ND Attack 17U: Season Review

Toughness, grit, and guys who refused to make excuses, that's what defined this [program_tooltip program_id='2075723' first='ND' last='Attack'] 17U squad all season long. Undersized for most of the year and short-handed at times, this group found ways to compete anyway, growing into one of the more connected, hard-nosed teams around by the time the summer wrapped up.   What stood out most wasn't just the wins, though there were plenty of memorable ones, it was how this team responded when things got hard. Whether it was battling through foul trouble with a razor-thin roster, learning brand new positions to fill gaps in size, or simply outworking bigger, more talented opponents, this group answered every challenge thrown at it. Individual players took real strides throughout the year, turning weaknesses into strengths and stepping into bigger roles when the team needed them most.   More than anything, this was a team that bought into playing for each other. The willingness to sacrifice, the mental toughness built through adversity, and the steady improvement from start to finish are what defined this group's season. Here's a closer look at how it all came together.   See below for [program_tooltip program_id='2075723' first='ND' last='Attack']s schedule, roster, and a Q&A with Coach Andes.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SeaonReview-.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-1842251" style="width:268px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   [program_tooltip program_id='2075723' first='ND' last='Attack'] 17U   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/image_fd682f.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/image_fd682f.png" alt="" class="wp-image-3706222" style="width:616px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/image_467b9f.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/image_467b9f.png" alt="" class="wp-image-3706223" style="aspect-ratio:1.5837349397590361;width:620px;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:232px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   With Hart Andes   PHD: What are some of your best memories from off the court?   "Some of my best memories came from our post-game meals with the players and coaches. Those moments around the table are where the real bonds formed. The conversations, the laughs, the relationships that go beyond basketball. That's the stuff that lasts long after the season ends."   PHD: Can you tell us about a memorable play or game that really sticks out to you?   "The game that sticks out most was our win at the Pentagon in Sioux Falls. We were coming off a rough game against a great opponent, and the boys could have hung their heads. Instead, they showed up and competed. It was a back-and-forth game with multiple lead changes in the final minutes. [player_tooltip player_id='3590437' first='Izaya' last='Dockter'] hit a basket with seconds left to put us up, and we closed it out with a defensive stop to seal the win. That game showed me a lot about the character of this group."   "The play I'll remember most came from [player_tooltip player_id='2917907' first='Trace' last='Spickler'] in our last tournament of the year. We turned the ball over and their guy was going in for what looked like an easy layup. Trace chased him down the full length of the floor and pinned the ball two-handed off the backboard. One of the most exciting plays I've seen in all my years coaching."   PHD: Who was your "go-to" player when you needed a basket?   "[player_tooltip player_id='3590437' first='Izaya' last='Dockter'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2237844' first='Jack' last='Gunderson'] stood out for different reasons."   "Izaya is a true three-level scorer. He can create his own shot in a lot of different ways, finishes through contact when he's heavily contested, and hit big threes for us when we needed them most."   "Jack was our physical presence. He beat defenders getting downhill all season, and when we needed two points, Jack was the guy we trusted to get to the rim and finish."   PHD: Who was your most improved player?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2237844' first='Jack' last='Gunderson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2237812' first='Brady' last='Hauff'] were our most improved players."   "Jack started the season slow but quickly turned himself into one of our main guys. He never missed a game, a tournament, or a practice all year. He just kept showing up and putting in the work. The biggest jump I saw was his three-point shooting. Coming into the year, we saw him as a downhill guy, someone who beat you getting to the rim. But as the season went on, he started knocking down threes in transition and hitting rhythm shots his teammates set him up for. He turned himself into a complete offensive player, and that came from effort, not luck."   "Brady made his name early in the year on the defensive end. That was his identity the first few tournaments. But down the stretch, he turned his offense on and gave us crucial buckets when we needed them. He got more aggressive attacking the rim and started taking the open shots he should be taking. When your best defender becomes a guy who can hurt you on both ends, that changes what your team is capable of."   PHD: How did the team improve from the start of the season to the end? "The biggest areas of growth were effort, mental toughness, and shot selection."   "No matter the score or how physical the game got, this group worked harder as the year went on. In these tournaments, you don't get every call, and by the end of the season, the boys learned to play through it instead of complaining about it. That's real mental toughness, and it showed up in close games."   "Offensively, we stopped settling for the first shot down the floor. Early in the year, we would run down and fire the first three we saw. By the end, we were attacking the rim, kicking out for rhythm shots, using the post even though we were undersized, and getting to the free-throw line. That shift in shot selection changed who we were as an offense."   