SD Identity 17U: Preview

PHD is brining you another Team Preview. South Dakota Identity has a ton of talent and I am excited to watch them hoop!   We will see [program_tooltip program_id='2145852' first='SD' last='Identity'] at two Prep Hoops events. Battle At The Lakes and Stomping Grounds.   [program_tooltip program_id='2145852' first='SD' last='Identity'] tipped the season off this weekend at The Scheels League down in the Twin Cities.   Make sure you take some time to watch this group, you will not be disappointed!   See below for Identity's roster, schedule, player comments, and a Q&A session with coach Greg Kahler.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/SDidentity.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/SDidentity.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-2417723" style="width:190px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   [program_tooltip program_id='2145852' first='SD' last='Identity'] Roster   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/image_082a6a.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/image_082a6a.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2417725" /></a></figure>   [program_tooltip program_id='2145852' first='SD' last='Identity'] Schedule   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/image_17ca6f.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/image_17ca6f.png?w=791" alt="" class="wp-image-2417924" /></a></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image"><img /></figure>   Player Comments from Coach Kahler   [player_tooltip player_id='1263155' first='Luke' last='Bruns'] - 6'2 Guard - Dakota Valley   "Luke had himself a great junior campaign. Receiving 2nd team All-State honors, and helping lead his team to a 3rd place State Tournament finish. He has established himself as one of the best players in the state. Can fill it up from anywhere on the court. Great shooter from beyond the arc, and has a really nice mid-range game. Something overlooked in his game is his rebounding ability. He always pursues the ball after shot attempts. Overall, the kid is a winner, and knows what it takes to win!"   [player_tooltip player_id='1380720' first='Paul' last='Parsley'] - 6'3 Guard - Flandreau   "Paul had a breakout junior season. Establishing himself as a well-rounded point guard who always makes the right decisions. He'll be running our offense this summer, which suits him well, as he is always trying to get into the lane and find his teammates for open looks. Paul is very crafty at getting to the rim and using his length and athleticism to finish over defenders. His biggest value is the overall toughness he brings to the floor. Any challenge he faces, he attacks it head-on without fear."   [player_tooltip player_id='1406999' first='Kyle' last='Virtue'] - 6'5 Forward- Custer   "Kyle capped off his junior season earning All-State Honorable Mention. He's one of the best players from the western part of the state. Kyle is a hybrid forward who has the ability to stretch outside and hit shots, or take guys off the dribble and efficiently get to the rim. But one of his strongest attributes is his footwork in the lane. He will present a lot of mismatch opportunities for us this summer, and will surely impress with his style of play."   [player_tooltip player_id='1263164' first='Maverick' last='Nelson'] - 6'2 Guard - Sioux Valley   "Mav comes from a very successful high school program and is one of the best coaches our state has to offer. He knows how to play the game at a high level, and consistently makes the right decisions. He's a deadeye in catch-and-shoot situations. Which is where I anticipate most of his points will come from this summer. He gets into open areas and always knocks them down. High IQ player. We plan to use his toughness and IQ to our benefit. I truly believe that Mav is going to take his game to a different level this summer.”   [player_tooltip player_id='1399817' first='Tad' last='Tjaden'] - 6'6 Forward - Dell Rapids   "Tad is a powerful wing player who can score from anywhere on the floor. His size and length help him shoot over defenders from beyond the arc and finish above defenders at the rim. He's a matchup nightmare. Can hit shots, get to the rim, post you up, come off screens, setting the screens into rolls, short rolls, or pops. We're going to use him in countless actions to get both himself and his teammates good looks. He uses his body really well to bump defenders away from him when attacking the rim. He's a very unique prospect that brings a lot to the table."   [player_tooltip player_id='1441395' first='Nyun' last='Dut'] - 6'4 Guard - O'Gorman   "Nyun is a super tough player. He's very strong. Which makes him effective getting to the rim. He bounces defenders away from him in the lane. He's got a good shot from outside. Very good off the bounce. We're going to try and open up driving lanes for him to use his athleticism to attack the rim relentlessly. One thing I've been impressed with thus far with him, is his willingness to pass and find the open man. He's also a gritty defender and a good rebounder for the guard position. This is going to be a breakout summer for Nyun."   [player_tooltip player_id='2278036' first='Mach' last='Mayen'] - 6'5 Forward - Brandon Valley   "Mach is an extremely athletic wing presence. He's explosive and has some eye-popping bounce, so getting to the rim and finishing over defenders is where he'll make his name. He's got good skill when he gets downhill. Tough and physical defender who looks to send shots away. Hard on the glass. He's a multi-position player. He can guard every position as well and play like guard, or fight down low on the block. We will use him at multiple positions with our sets and actions. I think a lot of people will be surprised by his upside."   [player_tooltip player_id='1535880' first='Jack' last='Kloth'] - 6'9 Center - Dell Rapids   "Jack is a very nice prospect. Great length to his frame. Makes the smart plays, doesn't force anything. Good around the rim in back-to-basket situations. Elite rim protector and rebounder. I foresee Jack in a big screener role. Looking to find the open areas to get into to make a play. He's got a big summer of growth ahead of him."   Gavin Rieck - 6'3 Guard - Southwest MN Christian   "Gavin comes to us from Minnesota. So he's unknown around our area. But, he is a very smart and disciplined basketball player. He's got a nice shot from deep, with great mechanics and footwork that help him in catch-and-shoot situations. He's a high IQ player, always making the right plays, and never forcing issues with the ball. He understands how to play good team basketball. Gav has big upside and is going to be a great piece to our team."   Q&A with coach Greg Kahler   PHD: Can you tell me a little about your coaching/basketball background?   “I've been coaching AAU for the last 6 years now. And doing skill development training for the last 8. Have coached and trained a lot of players over the years, and it never gets old.”   PHD: Why are you excited to coach this group?   “Our program sets a premium on character. And all of these are full of great character. They want to be pushed. They want to learn the game. And they're willing to buy into our programs' standards, to play tough and selfless basketball. Hard not to be excited when you have a selfless group who is hungry to prove something.”   PHD: What will be the strengths of your team?   “Our versatility and shooting ability will hopefully set us apart. We have a few very athletic guys that can pressure on the rim, and can find our shooters outside for quality looks. These kids are smart basketball players who are quickly learning how to play efficient offensive basketball.”   PHD: What style of basketball will you play?   “We aim for this team to play disciplined and high-IQ basketball. We spend a lot of time teaching these guys how to play efficient offense, with various actions and flow. Can expect a lot of dribble drive, opening up double gaps for our playmakers to get downhill to catch defenders out of position. Playing out of a lot of empty side ball screens, zoom action, and post possessions with split screens.”   -What will your team "hang your hat on"?   “Playing a brand of basketball that spectators and college coaches enjoy watching. We will not be a team that plays “my turn” basketball. High IQ, unselfish basketball is our standard and we plan to meet that standard any chance we get. As well as tough and disciplined pressure defense.”   PHD: Who do you predict will be your top defender?   “[player_tooltip player_id='1535880' first='Jack' last='Kloth'] is going to provide us with valuable rim protection with his length and 6'9 frame. Additionally, [player_tooltip player_id='2278036' first='Mach' last='Mayen'] has shown his willingness to make things extremely difficult for his opponent. His incredible athleticism helps him disrupt multiple shot attempts. [player_tooltip player_id='1263164' first='Maverick' last='Nelson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1380720' first='Paul' last='Parsley'] are other ones I believe will show their defensive prowess. Their discipline and toughness afford them well in matching up with opposing teams top guards.”   PHD: What event/tournament are you looking forward to the most?   “Not to sound cliche but we look forward to every tournament. Every tournament is an opportunity to grow, get better, and gain more exposure for these kids. We are excited to be part of the PH Circuit again.”   PHD: Do you see your team play man, zone, or a mix?   “I have strong beliefs against running zone in summer basketball. We will be playing man defense.”   PHD: Will your team get together and practice?   “We have already had a few weekends of practice thus far. In the early stages, we host two-a-days and structure our practices to get the most gain out of our players. We spend a good portion of time working on skill sets, shooting, small-sided read and react situations. I believe our practices set us apart from others. Our number 1 priority is making these kids better. And you can't do that if you're not providing them with the tools to do so.”   PHD: What are your goals for this AAU/grassroots season?   “Help these players become better overall players, and provide them the platform to showcase their skill sets to area collegiate coaches. Our 3 main priorities are, in this order: growth and development, exposure and recruitment, and play a brand of ball that helps us win games.”   PHD: Who are some of your top shooters?   “[player_tooltip player_id='1263155' first='Luke' last='Bruns'], [player_tooltip player_id='1263164' first='Maverick' last='Nelson'], and Gavin Rieck are our 3 best shooters. All shoot with great mechanics and footwork. And the 3 of them shoot it with supreme confidence.”   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/SD-Identity-blue-crop-2632x1729-1713643544.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/SD-Identity-blue-crop-2632x1729-1713643544.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-2417929" /></a></figure>

PHD is brining you another Team Preview. South Dakota Identity has a ton of talent and I am excited to watch them hoop!