ECI '25 Prospects: Team Profile

It is time to take a look at the top [program_tooltip program_id='2078372' first='ECI' last=''] squad, the 2025 Prospects!   [program_tooltip program_id='2078372' first='ECI' last=''] 2025 Prospects has had a fire start to the season and we will see them this weekend at Prep Hoops Battle At The Lakes! Coach Moormann's team is in Pool A and they will see tough competition all weekend. If you are in the Twin Cities these next few days, take some time to watch this squad. PHD will certainly be watching!   See below for the [program_tooltip program_id='2078372' first='ECI' last=''] Prospects schedule, roster, player comments, and a deep dive Q&A session with coach Lucas Moormann!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/image_7334b6.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/image_7334b6.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2436033" style="width:231px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   <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:232px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   SCHEDULE   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/image_b5159f.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/image_b5159f.png?w=863" alt="" class="wp-image-2436051" /></a></figure>   [program_tooltip program_id='2078372' first='ECI' last=''] '25 Prospects ROSTER   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/image_3e7231.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/image_3e7231.png?w=714" alt="" class="wp-image-2436052" /></a></figure>   Player Comments from Coach Moormann   [player_tooltip player_id='1931467' first='Payton' last='Schell'] (Minot High) - "24-3 High School season making it to the AA State Tournament where they lost in the semis. Payton, Aric, and Grayson were a big part of this success!"   "**Payton is a lengthy guard who has become a solid defender and a tremendous shot blocker with his long wingspan. He is deadly from the 3 but can also score at the other levels."   [player_tooltip player_id='1169135' first='Pearce' last='Parks'] (Grand Forks Red River) - "Red River struggled as a team in the EDC as far as record but will be returning the majority of players going into next season. Pearce and Cam will be a big part of their team!"   "**Pearce is a strong guard who always plays at a good pace. His first step makes him hard to guard along with him being able to attack right or left, finishing with both hands. He can also stretch the floor to 3."   [player_tooltip player_id='1177134' first='Aric' last='Winczewski'] (Minot High) - "24-3 High School season making it to the AA State Tournament where they lost in the semis. Aric, Payton, and Grayson were a big part of this success!"   "**Aric is the type of player that every coach wants to have! He plays hard every possession, is super coachable, and does all the little things. Aric makes other players better when he's on the floor. He can score from all 3 levels and is a tough defender."   [player_tooltip player_id='1497483' first='Cameron' last='Klefstad'] (Grand Forks Red River) - "Red River struggled as a team in the EDC as far as record but will be returning majority of players going into next season. Cam and Pearce will be a big part of their team!"   "**Cam is a big wing who can play the 3-5. He will also do the dirty work and pick up a bucket here and there from hustling. He can guard all positions and has become a good rebounder as well. His strength makes him a tough matchup."   [player_tooltip player_id='1189404' first='Brady' last='Westphal'] (Horace) - "Horace struggled as a team this year in the EDC with a young team but will be returning many players and should be right in the middle of the pack next year."   "**Brady is another player who does the little things. He is very coachable and will play whatever role to help his team win! He is a good 3-point shooter but also had a nice floater when attacking in the lane."   [player_tooltip player_id='2406805' first='Parker' last='Brodina'] (Devils Lake) - "Had a high school season record of 26-2 and went on to win the ND State Class A championship. Parker and Joel played a huge role on the championship team."   "**Parker is the definition of “toughness”. He can score at all 3 levels and is very good at recognizing his advantages when someone is guarding him. He has very good footwork in the post and with his athleticism, it makes him a tough matchup."   [player_tooltip player_id='1769085' first='Joel' last='Nelson'] (Devils Lake) - "Had a high school season record of 26-2 and went on to win the ND State Class A championship. Joel and Parker played a huge role on the championship team."   "**Joel is a fearless player who is a force on both ends of the floor. He has been really good around the rim because of his good footwork and the ability to score with both hands. He has also proven to be able to stretch the floor, hitting multiple 3's this year."   [player_tooltip player_id='1177138' first='Grayson' last='Schaeffer'] (Minot High) - "24-3 High School season making it to the AA State Tournament where they lost in the semis. Grayson, Payton, and Aric were a big part of this success!"   "**Grayson is a fun player to coach as he's willing to do whatever for the team to have success. Grayson is very athletic which allows for him to play above the rim while finishing and rebounding. He plays good defense and takes pride in doing the little things on both ends of the floor!"   "Owen Chervestad (Red Lake County) - Owen ended high school season this year 25-4 losing in the Subsection semifinal. Owen led his team in assists, rebounds, blocks, and steals this year!"   "**Owen joins the program this year from MN and he has fit right in with this group. Owen sees the floor very well making him a phenomenal passer. Even though he's a pass-first guard he is also a good shooter and creative around the rim. He's also a pesky defender who likes to pick up full-court."   Q&A with Lucas Moormann   PHD: Can you tell me a bit about your coaching/basketball background?   "I played basketball at NDSU from 04-09. After college, I went on to coach boys' basketball at Century High School and also got on coaching AAU with [program_tooltip program_id='2078372' first='ECI' last=''] Basketball. I coached at Century HS for 10 years and ended up taking over the [program_tooltip program_id='2078372' first='ECI' last=''] program in 2014. Since then, I have coached the 17U Prospects and currently am coaching 7th grade boys A basketball at Simle Middle School."   PHD: Why has it been exciting to coach this group?   "It has been such a fun and exciting start to the year with this group because they flat out know how to compete. They are willing to share the ball, do the little things, and accept their roles on a new team than what we had last year. They also are all so coachable which has made it fun for me!"   PHD: What have been the strengths of your team?   "The strengths of our team have been toughness and solid defense. For the most part, we haven't turned the ball over much and each of our kids has played good defense on and off the ball. The couple of games we have lost have come down to us getting lazy on defense or not having help in the right spot. Another strength of this group is playing unselfish and willing to accept their role on this team which may be different than their high school team."   PHD: What style of basketball have you been playing?   "Like most of our 15u-17u teams in our program, we just run a motion offense based on the personnel we have on the team. With us not having weekly practices, we put a lot of stock into playing tough defense with an offense where we move the ball, cut hard, and try to find a mismatch. This year we have mostly been a 4 out 1 motion."   PHD: What does your team "hang your hat on"?   "We hang our hat on hard work and tough D. There haven't and won't be many games where we get outworked."   PHD: Who has been your top defender & why?   "Our top defender so far has been either Aric, Payton, or Owen. Each of them brings a different aspect to that side of the ball. Aric's on-ball and off-ball defense is really good, Payton's length makes it tough for guards to score inside, and Owen's full-court pressure wears on the opposing guards."   PHD: What event/tournament are you looking forward to the most and why?   "I would say Prep Hoops Last Dance in Chicago because we get to see some different teams and get away to a different area of the country."   PHD: Do you see your team play man, zone, or a mix of both?   "We will only play man. College coaches don't want to see kids play in a zone. They want to be able to see how kids can guard the ball and how they defend off the ball."   PHD: Does your team get together and practice, if so how often?   "So far, we have had one practice and a few of the kids couldn't make it. It's tough with kids being from all over the area so we put more stock into getting in the gym on their own and our weekly workouts that we offer in Minot, Bismarck, Grand Forks, or Fargo."   PHD: What are your goals for this AAU/grassroots season?   "My goal this year and every year is to get the team playing their best basketball by the end of the year. Also, to coach all of them to do the little things that make big differences (box out, take charges, communicate on D, make the extra pass, dive on the floor, ect). Lastly, to get them to understand (which they are already seeing) that hard work can get you far in life on and off the floor."   PHD: Who are some of the top shooters?   "Honestly, on this team, they are all good shooters and have had their games. I would say our most consistent shooters game to game have been [player_tooltip player_id='2406805' first='Parker' last='Brodina'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1931467' first='Payton' last='Schell']."   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/image_07372c.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/05/image_07372c.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2436050" /></a></figure>

It is time to take a look at the top ECI squad, the 2025 Prospects!