ND Phenom 15U: Team Preview
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In this Team Preview, we are looking at one of the top AAU/Club programs in North Dakota. Specially, we are checking out the 15U/2027 squad. ND Phenom started their season last weekend at the Scheels College Prospect Series in Minnesota.…
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Continue ReadingIn this Team Preview, we are looking at one of the top AAU/Club programs in North Dakota. Specially, we are checking out the 15U/2027 squad.
ND Phenom started their season last weekend at the Scheels College Prospect Series in Minnesota. The good thing is, Phenom is on the Prep Hoops Circuit and we will see them at three events this spring/summer!
Nate Symens & Eric Skunberg lead ND Phenom 15U squad. These guys know the game well! Symens is the head coach and Skunberg is the assistant coach.
See below for the ND Phenom 15U’s schedule, player comments, and a Q&A session with coach Symens.
Make sure you get this squad on your watchlist, they have intriguing talent!
SCHEDULE
EVENT | LOCATION | DATES |
Phenom Training Camp | Mandan, ND | April 13-14 |
Scheels College Prospect Series | Minneapolis, MN | April 20-21 |
Scheels College Prospect Series | Minneapolis, MN | May 4-5 |
Prep Hoops Battle At The Lakes | Minneapolis, MN | May 11-12 |
Great Plains Alliance | St. Cloud, MN | June 27-29 |
Prep Hoops Hard Work Region Finals | Minneapolis, MN | July 5-7 |
Prep Hoops National Open Championship | Minneapolis, MN | July 19-21 |
Player Comments from Coach Nate Symens
Najeh Boyd Najeh Boyd 5'9" | CG Bismarck | 2027 State ND * 5’9” PG * “Najeh saw time at both the sophomore and junior varsity level for Bismarck High School. Very explosive and athletic two-way playmaker who has consistently been able to be a winner for the entirety of his young career. His team won the sophomore WDA Tournament this high school season.“
Madden Skunberg Madden Skunberg 5'11" | SF Jamestown | 2027 State ND * 5’11” G * “Madden saw time at both the sophomore and junior varsity level for Jamestown High School. Madden showed the ability to score in bunches at both levels all season long. He can change a game, quickly, from the perimeter.“
Brooks Armstrong Brooks Armstrong 6'0" | SG Bismarck St. Mary's | 2027 State ND * 6’0” G * “Brooks saw time at both the junior varsity and varsity levels for Saint Mary’s Central High School. Brooks really impresses with his ability to manipulate the basketball and get deep in the paint yet also has the ability to score from multiple levels.“
Brody Shepherd Brody Shepherd 6'0" | SG Bismarck Legacy | 2027 State ND * 6’0” G * “Brody saw time at both the sophomore and junior varsity levels for Bismarck Legacy High School. Brody is a threat to score double-figure points from beyond the arch any time he steps on the floor.“
Nolan Schmidt Nolan Schmidt 6'2" | SF Our Redeemers | 2027 State ND * 6’2” W * “Nolan started for the Our Redeemer’s team who made the state tournament. He was a key cog in their team often scoring in double figures and was named to the All-Tournament Team at the State B. Nolan thrives as a scorer and rebounder.“
Eli Undlin Eli Undlin 6'3" | PF Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood | 2027 State ND * 6’3” W * “Eli started for the MLS team who competed in a very tough Region featuring 3 teams that made it to the State Tournament. Eli was an All-Region player as a freshman. Eli is a skilled, physical specimen with 3-level scoring ability while being highly impressive on both ends of the floor.“
Ahmi Spears Ahmi Spears 6'6" | PF Century | 2027 State ND * 6’7” F * “Ahmi saw time on the freshman team at Bismarck Century High School this past season and won that league. The majority of their games were not competitive. He is a raw athlete with a passion for the game and a burning desire to improve.“
Ben Hynek Ben Hynek 6'7" | C Stanley | 2027 State ND * 6’7” C * “Ben saw time at both the junior varsity and varsity levels for Stanley High School team that lost out in the Play-In Game. Ben is a physical force at the JV A level in ND and was consistently dominant. He thrives in controlling the paint.“
Q&A with Coach Symens
PHD: Can you tell me a bit about your coaching/basketball background?
“Coach Symens has coached for 5 years at the high school level at various schools. I just wrapped up my first season as a varsity assistant at West Fargo Horace High School. This will be my third season coaching for the North Dakota Phenom.“
“Coach Skunberg has 2 years of previous head high school coaching experience as well as 8 years as a varsity assistant and 20 years at the middle school level.“
PHD: Why are you excited to coach this group?
