ND Phenom 17U Symens: Team Intro

[program_tooltip program_id='2075741' first='ND' last='Phenom'] 17U Symens enters the weekend with plenty of momentum after a dominant showing at the Scheels Prospect League, where they went a perfect 5-0 and brought home the championship. It's a strong early statement for a group that has been building toward this moment for years.   This roster is loaded with North Dakota talent and length, and potential. The core of this team has developed chemistry, trust, and a clear understanding of expectations. That continuity shows up on the floor, where they blend shooting, size, and athleticism with a team-first approach and a willingness to compete every possession.   PHD is excited to get a fresh look at NDP this weekend at Battle At The Lakes as they look to carry their early success into another round of high-level competition. There's a lot to like about how this team is built, and if opening weekend was any indication, they're a group that could make noise all spring and summer.   Take a look below for a deeper dive into the team to see the schedule, roster, player comments, and an interesting Q&A to get a better feel for what makes this squad tick.   "It was a really fun weekend of growth. Coming into May without playing yet, you don't know what you're going to get. I think every game we got more and comfortable together. The guys did a great job of just competing as hard as they could for each other. Was a really fun first tournament. The standards are established and excited to keep growing as a team." -Nate Symens   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/ND-Phenom-Preview-1.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/04/ND-Phenom-Preview-1.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2851640" style="width:309px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/image_27a7ee.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/image_27a7ee.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3627178" style="aspect-ratio:1.5398928177902433;width:680px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Roster   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/image_bdb352.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/image_bdb352.png?w=725" alt="" class="wp-image-3627177" style="width:398px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Player Comments vis Coach Maurer    "[player_tooltip player_id='2116300' first='Ahmi' last='Spears'] is a 6'9” switchable athlete. Plays above the rim. He has a decent outside shot and back-to-the-basket game. His best days are absolutely ahead of him as he has started to master his own body and grow his confidence."     "[player_tooltip player_id='1484338' first='Brooks' last='Bakko'] is out for the season with an ankle injury and his commitment to play college football for the Gophers."     "[player_tooltip player_id='2132837' first='Drew' last='Jordan'] shoots and cuts at an incredible level. He is a guy who can score 20 points in a game without needing to put the ball on the floor. Very long. Very bouncy. He is new to our program and I think coaches will be surprised with how talented he is."     "[player_tooltip player_id='2237681' first='Eli' last='Undlin'] is probably the most underrated player in North Dakota. He is a 6'4” wing who shoots it at an incredibly high clip, while playing above the rim, rebounding at a high level, and creating at a high level."     "[player_tooltip player_id='2237726' first='Oakley' last='Trueblood'] is that prototypical athletic stretch 4. Shoots it at an incredibly high level. He has 2 NSIC offers and is trending upward."     "[player_tooltip player_id='1651920' first='Owen' last='Terras'] is a very long wing. 6'6” with a longer wingspan. Incredible cutter. Great feel. Very advanced understanding of basketball and pattern recognition. High IQ on both sides of the floor."     "[player_tooltip player_id='1863062' first='Najeh' last='Boyd'] is an uber-quick guard who can pick up full court for an entire game. He can fill it up from 3. He finishes at an incredibly high clip. He has the ball on a string."     "[player_tooltip player_id='2106993' first='Nelson' last='Decoteau'] is a throwback big. Physicality and [player_tooltip player_id='2106993' first='Nelson' last='Decoteau'] are synonymous. He has spent the last 2 seasons playing up and gaining experience and we are excited to see Nelson really get to expand himself playing at his own age level."     "[player_tooltip player_id='1657449' first='Weston' last='Scott'] is the best floor general that has played for the [program_tooltip program_id='2075741' first='ND' last='Phenom']. He runs a team incredibly well, but can take over as a scorer. He has 3 NSIC offers currently."    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/QA.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/QA.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2508303" style="aspect-ratio:1.6018969832696615;width:199px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   With Jordan Maurer   PHD: What excites you most about this group?   "We run youth tournaments as fundraisers. Every player on this team is a kid that we identified early through our events. Some as early as 3rd grade.  So this has truly been a team that is almost a decade in the making. It is not often that we get to watch players grow and develop for as long as we did. We feel we have a group of 9 that can compete with anyone. We are down [player_tooltip player_id='1484338' first='Brooks' last='Bakko'] this season as he decided to go the football route and committed to the University of Minnesota, which brought our roster to 8. What excites me about those 8 is that 7 of the 8 guys are returners to our program and understand how we do things. Our lone newcomer is [player_tooltip player_id='2132837' first='Drew' last='Jordan'], and he feels a need as a super high-level shooter. We are also excited to have [player_tooltip player_id='1657449' first='Weston' last='Scott'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2106993' first='Nelson' last='Decoteau'] playing with their own age level, as they have played up for us in the past. We think this group is very talented and hard working 1-8. They all have high expectations of themselves and each other. This is a group that embodies “the work is the work” and a group that understands the amount of work that is required to get the level of outcome that we all want and expect."   PHD: What are this team's biggest strengths on the court?   "This group is super experienced in playing in our program. They have great chemistry on both ends of the floor. We have a good blend of size, length, athleticism, and a plethora of shooting options. Our non-bigs shot around 39% from 3 in the high school season as a group."   PHD: What are your goals or expectations for this team this spring/summer?   "Our goal is to give every team our best shot, every possession, every game. With the level of competition that we play, we hope to be in a lot of very competitive games that are down to the wire and to have every opposing team that we play and every college coach that watches us play feel that we left it all on the court, whether it is a game at 8:00 on a Saturday morning or at 5:00 on a Sunday afternoon."   PHD: What will your defense "hang its hat on"?   "Communication, physicality, contesting shots, and defensive rebounding. We feel that defense is almost exclusively just about effort and having the mindset that I, as an individual player, will not be the reason that the opponent gets a lay up, an open 3, or an offensive rebound."   PHD: What style of play can fans expect on both ends of the floor?    "We have the ability to play in transition. In the half-court, it is all about execution, valuing the basketball, and getting great shots."   PHD: Who do you think will be your best rebounders?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2106993' first='Nelson' last='Decoteau'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2116300' first='Ahmi' last='Spears'] will need to anchor us on the glass, and we expect to rebound by committee."   PHD: What's a strength of this team that might not get noticed right away?   "Coach Nate Symens has gained so much insight over the past few years and has really developed himself. I think he will leave his mark all over this team."   PHD: Any last comments about the upcoming season?   "As I said earlier, this team has been almost a decade in the making.  I have given them 110% of my time and effort and am confident that they will give Coach Symens and I 100% of theirs in return."   BEST OF LUCK TO NDP THIS SEASON!!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/image_69faa1.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/05/image_69faa1.png?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-3627077" /></a></figure>

ND Phenom 17U Symens enters the weekend with plenty of momentum after a dominant showing at the Scheels Prospect League, where they went a perfect 5-0 and brought home the championship. It's a strong early statement for a group that has been building toward this moment for years.