Northern Elites 14U, 15U, 16U Preview

We have three Team Previews for you in this article. All things [program_tooltip program_id='2412528' first='Northern' last='Elites']!   This is a new program that started last year and they are now up to 3 squads. They will be at a Prep Hoops event this spring, PHD is excited to watch them live at Battle At The Lakes!   [program_tooltip program_id='2412528' first='Northern' last='Elites'] started the club season this weekend down in St. Cloud at the Comets Shootout.   See below for a boatload of info on [program_tooltip program_id='2412528' first='Northern' last='Elites'] 14U, 15U, and 16U squads. We have rosters, schedules, player comments, and a Q&A session with Josh Worley.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/TeamPreview.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/10/TeamPreview.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1634111" style="width:259px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   14U Roster & Schedule   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/image_6cb029.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/image_6cb029.png?w=841" alt="" class="wp-image-2412243" /></a></figure>   15U Roster & Schedule   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/image_149804.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/image_149804.png?w=855" alt="" class="wp-image-2412244" /></a></figure>   16U Roster & Schedule   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/image_e0c8f1.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/image_e0c8f1.png?w=729" alt="" class="wp-image-2412245" /></a></figure>   14U Player & Team Comments from Josh Worley   Coach Jagger Worley - "Jagger will be in his 2nd year as a coach for the Elites. He grew up in Munich (ND) and had a successful career playing for Langdon Area-Edmore-Munich boys basketball team. He brings a wealth of basketball knowledge and has the "street credit" these young athletes love. He currently attends UND, is heavily involved in both intramural and amatuer basketball, and plans on teaching/coaching when he graduates."   [player_tooltip player_id='2412303' first='Conner' last='Mitchell']- "Conner's strength is his quickness and ball handling. He's small but runs the show offensively, leads the fast break, and creates scoring opportunities for his team. Excellent on ball defender as well. Was the starting point guard for a talented Langdon 8th grade team."   [player_tooltip player_id='2412302' first='Grady' last='Pankratz'] - "Grady is a smart player and you can't leave him open or he'll knock down shots all day. He can run the floor well and knows how to play the game. When he gets a little older he looks like he will be a slasher type of player. Played shooting guard for the Langdon 8th grade team."   [player_tooltip player_id='2412301' first='Dawson' last='Downs'] - "Dawson is already athletic. He is an all-around player who can shoot, handle the ball, play D, and is just a baller. We are looking for him to gain confidence, learn to attack the basket and figure out that he can hurt teams from many different levels. He has a bright future for that tough Langdon squad."   [player_tooltip player_id='2412300' first='Caleb' last='McDonald'] - "Caleb has the basketball build. He is a bit of a scoring machine who can get it done many different ways. He has a great mid-range shot and can rebound/put back with the best of em. Was the main post player for the Langdon 8th graders and a huge contributor to their success."   [player_tooltip player_id='2412299' first='Colton' last='Wilson'] - "Colton is long and lean. He is young but already has a nose for the ball. Plays great position basketball and uses those long arms and legs to his advantage. Colton was a major player in St. John's junior high program and they are expecting big things from him in the future."   [player_tooltip player_id='2412298' first='Ian' last='Westlind'] - "Ian is another kid with great size for his age. He runs the floor like a veteran, can shoot the 3 ball and can take you inside and use that size. He played on the JV team for Northstar and dressed varsity for the State Runners-Up. They no doubt have big plans for him."   [player_tooltip player_id='2412297' first='Caleb' last='Rainsberry'] - "Caleb is new to the team and is eager to learn and improve. He just needs to gain some confidence and good things will happen. He plays for the Nelson County junior high team that is loaded with talent."   15U Player Comments from Coach Worley   [player_tooltip player_id='2237765' first='Kaden' last='Moore'] - "Kaden is a coach on the floor and a sniper from outside. We are looking for him to run the show on offense, create problems on defense, and shoot whenever he's open. He earned All-District honors as the starting point guard for a North Border team that just missed going to the State Tourney this year."   [player_tooltip player_id='2237761' first='Evan' last='Tarvestad'] - "Even is a quick guard and a deadly shooter. He will knock down shots and will be looking for kicks. Hoping he brings the ball up some and gets the offense going. He had a real nice JV season and will be competing for varsity minutes next year."   [player_tooltip player_id='2412425' first='Tatum' last='Poitra'] - "Tatum is a strong guard for his size. He is smart and knows the game. He can shoot the ball well and we are looking for him to get better as the season goes on. Had a nice freshman year on a talent-filled Turtle Mountain team this past year."   [player_tooltip player_id='2237798' first='Taylen' last='Mehring'] - "Taylen's strengths are his shooting ability and experience. His shot is a thing of beauty and he's deceptively quick. He can hurt you in many ways and is a great on-ball defender. Played extensive minutes for Carrington this past season, turning into one of their main scoring threats."   [player_tooltip player_id='2347912' first='Emerson' last='Marum'] - "Emerson is a dude. He is athletic, smart, and can flat-out play. Great defender and rebounder and can score at all levels. He started varsity on a very nice Bottineau team this past season."   [player_tooltip player_id='2412426' first='Maddux' last='Stremick'] - "Maddux has more potential than he knows what to do with. He is another one of those sneaky athletic kids. Can score in bunches and is a ball-hawk always in the right place at the right time. He had a very successful JV season for Langdon and is looking at being a major contributor in the next few years."   [player_tooltip player_id='2412427' first='TJ' last='Henderson'] - "TJ is a lengthy, athletic kid that is growing into his new body. He is a good rebounder and a slasher type of player. If he gets that jump shot going good things are gonna happen. He came on very strong at the end of the JV season for Langdon and is looking for minutes next year."   [player_tooltip player_id='2237754' first='Weston' last='Cosley'] - "Wes is probably the most athletic kid we have pound for pound. His explosiveness helps him rebound well and he can guard anyone. He logged a lot of minutes on a very talented North Border team this past season."   [player_tooltip player_id='2237768' first='Nehemiah' last='Poitra'] - "Nehemiah is a scorer and plays a lot of ball. He can knock down 3s all day and runs the floor extremely well. He had a great season for Turtle Mountain earning extensive minutes at the varsity level by the end of the year."   16U Player & Team Comments from Josh Worley   Coach Jaden Lee - "Jaden is in his 2nd year helping out with the program as well. He grew up in Walhalla (ND) playing for a highly successful North Border basketball program. He went on to play one season for Minnesota State Community and Technical College in Fergus Falls (MN). We are looking for him to put that experience to use and implement the things he's learned from his playing years. Jaden works in the Farmers Union Insurance office in Cavalier (ND) and is interested in taking on more coaching duties in the future."   [player_tooltip player_id='2411225' first='Brody' last='Rainsberry'] - "If you look up point guard in the dictionary, Brody's pic is there. He can beat you off the dribble, create scoring opportunities for teammates, and score in many ways. He logged in quality minutes for a very impressive Nelson County team this past year and is looking at running the show there next year."   [player_tooltip player_id='2297738' first='Levi' last='Swanson'] - "Levi has a scorer's mentality. He is deadly when left open and can handle the ball well. He was a varsity starter most of the season for a powerful Langdon team and will be called upon to lead them next season from the guard position."   [player_tooltip player_id='1886038' first='Brody' last='Berg'] - "Brody's strengths are his experience and his demeanor. He is a sneaky scorer who moves without the ball well and gets himself into positions to make plays. He remains calm and understands situations. He had a successful year playing for North Border where they were one game away from making a state appearance."   [player_tooltip player_id='2412440' first='Tanner' last='McDonald'] - "Tanner is one of the best sophomore rebounders around. He uses his long build to crash the boards and just has a knack for being in the right place. He will hurt you badly with his 10' jumpers and put-backs. His varsity season started slow for Langdon, then he poured it on at the end of the year and was a major reason for their late-season run."   [player_tooltip player_id='2412439' first='Jack' last='Langerud'] - "Jack is a crazy-athletic lefty and hasn't even tapped into his potential. He is a great rebounder, good defender, and has a deadly jumper. Jack was one of the main players off the bench this past year for DVE and will be called upon to be a starter next year."   [player_tooltip player_id='2329512' first='Ryan' last='Pelletier'] - "Ryan's strengths are his size and length. Mostly a wing-type player, but he can take you inside or shoot a 3 in your face which makes him a matchup nightmare. Ryan was an All-District player for Cavalier this last season and was one of the reasons they had a very successful year."   [player_tooltip player_id='2412438' first='Landon' last='Sundeen'] - "Landon is a strong kid and knows how to play position basketball. He rebounds well, can guard a post, and is an opportunistic scorer. Landon had a strong JV season and logged in a lot of varsity minutes for Nelson County."   [player_tooltip player_id='2412437' first='Rider' last='Schmidt'] - "Rider is an athletic post that is powerful with the ball. He drives well and if he can pick up a few more post moves is gonna cause a lot of problems. He was one of the 1st ones off the bench for the new co-op Nelson County and will be a major player for them next year."   Q&A with Coach Worley   PHD: Can you tell us a little about your coaching/basketball background?   "I graduated from Jamestown College and took a teaching and coaching job right away down in Milnor, ND. Coached the boy's basketball team down there for 3 years with a lot of success. I then moved up to Edmore where I coached Adams-Edmore girl's team for 3 years before retiring for health reasons and wanting to watch my kids play their high school careers as a fan. I started doing local traveling teams with all my kids and their buddies and things just kinda escalated from there to where we are now. Last year I ran 2 teams and this year we are expanding to 3! It's great to get local kids involved and I have several former players that are getting involved in coaching so that's a bonus."   PHD: Why are you excited to coach this group?   14U - "Just looking forward to watching them grow as ball players. They are great kids and have a love for basketball that you can just see and feel when they step on the floor. They have the "basketball bug" and want to get better!"   15U - "The core of this crew have been playing together for quite a few years. They are already proven basketball players and once the new guys work in and get comfortable some really good things are gonna happen. I'm excited to push them and make them even better ballers than they already are."   16U - "The majority of this team played in quite a few tournaments last year together so they know what it's like and are ready to get after it. They all got extensive varsity minutes this past season so just excited to see what they can do. We also picked up some quality additions this year too who I am looking at being difference makers."   