SSA 15U Black: Introduction

In this piece, PHD is focusing on [program_tooltip program_id='2222672' first='Sanford' last='Sports Academy'] 15U Black out of Fargo, ND.   Kyle Cummings is the head coach for SSA 15U Black and they are off to a hot start!   Last weekend, this squad tipped off the grassroots season and they came home with a 3-1 record. Coach Cummings' squad made a run all the way to the Championship at the Comets Shootout.   SSA 15U Black collected wins in St. Cloud over MN Magic 68-57, MN Fury Hibbs 61-52, and Rocori 61-30. They lost in the Championship to MN Fury Wilde 68-50.   See below for player comments, schedule, roster, and a Q&A session.   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://youtu.be/2EnMHZWONl8?si=7UCVcU_54F3uXZ9R </div></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SanfordSportsAcademyPreview_b83a91.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SanfordSportsAcademyPreview_b83a91.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2838191" style="width:382px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Player Comments from Coach Cummings   - #1 [player_tooltip player_id='2378095' first='Bridger' last='Bloms']   "Guard for Bismarck Legacy. Had a great first tournament. HE CAN GUARD! Picks up full court and never quits. He made the officials call a 10-second violation in the backcourt. Impressive speed and quickness. Tight handle helps him get downhill and create for others."   - #5 [player_tooltip player_id='2411564' first='Knox' last='Collins']   "Combo guard from Fargo Davies. He can score from all three levels. Looks good in the ball screen making reads. He's at his best attacking in straight lines and spotting up for kick-outs. Had a good first weekend defending on the ball. Good athlete with a ton of upside!"   - #10 [player_tooltip player_id='2543460' first='Braxton' last='Deutsch']   "Classic shooting guard from WF Sheyenne. He will help space this team out from the perimeter. He shot the ball well from the three-point line the first weekend.  When he attacks closeouts, he makes decisions really early to get others the ball in their spots. He rebounded surprisingly well from the guard spot for the first weekend."   - #21 [player_tooltip player_id='2415382' first='Ben' last='Brodina']   "Another combo guard that can score from all three levels. He was excellent the first weekend at picking and choosing when to create for others and when to create for himself. In the first weekend of play he had two games in which he hit four 3s in. He has a quick first step when slashing to the rim, but needs to work on getting to two feet."   - #23 [player_tooltip player_id='2573714' first='Christian' last='Beil']   "Played on the JV squad for the Mustangs this winter. Lefty that can get by guys using his strong hand. He was injured the first tournament but we are looking forward to adding another guard to the rotation that works his butt off on the defensive end and rebounds it at a high level. Most impressive part about Christian so far is how vocal of a leader he is on the court."   - #33 [player_tooltip player_id='2417304' first='Stuart' last='Deutsch']   "True PG that ran the 1 this year for Fargo Davies. Stu had a great first weekend getting the ball across the half line and swinging it to get us into our offense. Stu does a great job of changing pace and changing direction to get to the paint and create for others. He didn't look to shoot it much the first tournament but came up clutch in a couple of games, knocking down big free throws."   - #40 [player_tooltip player_id='2412050' first='Wyatt' last='Knudsen']   "Wyatt is a LONG and STRONG player that can play both inside and out. He is a magnet when rebounding and looks to push the ball in transition. He blocked a number of shots this weekend, got on the floor for loose balls, and took what the defense gave him on offense. He can finish left or right-handed around the rim when posting up and is starting to be more aggressive from the perimeter."   -#42 [player_tooltip player_id='2413724' first='Theo' last='Paye']   "Theo is going to be a matchup nightmare this spring/summer. He has a tight handle and a quick first step, he uses to get by guys. He plays well off of two feet in the paint and has Dwight Howard shoulders to help him finish everything around the rim. This weekend he was a corner sniper and knocked down a number of threes off of kickouts. Most impressively he shut down one game at the Whitney because of a MONSTER dunk in traffic."   Schedule & Roster   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/image_8d0a11.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/image_8d0a11.png?w=868" alt="" class="wp-image-2842126" /></a></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/image_80b2a6.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/image_80b2a6.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-2842128" style="width:873px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/QA.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/08/QA.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2511663" style="width:359px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   With Coach Cummings   PHD: What excites you about this team/roster?   "We have a great group of kids that are going to work their butt off on the defensive end."   PHD: How often will your team practice/work out?   "We will have weekly workouts and at least one practice before each tournament to focus on team O/D."   PHD: What are your goals for this team?   "At the 15U level, a big focus will be on playing as a team. We have some nice pieces, but getting these guys to move the ball at a high level will be a huge goal for myself as the coach."   PHD: What are a couple of your strengths as a team?   "Half-court defense, rebounding, playing fast in transition O."   PHD: What style of basketball will you play on the offensive end?   "We will run a free-flowing offense, trying to teach guys HOW to play and make reads. We will run some special sets here and there, but the focus will be on trying to play conceptual and positionless basketball."   PHD: What brand of defense will you play?    "Stingy half-court defense! We have the ability to switch a lot and keep ball pressure. We can also be aggressive going for steals with having two impressive shot blockers."   PHD: Is there an event/tournament you are most looking forward to?   "ALL OF THEM! Playing against the best competition in the Midwest is always a great experience."   PHD: What do you foresee being the identity of your team?   "A team that others look at and think, Wow, they play a FUN brand of basketball. We want to play FAST on both ends of the floor."   BEST OF LUCK TO SSA 15U BLACK THIS SEASON!!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SanfordSportsAcademyPreview_b83a91.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/SanfordSportsAcademyPreview_b83a91.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2838191" /></a></figure>

In this piece, PHD is focusing on Sanford Sports Academy SF 15U Black out of Fargo, ND.