SD Elite: Successful Season

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/IMG_5365.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/IMG_5365.jpeg?w=994" alt="" class="wp-image-2112450" /></a></figure>   We are back for another Season Review. Today we are heading to the 15U division to look at a talented group of 2026 ballers. SD Elite played on the Prep Hoops Circuit and they had a highly successful season. They put together a 20-13 record while playing against legitimate competition.   Anthony Cordova, is the head coach for this SD Elite 15U squad. He is also the director & founder of SD Elite. Cordova lives and breathes basketball, he certainly is a hoops junky! Cordova is regarded as one of the premier BIG man basketball trainers in the Region.   This 15U SD Elite team impressed me on multiple occasions and all of the players have a bright future. I am excited to follow their basketball careers!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1842251" /></a></figure>   See below for player comments and a Q&A session with coach Cordova   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/pic-crop-669x440-1691032165.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/pic-crop-669x440-1691032165.jpg?w=668" alt="" class="wp-image-2111944" /></a></figure>   Player Comments from Coach Cordova   [player_tooltip player_id='1950332' first='Justin' last='Bilal'] (2026) |6'3 SF| Lincoln   "Justin is a very versatile player who can really shoot the ball. He is an underrated playmaker as well and a really good rebounder when he decides he wants to go. His growth as a player has been crazy the past 3 years."   [player_tooltip player_id='1641210' first='Parker' last='Graff'] (2026) |5'11 G| Wessington Springs   "Without having the stats in front of me he was easily our leading scorer. The kid works on his game all the time and he's such a confident player. I can always count on him to get us a bucket if we went on a scoring drought."    [player_tooltip player_id='1641211' first='Jaden' last='Haley-Cordova'] (2026) |6'0 G| Lincoln   "Jaden had a really good summer. Once we moved him to the PG spot full time he made the game easier on everyone else. He has a high IQ, he is long, and he can score in a variety of ways. Jaden is a very crafty player. He lead our team in assists by a wide margin, and wasn't too far behind in scoring either."   [player_tooltip player_id='1959435' first='Ryan' last='Baker'] (2026) |6'2 SF| Lincoln   "Ryan is strong, athletic, and one of the best rebounders on the team. He is able to switch and guard multiple positions because of how well he moves. I can't wait to watch him during school ball."   Eric Smith (2026) |5'7 G| Jefferson (Cedar Rapids, IA)   "Eric is a great player. He has a good understanding of the game and he brought an extra scoring punch to the team. In my opinion, he was the best pound-for-pound defensive player on the team."   [player_tooltip player_id='2058175' first='Rico' last='Chol'] (2026) |6'6 PF| Washington   "I am so proud of this guy. He went from not really playing at all to being my go-to go inside the last half of the tourney. He was blocking at least two shots a game, altering shots, and dunking in games by the end of the season. Rico is also a very confident three-point shooter as well."   [player_tooltip player_id='1959440' first='Kuek' last='Kuek'] (2026) |6'4 SF| Jefferson   "Long and athletic is the best way to describe him as a player this summer. On top of that, Kuek can shoot from the outside as well. Once he gets going north and south he can't be stopped."   [player_tooltip player_id='1651329' first='Colby' last='Flowers'] (2026) |6'4 PF| Wessington Springs   "The heart & soul of our team. He gave us energy, passion, and grabbed every rebound there was to grab. He even scored inside when we ran plays for him. He and Parker are going to have a special school ball season."   [player_tooltip player_id='1959438' first='Kuai' last='Mayen'] (2026) |6'0 G| Jefferson   "Kuai was supposed to be a reserve but we recognized within the first practice that he should probably be on our main roster. He has a lot of springs on him to go with a nice jumper."   [player_tooltip player_id='1959423' first='Kelman' last='Said'] (2026) |6'3 G| Roosevelt   "We lost him to a knee injury in Wisconsin, but when he played, he played with a lot of fire and blocked a lot of shots."   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/selitekjn-crop-1050x690-1691034246.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/selitekjn-crop-1050x690-1691034246.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-2111957" /></a></figure>   Q&A with Anthony Cordova   PHD: How would you sum up the season for your squad?    "For the first year as a program, it went exactly how I expected it to go. We put together a schedule that would be challenging, but I felt like this team needed that. in order for them to see what it is like to play solid competition in every tourney. My goal was to put us in tourneys where we aren't blowing teams out by 20, but where we could win if we are playing well and we can lose if we are playing well. My job is to develop players to where they have a shot at playing college basketball not to stroke egos and that's what we got accomplished this summer. Next summer the stakes and the competition gets tougher and we will be ready."   