PHD: What will be the strengths of your team?   14U - "Their eagerness to learn and their early knowledge of the game will be their strengths. The sky's the limit for this crew and I look for them to get better every practice, game, and tournament."   15U - "The strength of this team is no doubt their playing experience. The roster is full of kids who got tons of minutes at the varsity level as freshmen. We are gonna use that to our advantage."   16U - "This is my team that really has some size. Not necessarily super tall kids, but they are big and strong. We are gonna bang some people around with this group for sure. I'd say they are definitely the most athletic team we have overall this year."   PHD: What style of basketball will you play?   "Overall, we are guard-heavy for the most part. All 3 teams have athletic kids who can really get after it though. We will look to use our speed to score in transition with our many playmakers out there. We are going to stress attacking the rim with our athletes, while at the same time looking for kickouts to the shooters. No need for a shot clock here as we are gonna shoot quickly and get back to work defensively, hopefully wearing teams down."   PHD: What will your team "hang your hat on"?   "Our teams will "hang our hat" on our hustling and our overall knowledge of the game of basketball. We have a ton of smart athletes on all our teams and are going to take full advantage of that. Exploiting mismatches, changing defenses, and just never letting teams get comfortable are what I want the kids to take pride in."   PHD: Who do you predict will be your top defender?   14U - "I think the combination of [player_tooltip player_id='2412300' first='Caleb' last='McDonald'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2412299' first='Colton' last='Wilson'] is gonna be a super one-two punch. They are both tall and have those long arms. Are gonna cause some problems for sure."   15U - "[player_tooltip player_id='2237754' first='Weston' last='Cosley'] is hyper-athletic and can stick with anyone. Most likely will draw the toughest defensive assignment each game. [player_tooltip player_id='2347912' first='Emerson' last='Marum'] will be able to match up with anyone as well. Looking for those 2 to really use their athleticism to create problems on the defensive side of the ball."   16U - "[player_tooltip player_id='2411225' first='Brody' last='Rainsberry'] has lightning-quick hands and can really bother the ball handlers. With his speed he will be able to stay with anyone and be a pest at all times. [player_tooltip player_id='2412439' first='Jack' last='Langerud'] will be called on to guard some bigger guys which he should have no problem because of his size and athletic ability."   PHD: What event/tournament are you looking forward to the most?   "Actually really looking forward to the Prep Hoops tourney in Minneapolis this May. We are expecting great competition and hoping to see some great basketball. The tournament at the Pentagon in Sioux Falls are always fun to hit as well. Tourneys are always run well, have great officiating, and top-notch facilities."   PHD: Do you see your team play man, zone, or a mix of both?   "We will really be stressing the aggressive man defense, especially on our younger teams. Of course, I love to mix up defenses and throw many different looks at teams. We will just kinda see how the year goes. Having a tenacious man-to-man makes any zone you do that much better! Looking forward to mixing it up."   PHD: Will your team get together and practice?   "If we aren't playing in a tournament I will put on some sort of workout. We move around to local gyms and move around the different communities involved which seems to work out pretty well."   PHD: What are your goals for this AAU/grassroots season?   "I think the main goal is just to get some of these newer kids exposed to the world of basketball outside of their local teams and communities. I really stress the fundamentals and teaching "positionless basketball". I'm trying to build ball players, not robots and I would say that would have to be the main goal for the season. On-ball defense will also be a main area of emphasis."   PHD: Who are some of your top shooters?   14U- "[player_tooltip player_id='2412302' first='Grady' last='Pankratz'] is a proven shooter. He has a quick release and is not afraid to pull the trigger. [player_tooltip player_id='2412303' first='Conner' last='Mitchell'] has a beautiful outside shot too and has such quickness that getting shots off shouldn't be a problem for him. [player_tooltip player_id='2412298' first='Ian' last='Westlind'] is our tallest player but has the ability to take people outside too and knock down shots. He's a mismatch for sure all day long."   15U- "[player_tooltip player_id='2237765' first='Kaden' last='Moore'] has a ton of experience already and has shown all year that he can light it up. Looking for him to create a lot but it's a green light if he's open for sure. [player_tooltip player_id='2237798' first='Taylen' last='Mehring'] can not be left alone. Looking for him to open up games from the outside."   16U- "[player_tooltip player_id='2297738' first='Levi' last='Swanson'] is dangerous when he gets going. He shoots with confidence and is always looking to score. [player_tooltip player_id='2329512' first='Ryan' last='Pelletier'] is a long kid who can knock em down from anywhere. Looking for him to be a multi-level player."   Best of luck to [program_tooltip program_id='2412528' first='Northern' last='Elites']!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Northerneliteslogo.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/05/Northerneliteslogo.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1969714" /></a></figure>

We have three Team Previews for you in this article. All things Northern Elites !