ND Phenom 16U: Season Review
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PHD is back with another Season Review. This time we have ND Phenom 16U. They proved to be one of the best squads in the Midwest. This group competed hard all spring/summer and they were constantly in the top pools…
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Continue ReadingPHD is back with another Season Review. This time we have ND Phenom 16U. They proved to be one of the best squads in the Midwest. This group competed hard all spring/summer and they were constantly in the top pools against top-notch teams. Phenom won the Great Plains Alliance and they took 2nd Place at the Hard Work Region Finals. This team is full of ballers that will play at the next level. Multiple players already have offers and everyone is receiving interest as a college prospect. It was a great grassroots season for ND Phenom and these players will all have a monster school ball season.
See below for player comments and a Q&A session with coach Jordan Maurer.
Player Comments from Coach Maurer
Drew Kempel Drew Kempel 6'4" | PG Bismarck Century | 2025 State ND (2025) |6’3 PG| Bismarck Century
“He is the straw that stirs the drink for our team and the guy who makes us go. He consistently is able to create shots for others. He has plenty of ability to score and can take over games, but really takes on that true point guard role and runs the show. He is a triple-double threat in any game. Drew is hearing from schools in the Northern Sun.“
Caden Englund Caden Englund 6'2" | CG Shiloh Christian | 2025 State ND (2025) |6’2 G| Shiloh Christian
“He is a really nice slasher. Caden is able to find gaps and seams that a lot of other players are not able to find. He really came into his own defensively in the second half of the year and has started to show some nice flashes of perimeter shooting confidence and ability. Caden is hearing from schools at the NAIA level.“
Walker Braaten Walker Braaten 6'4" | CG Westhope/Newburg | 2025 State #278 Nation ND (2025) |6’4 G| Westhope/Newburg
“He is a 3-level scorer that also defends and rebounds at a high clip. He was our team leader in scoring and was often the guy who would take a close game and blow it open in 3-5 possessions. He is that gifted 2-guard who you can count on to get buckets. Walker is hearing from schools in the Northern Sun and Summit League.“
Parker Falcon Parker Falcon 6'6" | SG Bismarck Legacy | 2025 State ND (2025) |6’4 SG| Bismarck Legacy
“He is a pure shooter who can also score on the block, in transition, and with a bit of slashing. He does a nice job of using his length to contest shots and stays active on the glass. When Parker shoots, you expect it to go in. He missed the start of the season with an injury, and he made us much more potent offensively when he returned. Parker is hearing from schools in the Northern Sun and Summit League.“
Karson Ouse Karson Ouse 6'8" | SF Kindred | 2025 State #283 Nation ND (2025) |6’7 SF| Kindred
“He is a super unique player and prospect. Super long. Very athletic. Very skilled. He can guard up and down a lineup and score from every level. Karson is really a mismatch nightmare. We are able to utilize him all over the floor offensively and he is a guy we look to use when game planning for tough defensive matchups. Karson is hearing from schools in the Northern Sun and Summit League.“
Presley Peraza Presley Peraza 6'6" | PF Kindred | 2025 State ND (2025) |6’6 PF| Kindred
“He is an athletic wing who can impact the game in several ways. Athletic is likely not a good enough word to describe it. He dunks around and over people with power. He blocks shots well above the rim. He also has a very soft touch from the perimeter and is very capable on the block and in slashing situations. Presley can play and defend multiple positions and is just very dynamic. Presley is hearing from schools in the Northern Sun and Summit League.“
Ramsey Walz Ramsey Walz 6'7" | PF Bishop Ryan | 2025 State #313 Nation ND (2025) |6’7 PF| Bishop Ryan
“He is that new-age stretch 4/5 who can really shoot it. He can score on the block, do not get me wrong, but he is special as a screener. He can roll and finish with power or pop and finish with touch. Defensively, he shows a great ability to contest guards in switch situations due to his length and anticipation. Under the rim, he is a very high-level rim protector and an adept rebounder on both ends of the floor. Ramsey was new to our program this season and he was a more than welcome addition. Ramsey is hearing from schools in the Northern Sun and Summit League.“
Brennan Johnson Brennan Johnson 6'7" | PF Tioga | 2025 State ND (2025) |6’7 PF| Tioga
“He is our power player. He provides a physical presence when we play teams that use a true 5. He does not give up deep position and does not get sealed. Offensively, he is an adept and crafty finisher at the rim, and he added the ability to step out and knock down shots from the perimeter. He is great on the glass as well. Brennan is going to be a 1000+ point and rebound high school guy that will make a college coach happy. Brennan is hearing from schools at the NAIA level and in the Northern Sun.“
Q&A with Jordan Maurer
PHD: How would you sum up the season for your squad?
“I feel that our season was exceptional. We likely exceeded expectations. The players and myself have very high goals for ourselves, and we were able to achieve several of those goals.“
PHD: What are some of the highlights from the season?
“Every weekend was a highlight. Winning the Great Plains Alliance with wins over a very very impressive Team Warwick before beating Sanford Under Armor by mercy rule in the Championship really stands out as a highlight, as we had never played either program before and they collectively represent the best that South Dakota has to offer.“
PHD: How did you and your team overcome adversity?
“We played all but 2 events missing at least 1 player and were able to find significant success each weekend, whether that be people playing heavy minutes or out of position, we found a way to make it work.“
PHD: Who were a couple of your top shooters?
“ Drew Kempel Drew Kempel 6'4" | PG Bismarck Century | 2025 State ND , Walker Braaten Walker Braaten 6'4" | CG Westhope/Newburg | 2025 State #278 Nation ND , Parker Falcon Parker Falcon 6'6" | SG Bismarck Legacy | 2025 State ND , Presley Peraza Presley Peraza 6'6" | PF Kindred | 2025 State ND , Karson Ouse Karson Ouse 6'8" | SF Kindred | 2025 State #283 Nation ND , and Ramsey Walz Ramsey Walz 6'7" | PF Bishop Ryan | 2025 State #313 Nation ND all shot at least 38% from 3. All of them can shoot the ball at a high clip and take good shots. Each has the ability to change a game from behind the arc.“
PHD: Who was your most improved player?
“ Brennan Johnson Brennan Johnson 6'7" | PF Tioga | 2025 State ND , Caden Englund Caden Englund 6'2" | CG Shiloh Christian | 2025 State ND , and Presley Peraza Presley Peraza 6'6" | PF Kindred | 2025 State ND showed the most improvement from the end of our 2022 season to the end of our 2023 season. Brennan transformed his body and developed the ability to step out and make mid-range and perimeter jump shots. Caden improved his effort levels significantly and became a player who could be counted on to defend and take care of the basketball. Presley transformed himself from athlete to basketball player. The most noticeable change in Presley was how much more efficient he was and how much his perimeter shooting evolved. He went from a guy where you hoped it went into a guy where we wanted to run sets for him to get him perimeter shots.“
PHD: Who were some of your hardest workers?
“No one stands out to me here, which is a great thing because we did not have to coach effort this season. The players as a group know what the end goal is, and all 5 on the court and whatever number happened to be on the bench consistently brought it.“
PHD: Who was your best defensive player and why?
“While I feel everyone is quite capable, Karson Ouse Karson Ouse 6'8" | SF Kindred | 2025 State #283 Nation ND showed the most defensive versatility, locking players down 1-5.”
PHD: Which tourney was the most fun?
“The Great Plains Alliance really stood out. We had all 8 players at this event. Everyone had at least 1 parent in attendance. We were clicking on all cylinders on and off the court. Additionally, the entire group was at the same hotel and we had a chance to do some team activities with both of the 2025 groups and their parents.“