Red River Valley Elites: Team Preview

This article looks at a brand new AAU/grassroots team from North Dakota/Minnesota.   Red River Valley Elites has a quality mix of ballers from ND & MN and PHD is excited to watch this group at two Prep Hoops events this spring! This group has intriguing talent and they have a knowledgeable coach.   See below for RRV Elites roster, schedule, player comments, and an interesting Q&A session with coach Bryce Laxdal.   <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:380px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Roster   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/RRVelitesroster.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/RRVelitesroster.jpg?w=1021" alt="" class="wp-image-2415259" /></a></figure>   Schedule   April 13-14 - Comets Shootout   April 20-21 - Sanford Spring Jam   May 10-12 - Prep Hoops: Battle At The Lakes   May 17-19 - Prep Hoops: Stomping Grounds   June 8-9 - Sanford Hardwood Challenge   June 28-29 - Great Plains Alliance   Player Comments from Bryce Laxdal   [player_tooltip player_id='1165355' first='Grant' last='Cosley'] - "North Border had a great season, they were a young team who improved a ton throughout the year and got to a State Qualifier game. They have a great coach in Dany Moore who will have them ready for a run this upcoming year. Grant is a terrific PG, who can get to the rim and finish in a multitude of ways. He has developed a really nice outside shot over the past few seasons. I have coached Grant for 4 AAU seasons and he's a winner, love watching him compete."   [player_tooltip player_id='1770389' first='Kyler' last='Droog'] - "Grafton was one of the best teams in A this past season and Kyle was a huge part of that, Coach Lillemoen always has them ready. Kyler dominated in St. Cloud this past weekend. He was a beast on the boards and scored down low often, in the Championship Kyler knocked down 3 3's. If he can add another dimension to his game, the sky's the limit."   [player_tooltip player_id='1705524' first='Gavin' last='Krogstad'] - "Thompson was another team that really developed nicely as the season progressed last year and Gavin was a big reason why. This will be my second AAU season with Gavin, he has great length and the ability to score inside and out. He looks to have added some muscle to his frame, he will be an X-factor for us this AAU season."   [player_tooltip player_id='1165392' first='Karter' last='Peterson'] - "Thompson, touched on them above, lost in a State Qualifier. I have known Karter for about 12 years, this will be my 4th AAU season with him. He's developed into one of the best posts in the State. When Karter is able to play this summer he will be a game-changer for us, he is a terrific athlete and just signed to play football at UND."   [player_tooltip player_id='1165097' first='Ben' last='Gudajtes'] - "Midway-Minto, Ben was an All-Region player this season for Shane Robinson and Midway-Minto, I would look for them to make another deep postseason run next year and Ben will be a huge part of that. I have coached Ben longer than anyone on this team, this will be my 5th AAU season with him. Ben is our Swiss army knife, he guards the other team's best player, and usually inbounds the ball for us. He is trusted to make the right plays at the right time, he's the type of kid that doesn't need to score all the time to have a positive impact on the game."   Ty Vig - "Kittson County Central, I honestly do not know much about their program but I have been impressed with Ty. Ty is 6"5 and 185 pounds and he is an absolute monster on the glass. He has had a few dunks already this spring and each time I thought he was going to break the backboard, he is a walking double-double."   [player_tooltip player_id='1541300' first='Cameron' last='Cordero'] - "Lisbon surprised a few teams this season in A and Cam was a big reason why, he is an explosive scorer. I absolutely love the way Cam plays the game, he's a little undersized but he will still dominate in a game where he scores more in the paint than most centers. He is an elite scorer whether it's inside or out, Cam is fearless."   Carson McDonald - "East Grand Forks made a run to Sectional Semi-Finals, they will return a ton. Carson is silky smooth and can fill it up from deep, deep. He hit a huge 3 in the Championship to seal the deal for us in St. Cloud! His Dad is a ND Legend!"   Chase Lindgren - "East Grand Forks, mentioned above. Chase is a very smart player, who continuously makes the right reads and decisions. You can tell his dad is a former coach and college player!"   [player_tooltip player_id='1547252' first='Keelan' last='Monson'] - "Northern Cass, was a starter for our 15-7 Northern Cass team this season, will be looking to take on more of a leadership/scoring role next year. Keelan is an X-factor on the glass and a very tough defender. Playing against tougher competition once the track season is complete will be huge for him next year."   Q&A with coach Laxdal   PHD: Can you tell me a little about your coaching/basketball background?   "Current Head BBB coach and AD at Northern Cass High School. TJ Cosley is also helping coach, he's got a good knack for it already as a young guy!"   PHD: How did the 1st Tourney go and who played well?   "We won the Leader Division at the Comets shootout. It was a total team effort but [player_tooltip player_id='1770389' first='Kyler' last='Droog'] and Ty Vig absolutely dominated inside, [player_tooltip player_id='1541300' first='Cameron' last='Cordero'] was a scoring machine. [player_tooltip player_id='1165097' first='Ben' last='Gudajtes'] was a shutdown defender. [player_tooltip player_id='1165355' first='Grant' last='Cosley'] makes us go, he tweaked an ankle in the semi-final game and we had to finish the weekend with 6 guys. Lindgen and McDonald both hit big 3's in the semi-final and Championship."   PHD: What type of defense do you play?   "Man to man, little 1-3-1 after and TO."   PHD: What will be the strengths of your team?   "Inside game, we should be very physically dominating inside. We need to get post-touches early and often."   PHD: What style of basketball will you play?   "We will get out and run off a miss, after that initial break we need to assert ourselves inside."   PHD: Who do you predict will be your top defender?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1165097' first='Ben' last='Gudajtes']. He can guard anyone 1-5, he understands how to take away someone's strengths."   PHD: Will your team get together and practice?   "We try to practice on Wednesday nights, when we can."   PHD: What are your goals for this AAU/grassroots season?   "Give these boys a chance to play more basketball, get a little more exposure. My biggest goal is to help them get ready for their Winter Seasons, I enjoyed watching all of their success the past few seasons."   PHD: Who are some of the top shooters?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1541300' first='Cameron' last='Cordero'], Chase Lindgren, and Carson McDonald all have the green light from anywhere."   PHD: What trip/tourney are you most looking forward to?   "Stomping Grounds will likely be my favorite tourney of the year. I think Sioux Falls has the best set-up for watching as much basketball as possible under one roof and the competition will be great!"   Best of Luck to Red River Valley Elites!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><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" /></a></figure>

This article looks at a brand new AAU/grassroots team from North Dakota/Minnesota.