ND Phenom 17U Symens: Special Season Review

Some teams are good, and then some teams make it clear from the jump they're playing on a different level. The [program_tooltip program_id='2075741' first='ND' last='Phenom'] 17U squad, coached by Nate Symens, fell into the latter category, finishing the season as the top 17U squad in the entire Dakotas region with an outstanding 23-7 record. They had many high-quality wins throughout the season.   This group was flush with talent from top to bottom, and it showed not just in the win column, but in how many of these players are already committed to play at the next level. That kind of collective talent doesn't come around often, and it speaks volumes about the caliber of player this program was able to put on the floor together. NDP was also super LONG, which gave opponents all kinds of problems. They consistently used their size to take away passing lanes, contest and alter shots, clean the glass, and create scoring opportunities.   Beyond the talent, this was a team defined by buy-in, communication, and clutch performances when it mattered most, with multiple players coming through in big moments throughout the year. Under Coach Symens, this group grew not just as basketball players, but as vocal leaders, closing out the season with a standard that may be tough to top. Here's a closer look at how this special season came together.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/ND-Phenom.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/ND-Phenom.png?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-2230122" style="width:265px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Player Comments from Coach Maurer    "Najeh was a defensive monster. Picked up full court for 30 games this season. He shot it well, scored it well, and just had a great overall season."     "Weston is the best floor general this program has had the pleasure of coaching. Weston committed to the University of Jamestown."     "Drew had a slower start to the season than anticipated as he was dual sporting with baseball. Drew finished the season in a big way with nine made 3pointer performance in a single game. Drew can just flat out put the ball in the basket and can do it from 25 feet out."     "Stretch 4 that will dunk on someone. Oakley improved tremendously from a defensive standpoint and a rebounding standpoint on both ends of the floor. He may have the highest upside of any player in the 2027 class who will play college basketball. Just can do a lot of everything. Sky is the limit. Oakley had committed to Northern State University."     "Like Drew, Eli was dual-sporting while also participating in baseball. Eli had some very big games for us on both ends of the floor. Think of a very strong, 3 and D wing. That is [player_tooltip player_id='2237681' first='Eli' last='Undlin'] in a nutshell."     "Owen shot the cover off of the basketball this season. A very long 6'6” wing who makes plays on both ends and adds playmaking, with a very high IQ. Owen committed to the University of Jamestown."     "Ahmi is a lockdown defender with the ability to stretch the floor and finish above the rim. He actually hit his head on the backboard blocking a shot at the Great Plains Alliance. Ahmi is incredibly coachable. Ahmi is that guy who just needed someone to believe in him, and I feel that Coach Symens did just that, and that allowed Ahmi to thrive. Ahmi has committed to the University of Jamestown."     "Nelson is a physical throwback big. He will bring intensity to every possession on both ends of the floor. He screens, he boxes out, he sprints, he crashes, and he does what is asked to impact winning. Nelson is committed to Valley City State University."    <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:329px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   With Jordan Maurer   PHD: What are some of your best memories from off the court?   "In our last Prep Hoops event, we did a coach versus player escape room, which the players somehow won. In Illinois, We rented out a room at Giordano's. It was fun to see all of the players and parents get to interact for one last fun time together."   PHD: Can you tell us about a memorable play or game?   "At Scheels, both [player_tooltip player_id='1863062' first='Najeh' last='Boyd'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1651920' first='Owen' last='Terras'] had game winners at the buzzer in different games."   PHD: Who was your "go-to" player when you needed a basket?   "I would not say we had a go-to player. We had a few actions that we could go to down the stretch. [player_tooltip player_id='2237726' first='Oakley' last='Trueblood'] would at times bail us out with his shot-making. We could trust [player_tooltip player_id='1657449' first='Weston' last='Scott'] to make good decisions down the stretch in our games that were competitive."   PHD: Who was your most improved player?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2116300' first='Ahmi' last='Spears'] went from being a JV player, somehow, to a guy committed to a school in the Northern Sun."   PHD: How did the team improve from the start of the season to the end?   "Expectations were high all season and we feel the group improved their communication over the course of the season."   PHD: Who were a few of your hardest workers?   "No one stands out, but that is what made this group successful. Everyone just worked."   PHD: Were there any memorable buzzer-beaters?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1863062' first='Najeh' last='Boyd'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1651920' first='Owen' last='Terras'] with game-winning shots as time expired."   PHD: Who emerged as an unexpected contributor or breakout star?   "[player_tooltip player_id='1651920' first='Owen' last='Terras'] in the month of May was on a completely different level. A lot of people also found out that [player_tooltip player_id='1863062' first='Najeh' last='Boyd'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2116300' first='Ahmi' last='Spears'] were very talented in basketball."   PHD: What lessons from this season go beyond basketball?   "I think our entire group had to grow as vocal leaders. I feel that, as a director, having an [program_tooltip program_id='2075741' first='ND' last='Phenom'] alum in Coach Symens, who has had so much coaching success, show the guys what it actually takes to be successful was incredibly valuable."   PHD: Any last comments?   "We finished 23-7. We had 0 losses to teams that were not competent. I have no qualm about the effort my staff put into this group and the group rewarded us by matching that effort. It was worthwhile. Just a great group of families. Coach Symens frequently spoke about the standard that the former groups have set, and I feel that this group raised that standard. I remember the first time that Coach Symens showed up as a player to work out with me in 2013, and seeing it come full circle with him coaching my 17U team is quite special. I am grateful that he chose my program to coach in, and that these players and families trusted Coach Symens and the rest of my staff with this stage of their basketball journeys."   BEST OF LUCK TO THE NDP BALLERS WITH SENIORS SEASONS!!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/ND-Phenom.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/10/ND-Phenom.png?w=400" alt="" class="wp-image-2230122" /></a></figure>

Some teams are good, and then some teams make it clear from the jump they're playing on a different level. The ND Phenom 17U squad, coached by Nate Symens, fell into the latter category, finishing the season as the top 17U squad in the entire Dakotas region with an outstanding 23-7 record. They had many high-quality wins throughout the season.