PHD: Who were a few of your hardest workers?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2237844' first='Jack' last='Gunderson'], [player_tooltip player_id='2917908' first='Lakin' last='Ronningen'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2237812' first='Brady' last='Hauff']. When those three showed up, it didn't matter if they were having their best game or their worst. They left everything on the floor every single time out. As a coach who values heart and effort above almost everything else, those are the guys you love having on your team. That kind of motor can't be taught. It's a mindset a player either brings or they don't, and those three brought it every day."   PHD: Can you talk about a time when you and the team overcame adversity?   "There was a tournament where we showed up with only 7 guys, and then [player_tooltip player_id='2917908' first='Lakin' last='Ronningen'] broke his nose. Just like that, we were down to 6."   "There's one game from that weekend I'll never forget. Four of our six players had 5 fouls in a format where you foul out at 6. One more foul from any of them and we're playing 5 on 4. The boys didn't panic. They played smart, stayed disciplined, kept executing, and we pulled out the win."   "That weekend told me everything about this group. Short-handed, banged up, one foul from disaster, and they never blinked."   PHD: Who was your top post player?   "We didn't have much size this year. Our tallest guy was 6'2, so we never had a true post player. Instead, we cycled guys through the post who had barely played there in their careers, including [player_tooltip player_id='2775565' first='Kason' last='Nass'], [player_tooltip player_id='2917907' first='Trace' last='Spickler'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2237844' first='Jack' last='Gunderson']."   "What made them tough wasn't size. It was their willingness. All three of those guys embraced learning a new position and went to work down there against bigger bodies every weekend. That's not easy to ask of a player, and they never pushed back on it."   "It was also a great experience for them heading into their upcoming school seasons. Being able to play inside and out only makes them more valuable to their high school teams."   PHD: Were there any memorable buzzer-beaters, upsets, or clutch performances?   "One performance that stands out came at the Watertown tournament. We ran into a team that had a big size advantage on us with good guards to go with it. [player_tooltip player_id='2237815' first='Easton' last='Peltier'] took over that game. He went for over 30 points and spent the whole game setting his teammates up for easy baskets on top of it. He led the charge from start to finish, and that win had his fingerprints all over it."   PHD: Who emerged as an unexpected contributor or breakout star?   "[player_tooltip player_id='3590437' first='Izaya' last='Dockter']. He joined the team late, so we hadn't seen much of his game before he got here. From day one, he came in aggressive and never looked back. He made every tournament and never wanted to come off the floor. He led us on the offensive end, executed what we asked of him, and backed it up with really good defense. You don't often get a late addition who steps in and impacts winning like that."   PHD: What lessons from this season go beyond basketball?   "The biggest lesson from this season is that improvement is earned, not given. Nobody on this roster stayed the same player from the first tournament to the last. Guys added three-point shots, learned new positions, turned defense into offense, grew into bigger roles. None of that happened by accident. It came from work, from being coachable, and from wanting more for themselves. That's a lesson that applies to everything these young men do next, in school, in sports, and in life."   "The second lesson is that you can't control circumstances, only your response. We played a tournament with 6 guys after an injury. We played through whistles without complaining. We asked guys to learn positions they'd never played because the roster demanded it. Nobody in that gym cared about our excuses, and by the end of the year the boys stopped making them. They just competed."   "The best version of this team showed up when guys played for each other. The kickouts for rhythm shots instead of forcing our own, the guys setting each other up, the bench getting into it during the short-handed weekend. Individual talent helped us win some games. Playing connected won us the ones we'll remember."   PHD: Any last comments?   "I just want to say thank you. To the parents for the miles, the hotel weekends, and the trust you put in us with your sons. To the coaches for the time they gave this group. And to the boys for how they competed all season long."   "This team was undersized, sometimes short-handed, and never had an easy road. They answered all of it by getting better every single tournament. That's what I'll remember about this group. Not one win or one play, but a team that finished the season tougher, smarter, and more connected than it started."   "I'm proud of these young men, and I can't wait to watch what they do in their school seasons and beyond. Go get after it, boys."   BEST OF LUCK TO THE [program_tooltip program_id='2075723' first='ND' last='Attack'] PLAYERS THIS COMING SEASON!!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Artwork_PNG_NDAttackLogo.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/04/Artwork_PNG_NDAttackLogo.png?w=450" alt="" class="wp-image-2406588" /></a></figure>

Toughness, grit, and guys who refused to make excuses, that's what defined this ND Attack 17U squad all season long. Undersized for most of the year and short-handed at times, this group found ways to compete anyway, growing into one of the more connected, hard-nosed teams around by the time the summer wrapped up.