“We have a nice blend of smaller town guys and bigger city kids who really look forward to the opportunity to make a name for themselves. Many of them have older siblings who participated in competitive athletics that they can lean on for advice as well. I am excited to see this talent and ability blend together, as I feel we have a full roster of diverse offensive and defensive capabilities who will be a tough out when engaged and executing properly.“
PHD: What will be the strengths of your team?
“I like the high floor of the team. When we show up and compete, we will have the opportunity to make any matchup competitive. We will rebound well with our length inside and combination of athleticism and strength on the wing. We have the offensive versatility to play in transition, in half-court battles, or in a shootout. We have some quick guards that live in the paint and others that are true sharpshooters, along with wings who can do a bit of both, and bigs that can control the paint on both ends of the floor. It is really a blank canvas with a group of guys who are excited to be a part of this and are hungry to show what they can do.“
PHD: What style of basketball will you play?
“I think we are a unique blend of pace and control. We are going to play a high-tempo offense that is going to get great shots every possession and a defensive team that puts an emphasis on playing solid defense and limiting teams to one shot.“
PHD: What will your team “hang your hat on”?
“We will commit to guarding and holding teams to one shot while making teams guard us and not bailing out their defenses with low-quality shots. We are fortunate to have lead guards in Najeh Boyd Najeh Boyd 5'9" | CG Bismarck | 2027 State ND and Brooks Armstrong Brooks Armstrong 6'0" | SG Bismarck St. Mary's | 2027 State ND who do a nice job in setting the tone for the team. Najeh does a great job using his speed to live in the paint. Brooks uses his body very well to get where he wants to go. Both of these lead guards do a great job creating shots for themselves and others.“
PHD: Who do you predict will be your top defenders?
“ Nolan Schmidt Nolan Schmidt 6'2" | SF Our Redeemers | 2027 State ND has proven that he has the ability to defend the basketball at the varsity level, as he was a key contributor on a Knights team that played in the State Tournament. He was often tasked with guarding the top wing of the opposition and he did a nice job in that role. Ahmi Spears Ahmi Spears 6'6" | PF Century | 2027 State ND has all of the physical tools to be a complete lockdown defender. Eli Undlin Eli Undlin 6'3" | PF Mohall-Lansford-Sherwood | 2027 State ND has the varsity experience that Schmidt has, as well as a really impressive physical profile like Spears has, and I have high expectations for him defensively. I truly feel these 3 guys can be disruptors defensively, while Ben Hynek Ben Hynek 6'7" | C Stanley | 2027 State ND can anchor our defense and control the paint through brute force with his size and strength.“
PHD: Who are some of the top shooters?
“ Madden Skunberg Madden Skunberg 5'11" | SF Jamestown | 2027 State ND and Brody Shepherd Brody Shepherd 6'0" | SG Bismarck Legacy | 2027 State ND both really stand out. Madden stands out with his ability to sprint hard off of a variety of screen types or create separation going left or right off the bounce while being able to maintain balance and score from range. Brody really stands out in his ability to be consistent with high volume. If he is open, it is going to go in. He does a great job of hunting space on teammate penetration and being available for kickout opportunities. All of the guys will make an open perimeter shot, but these two stand out for certain.“
PHD: What event/tournament are you looking forward to the most?
“Our Training Camp is something that I always look forward to as it gives us a chance to come together and gel, while being able to set expectations and be put in a situation to hit the ground running in the first game. As far as an event, the Battle At The Lakes has proved to be a marquee event. I actually played in the first ever Battle at the Lakes while I was competing with the Phenom.“
PHD: Do you see your team playing man, zone, or a mix?
“We will commit to competing every possession in man-to-man defense.“
PHD: Will your team get together and practice?
“We do skills and drills sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We also do Training Camp in both the spring and the summer where everyone comes together to get a lot accomplished.“
PHD: What are your goals for this AAU/grassroots season?
“We look forward to getting the chance to compete against high-level talent every weekend. Our schedule, headlined by the National Open Championship, gives our players the ability to play new competition that will challenge our team game in and game out. That said, our biggest goal is getting to a point where we are competing on both sides of the ball on every possession. When we can sustain that intensity, we are confident in our chances to compete with whoever we play.“
Best of luck to ND Phenom & we will see you on the PH Circuit!