PHD: What are some of the highlights from the season?    "Couple of highlights would be going up to Minneapolis and making a run to the Sweet 16 in the Prep Hoop finals. We lost in the Sweet 16 to a good team, but I still feel well about the overall performance. I felt like we were good enough to make a run at the final 4, so I can't wait to get another crack at it next year. Another would be Jaden hitting a buzzer-beater to end our summer." (Check Instagram for the shot)   PHD: How did you and your team overcome adversity?   "There were a couple of things that we dealt with. We lost Kellman to a knee injury for the summer in Wisconsin which hurt us a little bit as far as shot blocking goes. We we did was moved [player_tooltip player_id='1950332' first='Justin' last='Bilal'] to the four spot and moved [player_tooltip player_id='1959438' first='Kuai' last='Mayen'] into the three position which gave us more spacing for people like [player_tooltip player_id='1641210' first='Parker' last='Graff'], [player_tooltip player_id='1641211' first='Jaden' last='Haley-Cordova'] Eric Smith, and [player_tooltip player_id='1959440' first='Kuek' last='Kuek'] to get to the rim and score. We had a kid who lost his grandfather on the team and had to leave Chicago late at night because he wasn't doing well and as he let the boys know why he had to leave they gave the kid a hug and said "we got you." That's all they talked about was playing their butts off for their teammate and his grandfather. They went out and had a good showing in Chicago and the rest of summer."   PHD: Who were a couple of your top shooters?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1641210' first='Parker' last='Graff'] - Once he sees a couple go through the net it was pretty much going to be lights out from deep the rest of the game. The kid is just a microwave. Once he heats up it's not going to stop, because he's such an aggressive scorer."   "[player_tooltip player_id='1950332' first='Justin' last='Bilal'] - He is so tall and long he can pull up and knock down shots on just about anyone. Justin shoots an NBA Range with ease and very accurately."   "[player_tooltip player_id='1959438' first='Kuai' last='Mayen'] - Anything in the mid-range especially around the free throw line he will hit. I used to tell him to get to his spots, because when he did he was solid."   "[player_tooltip player_id='1641211' first='Jaden' last='Haley-Cordova'] - As I said before Jaden is one of few kids that you will see at his age that can get a bucket at any level on the floor going right and left. Had a game where he hit 8-9 threes and his mid-range game was on full display at the Prep Hoops finals. Three-level scorer!!"   PHD: Who was your most improved player?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2058175' first='Rico' last='Chol'] - At the beginning of summer we couldn't play him much and it was mainly because of his motor and hands. We even sat him a whole Prep Hoops tourney. As a team, we didn't give up on him and most importantly he didn't give up on himself. I ended up starting him in the last four tourneys because he stepped his energy up. His best game came against MN Select at the Prep Hoops finals where he played another guy who was just as big as him and Rico went to work. Now he is running the floor getting in game dunks. He is 6'7 and growing. I can't wait to see what he becomes."   "[player_tooltip player_id='1959440' first='Kuek' last='Kuek'] - He didn't have the start to the summer that I thought he was going to have, but by the end of summer, he was one of our best defenders. He started getting downhill scoring at the rim, by far one of the best defenders on the team, and a pretty good playmaker. Kuek is 6'4 and still growing. As long as he continues to use his length and athletic abilities he is another kid who can be special. He has to keep the motor going."   PHD: Who were some of your hardest workers? (why?)   "[player_tooltip player_id='1651329' first='Colby' last='Flowers']!! That kid plays with some much energy and heart every game. Other big men hated playing against him because he plays at 100% every game and it doesn't stop. He was the heart & soul of our team. When he missed a few games you can tell it hurt us a little bit."   PHD: Who was your best defensive player and why?   "Pound for pound Eric Smith hands down. Eric has long arms, big hands, athletic, and he doesn't want to get scored on. He will get stuck on bigger guys in the post and they struggle trying to score on him because he's tough."   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/sdelitepic.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/08/sdelitepic.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-2111933" /></a></figure>