Fall Introductions

PHD is helping pass the fall season by getting to know some of the ballers from across the Dakotas! With basketball season right around the corner, we thought this would be a fun way to learn more about some of the players we'll be keeping an eye on once the action tips off.   For our Fall Introductions, <a href="https://x.com/DaksHoops" data-type="link" data-id="https://x.com/DaksHoops">@Dakshoops</a> fired 10 questions at a group of ballers, giving them a chance to share some thoughts about themselves and their game. The answers gave us some thought-provoking, entertaining, and interesting information that goes beyond what we see on the hardwood.   These Q&As give us a chance to get to know the players behind the jerseys a little better.   Let's meet the ballers featured in our Fall Introductions!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/image_fe08c5.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/image_fe08c5.png" alt="" class="wp-image-3788864" style="width:320px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Fall Introductions    PHD: Walk me through your off-season. What did you do to improve your basketball game?   "During the offseason, I had basketball and football camps, but improved my game through team camps and just trying to stay in basketball shape during football season."   PHD: What's one specific part of your game you focused on improving this offseason, and where do you feel like you've made the most progress?   "My main focus of the offseason was to tighten up my ball handling and get more physical through the weight room."   PHD: What does your fall look like right now? Are you playing another sport, or is it all basketball focused?   "Right now I'm in football season and have been since the beginning of summer and that's led us to be 4-1 while being the #1 seed in state."   PHD: What are your goals for the coming season, both individually and for your team?   "An individual goal of mine is to definitely make the All-EDC First Team, and our team goal has been to win a State Championship since summer started."   PHD: Can you give some insight on an influential coach you have had? What made them memorable?   "Two coaches that have helped me throughout my high school career have been Werremeyer and Manson, they both hold you accountable whether you're the starter or at the end of the freshman bench and give you ways to get better while telling you what you did wrong."   PHD: Time to give a shout to a teammate…Who do we need to know about from your high school team?   "Someone from our team you should know about is [player_tooltip player_id='1537908' first='Seth' last='Heidenreich']; he's kind of been under the radar for a while now, but I think he is one of the best and most consistent shooters in the state."   PHD: Who is your favorite player to watch in college or the NBA, and why?   "My favorite player is Steph Curry. I like him because of the way he shoots the ball, but most importantly, how big of an impact he can make without the ball, and his underrated defense."   PHD: Where do you feel like your game has grown the most in the past year or two?   "The area of my game that has grown the most has definitely been my physicality and athleticism."   PHD: Who pushes you the hardest, whether that's a teammate, a coach, or someone you train with?   "If I had to get a teammate that would push me, it would definitely be [player_tooltip player_id='2237868' first='Ian' last='Winter']. He plays fast, physical, and scrappy, and won't get tired, and it's something he takes a lot of pride in."   PHD: Where is your hot spot on the floor or can you tell us about a "go-to" move you like to use?   "I don't really have a go-to move, but my most consistent shot is definitely a right-wing three."     PHD: Walk me through your off-season. What did you do to improve your basketball game?   "This offseason I played AAU with 15U Ulvestad and had the chance to compete in some really big tournaments against tough competition from around the country, including events in Nashville, Chicago, Minneapolis, and throughout the region. That experience with Team Warwick helped me see where I needed to keep growing. Along with AAU, I did individualized workouts with my coaches and spent a lot of time in the gym on my own and with my high school teammates. I really focused on my ball handling because I want to be able to create more for myself and for others. I had to take on more of that role with my AAU team, and I expect to handle the ball more this season with my high school team as well. I also spent a lot of time working on my outside shooting and becoming a more complete three-level scorer. My goal was to become more comfortable scoring from all areas of the floor while still being able to create for my teammates."   PHD: What's one specific part of your game you focused on improving this offseason, and where do you feel like you've made the most progress?   "I'd say ball handling and handling pressure were probably the biggest areas I focused on. Even at 6'4", I was on the smaller side for my AAU team this summer, so I had to take on more responsibility bringing the ball up the floor and creating offense. That was a really good experience for me and helped me get more comfortable playing with the ball in my hands. I think that's going to carry over into a bigger role with my high school team this season, where I expect to transition more into a point guard role and handle the ball more. I also worked a lot on my outside shooting. Being able to knock down shots consistently has added another dimension to my game and opened up more opportunities for me to score at all three levels."   PHD: What does your fall look like right now? Are you playing another sport, or is it all basketball focused?   "Right now I'm playing varsity football for my high school team, so the fall is definitely busy. It can be tough balancing football with basketball, but I've still been able to get in the gym consistently. During the week, even if I only have an hour or a short window during the day, I try to make the most of it. Sometimes that means focusing on just one part of my game, but I've made it a priority to keep showing up and getting work in. The weekends are when I really hit basketball hard. That's when I have the most free time, so I try to spend a lot of time in the gym working on my game. Football keeps me busy during the week, but I've been able to find a good balance and continue putting a lot of time into basketball throughout the fall."   PHD: What are your goals for the coming season, both individually and for your team?   "Individually, one of my biggest goals is to be a leader for our team. Even as a sophomore, I know I'm going to have a big role, especially after having a lot of responsibility last season. There are definitely high expectations, and I want to be someone my teammates can count on, both with how I play and how I carry myself. As a team, our biggest goal is to make the state tournament. Dell Rapids hasn't been there in a while, and I really believe we have the talent and the guys to make it happen this year. We just have to stay focused, play together, and keep improving throughout the season."   PHD: Can you give some insight on an influential coach you have had? What made them memorable?   "One influential coach I've had is Coach Mathew Cadwell, our high school basketball coach. Last year was his first season with our program, and he made an impression right away. The players really responded to him, and I think the community did too. What made him memorable to me was the confidence he brought into the program from the start. He came in believing in what we could become and set the tone right away. For me personally, being a freshman playing varsity basketball for the first time, that meant a lot. Coach Cadwell had a lot of confidence in me and trusted me in big situations, whether that was taking an important shot, making a play, or getting a stop on defense. Knowing that he believed in me helped give me confidence and played a big part in the season I was able to have. He always wanted the best for me and pushed me to believe I could handle a big role."   PHD: Time to give a shout to a teammate... Who do we need to know about from your high school team?   "One teammate I'd give a shout-out to is [player_tooltip player_id='2430303' first='Caden' last='Zwart']. He transferred in from Colman-Egan and is a senior this year, and I think he's going to be a huge addition for our team. He gives us more size at 6'5", but he's also a playmaker and a really athletic player. He was a great leader at Colman-Egan, and I think he'll bring that same type of leadership to our team. I also think he's going to help us a lot defensively because of his length and athleticism. He can impact the game in a lot of different ways, and I think he'll be a big part of helping us make a run at the state tournament this year."   PHD: Who is your favorite player to watch in college or the NBA, and why?   "My favorite player to watch is Cooper Flagg. I'm a big Duke fan, so I usually like following guys who come through that program, but he probably stuck with me the most because of his style of play. I really like how he gets downhill, creates his own shot, and plays with a ton of confidence. You can tell he believes in himself every time he steps on the floor, and I think that's a big reason why I enjoy watching him. I also like how calm and collected he plays, especially for someone so young. He was dominant at Duke, and I like studying the way he plays, creates offense, and carries himself with confidence."   PHD: Where do you feel like your game has grown the most in the past year or two?   "Skill-wise, I think the biggest growth in my game has been becoming more of a three-level scorer. Especially with my AAU team, I was put in situations where I needed to knock down shots, create off the dribble, get downhill, and finish through contact. Playing varsity basketball as a freshman also forced me to become a lot more physical and confident. I had to learn how to handle stronger, more experienced players, absorb contact, and still be able to make plays. I also think not always being the fastest or strongest player helped me develop my skill set even more. I've had to learn how to use ball handling, footwork, change of pace, and angles to get by defenders instead of just relying on athleticism. I think that combination of becoming a more complete scorer, getting stronger, and learning how to beat defenders with skill has probably been the biggest area of growth in my game over the past couple of years."   PHD: Who pushes you the hardest, whether that's a teammate, a coach, or someone you train with?   "I'd say there are two people who have really pushed me: my high school coach (Mathew Cadwell) and one of my former teammates, Karson Paye. My coach has a lot of confidence in me, but he also holds me accountable and expects me to play to the best of my ability. If I'm ever slacking off or not doing what I should be doing, he lets me know. I think having a coach who believes in me but also challenges me has helped me grow a lot. Karson was a senior on our team last year and is now playing basketball at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell. This past offseason, even while he was preparing to leave for college, we spent a lot of time getting in the gym together and pushing each other to improve. He helped me build confidence in myself, and he's also someone who communicates really well and is always willing to help. Working out together gave both of us a chance to get better and learn from each other, and I think that had a big impact on my development."   PHD: Where is your hot spot on the floor or can you tell us about a 'go-to' move you like to use?   "I'd say my hot spot is probably the wing. I like to play downhill, so when I catch the ball there with some space, I feel like I can create a lot of different options. I can get into my shot, attack the basket, or draw the defense and create something for a teammate. My go-to move is floating off the dribble into the defender and using pace to attack them. This allows me to read how they're playing me, and then either attack their outside hip or counter it and go to the opposite side. I like being able to react to the defense instead of forcing a move, and I think that helps me create space and stay unpredictable."     PHD: Walk me through your off-season. What did you do to improve your basketball game?   "What my offseason looked like was being in a gym every day. Between football and working, I would have to find time to get to the gym. The biggest thing I worked on was my defense and playing good on-ball defense so I can guard everyone on the floor."   PHD: What's one specific part of your game you focused on improving this offseason, and where do you feel like you've made the most progress?   "I focused the most on defense, specifically on ball defense, but I felt the most improvement in shooting the ball and felt more comfortable shooting contested shots."   PHD: What does your fall look like right now? Are you playing another sport, or is it all basketball focused?   "I just recently broke my ankle playing football, so my fall looks like lifting and stretching every day to get back for basketball."   PHD: What are your goals for the coming season, both individually and for your team?   "My individual goal is to be one of my team's leading scorers, and as a team, I want to make it to State."   PHD: Can you give some insight on an influential coach you have had? What made them memorable?   "The most influential coach I have ever had was my dad. He coached my team until I got into high school, and he has taught me a lot about the game of basketball. What made it memorable was the fact that he got to coach me and how he showed me the game is bigger than basketball."   PHD: Time to give a shout to a teammate…Who do we need to know about from your high school team?   "Everyone knows Aiden Hansen is our best player this year, but I would like to shout out [player_tooltip player_id='2250490' first='Eli' last='Plank'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2826246' first='Blayze' last='Spielman']. They are two kids who are going to have a big role this year for our team, and they have worked so hard to make sure we are successful."   PHD: Who is your favorite player to watch in college or the NBA, and why?   "My favorite player in the NBA is Naz Reid because of how he can score on all three levels and still be a great defender."   PHD: Where do you feel like your game has grown the most in the past year or two?   "My game has grown in shooting the ball over the last two years."   PHD: Who pushes you the hardest, whether that's a teammate, a coach, or someone you train with?   "I would say my cousin [player_tooltip player_id='1551734' first='Kale' last='Knudson'] because we always push each other and make each other better. I would also say my mom because she is the first person to call me out when I am not putting in the work."   PHD: Where is your hot spot on the floor or can you tell us about a "go-to" move you like to use?   "I would say I don't have a hot spot on the court. I would say I score at all three levels the same amount. But if I had to pick one, it would be a rhythm three."     PHD: Walk me through your off-season. What did you do to improve your basketball game?   "I've been in the gym lifting. Working on my jump shot and attacking from the perimeter. This off-season, I played for [program_tooltip program_id='2075741' first='ND' last='Phenom']. It was an amazing program with amazing coaches. They all helped a lot for me to improve my game. It was also a great experience playing in bigger tournaments and against better players."   PHD: What's one specific part of your game you focused on improving this offseason, and where do you feel like you've made the most progress?   "My jump shot is where I think I've made the most progress by staying consistent and getting as many shots up as possible."   PHD: What does your fall look like right now? Are you playing another sport, or is it all basketball focused?   "Right now I'm focusing on Basketball and lifting."   PHD: What are your goals for the coming season, both individually and for your team?   "Individually, I want to get All-Region again and average a double-double. For the team, I want to make it to the 2nd day of the Regional Tournament, as we have not done that since I've been in high school."   PHD: Can you give some insight on an influential coach you have had? What made them memorable?   "Coach Justin Reinke, he is our JV coach this year and always has had my best interest in mind. He helps me warm up before the game and always gives me updates and helps me during the game so I can perform my best as well."   PHD: Time to give a shout to a teammate…Who do we need to know about from your high school team?   "[player_tooltip player_id='3416047' first='Blaze' last='Haugen'], he will be a freshman this year, he played JV last year as an 8th grader and I'm super excited to see what he will provide to the team at the varsity level this year. He is an amazing player."   PHD: Who is your favorite player to watch in college or the NBA, and why?   "My favorite player is Paul George, I like watching his game. I think he is smooth and gets to his spots very well."   PHD: Where do you feel like your game has grown the most in the past year or two?   "I feel like I've improved the most on my shooting and being strong underneath the hoop finishing through contact."   PHD: Who pushes you the hardest, whether that's a teammate, a coach, or someone you train with?   "My parents, they always make sure I get to the gym, they push me to do what it takes, they support me and give me the resources I need to get where I want to be."   PHD: Where is your hot spot on the floor or can you tell us about a "go-to" move you like to use?   "My hot spot is probably the right wing. I also like using a spin move."     PHD: Walk me through your off-season. What did you do to improve your basketball game?   "I did workouts with Dwight Walker from the Sanford Pentagon. I also played this summer with Warwick along with West Central games and workouts."   PHD: What's one specific part of your game you focused on improving this offseason, and where do you feel like you've made the most progress?   "I improved greatly on finishing and ball handling. Finishing improved the most and helped take my scoring to a new level."   PHD: What does your fall look like right now? Are you playing another sport, or is it all basketball focused?   "I play football for West Central. I play receiver and safety. We are currently 5-1 and rated 2 in class 11A."   PHD: What are your goals for the coming season, both individually and for your team?   "I would like to make it back to the State Tourney and win back to back Championships. For me I want to make sure I play my role to the best of my ability."   PHD: Can you give some insight on an influential coach you have had? What made them memorable?   "Dave Hollenbeck is the best coach I've had. He teaches discipline creates a great culture and everyone has a role that he expects you to play. He taught me that in order to win Championships you can't do things like everyone else does."   PHD: Time to give a shout to a teammate…Who do we need to know about from your high school team?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2076018' first='Connor' last='Mebius'] his work ethic has pushed me to become a better player."   PHD: Who is your favorite player to watch in college or the NBA, and why?   "Payton Pritchard Boston Celtics. As an undersized guard, nobody works harder. Shooter defender playmaker"   PHD: Where do you feel like your game has grown the most in the past year or two?   "My defense. I work hard on staying in position and staying disciplined. I want to guard the other teams best player."   PHD: Who pushes you the hardest, whether that's a teammate, a coach, or someone you train with?   "Coach Hollenbeck overall and also Coach Ropps, who encourages me to stay late and pushes me to get more shots in."   