karter Peterson 6'6" | PF Thompson | 2025 State ND – “Forward, uses his body well to seal off bigger defenders and create space. HOF on the glass.“
Grant Cosley Grant Cosley 6'0" | SG North Border | 2025 State ND – “PG who handles the ball well and looks to create for others, unselfish and a nightmare for the opposing teams’ PG.“
Oliver Wirth Oliver Wirth 6'6" | PF Devils Lake | 2025 State ND – “Athletic big, can stretch it to 3, and can play back to the basket, good shot blocker, works hard.“
Jenner Smude Jenner Smude 6'4" | SG Century | 2025 State ND – “Lights out shooter with a quick release, a solid defender who works hard on both ends, vocal leader.“
Q&A w/ coach Gunner Swanson
PHD: How did it go in Chicago for it being the first tournament of the season?
Coach Swanson: “2-2 record. I thought we played well, especially for everyone’s first tourney together but I would be lying if I said we were perfect.“
PHD: Which players stood out in Chi-Town, what did they do well?
Coach Swanson: “Parker Brodina played well while getting hard downhill and guarding 1-5, we also had a number of guys who knocked down a ton of 3’s with Grady Swanson Grady Swanson 6'1" | SG Bismarck | 2025 State ND , Jenner Smude Jenner Smude 6'4" | SG Century | 2025 State ND , Noah Meissner Noah Meissner 6'1" | CG Jamestown | 2025 State ND , and Oliver Wirth Oliver Wirth 6'6" | PF Devils Lake | 2025 State ND . They all hit multiple 3s this past weekend. Karter Peterson Karter Peterson 6'6" | PF Thompson | 2025 State ND was a monster on the glass as well!“
PHD: Who shot well in Chicago and where were they getting buckets from?
Coach Swanson: “After the first game everyone shot well. Mostly 3’s and layups, not a ton of mid-range shots.“
PHD: Going forward, what are you looking to improve on as a team?
Coach Swanson: “I’m hoping we can improve our chemistry and get everyone playing as a team game to share the ball. I also want us to improve on our half-court defense.“
PHD: Why are you excited about with this team/roster?
Coach Swanson: “We have a lot of talent with a ton of varsity experience. Not only are they incredible basketball players and athletes but they are great young men as well.“
PHD: How often will your team practice/work out?
Coach Swanson: “Our team won’t get a ton of time to practice as a whole group so they will be thrown to the wolves in these first few tourneys trying to figure out everyone’s playing style.“
PHD: What will a couple of your strengths be as a team?
Coach Swanson: “A strength of this team will be their shooting ability, everyone can shoot from range. They all have varsity experience playing in some important and intense high school games so they are no strangers to competition.“
PHD: What style of basketball will you play on the offensive end?
Coach Swanson: “Offensively we will spread other teams out attacking the hoop and shooting threes.”
PHD: What brand of defense do you foresee your team playing?
Coach Swanson: “We will play tough man-to-man defense, getting after teams on defense to force some turnovers and run in transition.“