SD Identity 17U: Team Preview

Today we are looking at South Dakota's newest AAU program, [program_tooltip program_id='2145852' first='SD' last='Identity']. Our focus will be on their 17U squad. The exciting part is, [program_tooltip program_id='2145852' first='SD' last='Identity'] is an official member of the Prep Hoops Circuit in the Hard Work Region!   Greg Kahler is the creator/founder/director and head coach of South Dakota Identity. Kahler is partnered with Identity Made and former G League pro, Rodney Pryor. Coach Kahler is a basketball junky and a student of the game. His players will improve over the course of the AAU season and his teams will play high-quality basketball. I am excited to see them play at Battle at the Lakes!   [program_tooltip program_id='2145852' first='SD' last='Identity'] also has a 16U team, that preview article will come out in the coming weeks.   See below for the [program_tooltip program_id='2145852' first='SD' last='Identity'] 17U roster, player comments, schedule, and a Q&A session with coach Greg Kahler.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SD-Identity-blue-crop-2366x1554-1680034366.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SD-Identity-blue-crop-2366x1554-1680034366.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1877501" /></a></figure>   Roster Breakdown w/ coach Kahler   [player_tooltip player_id='1270361' first='Lane' last='Tietz'] - 6'0" Guard - Groton - c/o 2024   "LT is an elite shooter with limitless range. He can make any shot off the bounce or off the catch. He is a very high IQ player. Able to make the correct in-game reads and decisions. We will use Lane a lot off ball screens this summer. That's where he his at his best. With his passing ability and overall offensive playmaking ability, it's going to put a lot of pressure on opposing defenses. I think an overlooked attribute of Lane's is his defensive ability. His competitiveness makes him tough to get by. Buckets come hard when he's guarding you. Looking forward to seeing his growth this summer."   [player_tooltip player_id='1625207' first='Lukas' last='Morgan'] - 6'6" Forward - Brandon Valley - c/o 2024   "Lukas is a smooth wing player who can score from anywhere on the floor. His size and length help him shoot over defenders from beyond the arc and finish above defenders at the rim. He is a matchup nightmare. Can hit shots, get to the rim, post you up, come off screens, setting the screens into rolls, short rolls, or pops. We are going to use him in countless actions to get both himself and his teammates good looks. He uses his body really well to bump defenders away from him when attacking the rim. He is a very unique prospect that brings a lot to the table."   Noah Brumfield - 6'5" Wing - Hillcrest Academy, MN - c/o 2024   "Noah comes to us from Minnesota. So he is unknown in our area. But, this kid can flat-out play at a very high level. He can score in a multitude of ways all over the court. He has a good shot from deep, able to shoot over defenders with his long frame. Noah plays above the rim. Always looking to get out in transition and punish the rim. We're going to use him in a variety of ways. Getting him open looks along the perimeter, or getting him downhill at the rim to finish over defenders. He is a tough kid with a huge upside."   [player_tooltip player_id='1266275' first='Nic' last='Marshall'] - 6'0" Guard - White River - c/o 2024   "Nic is a winner. When you play for a program like White River, you're going to know what it takes to win. He is a very crafty playmaker. Skilled with his ball-handling capabilities. Very effective at taking defenders off the cross, or using his hesitation to get downhill. Very good facilitator. Always finds the open man. We will use him a lot in ball screens and dribble handoff actions. Trying to get him downhill, in open space, to make a play."   [player_tooltip player_id='1508649' first='Seth' last='Hamilton'] - 6'2" Guard - Spearfish - c/o 2024   "Seth is a super tough player. He is very strong. Which makes him effective at getting to the rim. He bounces defenders away from him. He has a good shot from outside. Very good off the bounce. We will use him getting downhill off zoom or pistol action. If he draws a mismatch with a smaller defender we will get him some iso post looks to take advantage. He is also a gritty defender and a good rebounder for the guard position. This is going to be a breakout summer for Seth."   [player_tooltip player_id='1625215' first='Trey' last='Maaland'] - 6'1" Guard - Deuel - c/o 2024   "Trey is overall just a tough and disciplined player. He's very strong and physical when attacking the rim. Looking to bump his defenders off of him and finish strong at the rim. Which ties into his backside-cutting ability. He is really smart in waiting for his defender to stunt in or help over, cutting behind them for efficient offense. He is a deadeye in catch-and-shoot situations. Which is where I anticipate most of his points will come from this summer. He gets into open areas and always knocks them down. High IQ player. We plan to use his toughness and IQ to our benefit."   [player_tooltip player_id='1273153' first='Jordan' last='Uhlir'] - 6'5" Forward - St. Thomas More - c/o 2024   "Jordan might be one of the most disciplined players I've watched. That's a testament to playing for Coach Hollenbeck at STM. He's a very nice prospect. Great length to his frame. Makes smart plays, doesn't force anything. Good around the rim both attacking downhill and in post-up situations. Gritty defender and rebounder. I foresee Jordan in a big screener role. Looking to find open areas to get into to make a play. He's got a big summer of growth ahead of him."   [player_tooltip player_id='1490534' first='Jake' last='Jorenby'] - 6'4" Wing - Deubrook - c/o 2024   "Jake is a big physical wing presence. He is really strong and athletic, so getting to the rim is not an issue. He has good skill when he gets downhill. He's really efficient in catch-and-shoot situations. Tough and physical defender who looks to send shots away. Hard on the glass. He's a multi-position player. He can guard every position as well as play like a guard, or fight down low on the block. We will use him at multiple positions with our sets and actions. I think a lot of people will be surprised by his upside."   [player_tooltip player_id='1270363' first='Bryce' last='Westby'] - 6'4" Forward - Phillip - c/o 2024   "Bryce is built strong with a solid frame and has a physicality to his game that makes him tough to handle on both ends of the floor. His interior presence will work well on the block, getting to the rim and finishing with toughness. He can step out to the corner and knock down open threes. But his tenacious rebounding ability is what really sets him apart. We will use him a lot in ball screen situations playing off our guards."   Tournament Schedule   <figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td>DATES</td><td>EVENT</td><td>LOCATION</td></tr><tr><td>May 12-14</td><td>Prep Hoops-Battle at the Lakes</td><td>Wayzata, MN</td></tr><tr><td>June 3-4</td><td>Pentagon Hardwood Classic</td><td>Sioux Falls, SD</td></tr><tr><td>June 28-29</td><td>Great Plains Alliance</td><td>St. Cloud, MN</td></tr><tr><td>July 7-8</td><td>Pentagon Summer Slam</td><td>Sioux Falls, SD</td></tr><tr><td>July 14-16</td><td>Prep Hoops-Hard Work Region Finals</td><td>Wayzata, MN</td></tr><tr><td>Jul 21-23</td><td>Pentagon Summer Classic</td><td>Sioux Falls, SD</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> https://twitter.com/SD_Identity/status/1632413588559110144 </div></figure>   Q&A with coach Greg Kahler   PHD: Why are you excited about this team/roster?   Coach Kahler: "We don't have many deficiencies on this roster. We got guys who can do a little bit of everything. We have speed, we have length, we have athleticism, we have elite level shooters, guys who finish well at the rim. But the main characteristics I see with this group is their overall basketball IQ, competitiveness, and willingness to defend at a high level. We have smart players, who make the right plays, make the right reads, and play at a high level on both ends at all times. We will run into teams more talented than us, no doubt. But, we will hang our hat on the fact that no one will outwork us. We are going to play at a high level that closely emulates what you see within a college program."   PHD: How often will your team practice/work out?   Coach Kahler: "We will practice quite often throughout the summer. We have guys who have to travel a long way, so we cater our practice times and dates to better suit their travel time. Because they travel far, we will usually have 2 practices on the day they come. One dedicated to our team development. Working on what we need to work on. The other will be more focused on the individual player. Working diligently on their skill development and IQ enhancement. We have a great group of coaches who are all dedicated to making these kids all-around better basketball players. There will be a few times this summer where we plan to bring in an NBA Skills Trainer, as well as some pros from NBA and G-League to give these kids some high-level teaching."   PHD: What will a couple of your strengths be as a team?   Coach Kahler: "We want to play with pace, we want to play with space, and we want to play with the pass. We will be an up-tempo team by pushing the ball in transition and moving in the half-court with purpose and efficiency. Our speed and athleticism will be one of our greatest strengths as a team. All 9 guys can handle the ball well, so we will operate with the mentality to rebound and run. I think our biggest strength offensively will be our guys with high basketball IQ. When you have that, it opens up a lot more opportunities to run and execute different sets and actions. We want to run things that better prepare our guys for the college game. We also have guys that love to defend, so that will be an area that really benefits us all summer long."   PHD: What style of basketball will you play on the offensive end?   Coach Kahler: "We will have a few options on offense, one being a motion-style offense with active cutters and screeners. I believe it is better to teach our players how to make plays (how to pass, cut, screen, and read the defense) and give them the freedom to make plays and reads. We will emphasize attacking the rim with dribble penetration, looking for shots at the rim, kick-out threes, and backside cutters. We don't have any traditional big men. Our height can step out and shoot, as well as use their skill to get to the rim. So we want to spread things out and exploit matchups with all of our playmakers. So we will run some ball screen continuity as well. Getting continuous ball screens on the wings, and step-up screens in the slots. We're going to put pressure on defenses by letting our guards be high-level playmakers with our stretch bigs who can roll, short roll, or pop for threes. We have guards who can make those reads and make those plays. It'll be to our benefit."   PHD: What brand of defense do you foresee your team playing?   Coach Kahler: "Defensively, I want to be a tough, talkative, and high-level communication team. We will be tied together defensively to be disruptive and force teams out of their comfort zone. We will stress the importance of defensive rebounding which will lead to our up-tempo offensive style of play. We can take teams out of action by switching a lot of screens and pushing the ball handlers away from open space. We are going to press, trap and go for steals. It's all about applied pressure. Which will be our primary aim and focus."   PHD: Is there an event/tournament you are most looking forward to and why?   Coach Kahler: "We are looking forward to our first tournament up in the Minneapolis metro, The Battle at the Lakes event. This is always a great event to attend with high-level competition present as well as the tools in place to better benefit the exposure of our players. It's also nice for our kids to get out of South Dakota to compete against competition they've never seen before. Regardless if we win or lose, it's always great to play against great competition."   PHD: Why did you join the Prep Hoops Circuit?   Coach Kahler: "This will be the first summer for our [program_tooltip program_id='2145852' first='SD' last='Identity'] program. We wanted to ensure our players were getting high-level competition and quality exposure. There's no better circuit to be on than the Prep Hoops circuit. Our parents and supporters like that if they can't make it to watch, they can stream the games via BallerTV. There's just no better tournament environment than what Prep Hoops gives."   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SDidentity.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/03/SDidentity.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1881050" /></a></figure>

Today we are looking at South Dakota's newest AAU program, SD Identity. Our focus will be on their 17U squad. The exciting part is, SD Identity is an official member of the Prep Hoops Circuit in the Hard Work Region!