PHD: Where is your hot spot on the floor or can you tell us about a "go-to" move you like to use?   "Left wing 3 is my hot spot. In and out with a crossover is one of my favorite moves."     PHD: Walk me through your off-season. What did you do to improve your basketball game?   "In the off-season, I was on a basketball court as much as I could. Getting in game speed reps constantly gave me a better feel on the court. Which helped my ability to make the right read faster."   PHD: What's one specific part of your game you focused on improving this offseason, and where do you feel like you've made the most progress?   "One specific part of my game that I was focused on was my on-ball defense and my communication and really working on my post work. I think my defense has definitely made the most progress throughout this offseason."   PHD: What does your fall look like right now? Are you playing another sport, or is it all basketball focused?   "My fall is currently filled with football."   PHD: What are your goals for the coming season, both individually and for your team?   "My goals for the coming season as a team are for us to win the Region Championship. My individual goals are to make All-State. These are all goals that are going to take hard work to achieve, but I believe they are very attainable."   PHD: Can you give some insight on an influential coach you have had? What made them memorable?   "An inspirational coach I've had is Roko Dominović, He was a former overseas college basketball player for NSU, After that, he was my 8th-10th grade AAU coach. Roko taught me the game at a high level every practice and came to practice with passion and determination to push us to better ourselves every day."   PHD: Time to give a shout to a teammate…Who do we need to know about from your high school team?   "A shout-out to give to a teammate is [player_tooltip player_id='2052770' first='Beau' last='Thorpe']. Beau is a great teammate, hard worker and an even better human. He's a leader and a good role model on and off the court."   PHD: Who is your favorite player to watch in college or the NBA, and why?   "My favorite NBA player to watch is Anthony Edwards. His bring it mentality, competitiveness, and passion really show and make him really fun to watch."   PHD: Where do you feel like your game has grown the most in the past year or two?   "I feel my post-game awareness and defensive awareness have improved the most within the last few years."   PHD: Who pushes you the hardest, whether that's a teammate, a coach, or someone you train with?   "A teammate who pushes me the most is [player_tooltip player_id='2052769' first='David' last='Bakke']."   PHD: Where is your hot spot on the floor or can you tell us about a "go-to" move you like to use?   "My hotspot on the floor is the block, and my go-to move when I'm there is definitely my baby hook."     PHD: Walk me through your off-season. What did you do to improve your basketball game?   "I took the fall off as far as sports go. I decided to get in the gym and really focus on my ball handling and my footwork."   PHD: What's one specific part of your game you focused on improving this offseason, and where do you feel like you've made the most progress?   "I made the most progress with my shooting. I know that's one thing that I really needed to focus on!"   PHD: What does your fall look like right now? Are you playing another sport, or is it all basketball focused?   "All basketball focused. Really working on staying healthy and getting my body prepared after AAU season."   PHD: What are your goals for the coming season, both individually and for your team?   "As an individual, my goal is to average above a double-double and make All-Region. As a team, the goal is to make it back to the State Tournament and see what happens from there."   PHD: Can you give some insight on an influential coach you have had? What made them memorable?   "Jordan Maurer. He never gives up on me. Pushes me to improve my game every time I'm on the court."   PHD: Time to give a shout to a teammate…Who do we need to know about from your high school team?   "[player_tooltip player_id='2889776' first='Chase' last='Hetzler']. He's a really hard worker and sets the tempo."   PHD: Who is your favorite player to watch in college or the NBA, and why?   "Cooper Flagg. He's insane!"   PHD: Where do you feel like your game has grown the most in the past year or two?   "Rebounding. Doubled in two years."   PHD: Who pushes you the hardest, whether that's a teammate, a coach, or someone you train with?   "Aidan O'Brien. Always asks me to shoot around when he's back in town. Pushes me to my fullest potential."   PHD: Where is your hot spot on the floor or can you tell us about a "go-to" move you like to use?   "Left elbow."

PHD is helping pass the fall season by getting to know some of the ballers from across the Dakotas! With basketball season right around the corner, we thought this would be a fun way to learn more about some of the players we'll be keeping an eye on once the action tips off.