ECI Spring Preview: Quick Look
The ECI Spring Preview in West Fargo, North is this Saturday and Sunday with a bigger group of teams that it has had in recent years. Here is our quick look at each level and then we will be back…
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Continue ReadingThe ECI Spring Preview in West Fargo, North is this Saturday and Sunday with a bigger group of teams that it has had in recent years. Here is our quick look at each level and then we will be back with a prospect preview and predictions later in the week.
17U
The ECI field looks like it’s grown since last year as it includes four North Dakota 17U programs, two South Dakota 17U programs, nine Minnesota teams, and then a high school squad.
The Minot Cheezers are playing again so they look like a team that could be around for some time (they were 1-3 at the Battle at the Lakes last weekend). D-17s gets their chance to play the ECI squads and that’s something you know they are looking forward to. The D-17s are mostly from Fargo Davies and they have some really nice prospects.
All the North Dakota squads (and others) will be shooting for the ECI Prospects who are the event favorite. Could we see a spirited game of ECI vs ECI at the 17U level? It could be a competitive battle like the Dakota Schoolers had between their two really good teams last year. And of course D-17s wants their shot at both. It looks like there is a Sioux Falls High School team is also in the event (not sure which one and who they will have with them).
The Pentagon teams (Knippling and Buus) are playing in their second event of the year while the North Dakota squads will be in their fourth overall. As far as the Minnesota teams most will be in their fifth.
Of the nine Minnesota teams in the one of them is in the top 25 and that is the Crossfire Singh squad who is coming off a great weekend moving into the top 20 actually. There is the Comets fourth and fifth teams as well as four of the five Grassroots Minnesota teams (who could show up with just about anybody on their roster). The Minnesota Suns could be the event sleeper.
16U
The 16U also has 16 teams and for us there are some questions we are looking for answers from so we break it down like this:
- Grassroots Suggs 15U is coached by Larry Suggs so this weekend will 2020 national standout Jalen Suggs be with? If he is the teams playing are in for a challenge and the fans in attendance are in for a treat. Jalen would be the best player in the event overall even though he is only going to be a freshman next year (yes he is that good averaging 16 a game in the NY2LA League playing 17U).
- ECI vs ECI? We have ECI Prospects ranked 2nd in 16U and the ECI Sussenguth team ranked 3rd after winning 11 of 17 games. Will they get a shot to play one another? And does ECI Peterson sneak into the battle and play one of them as well?
- Other PHD area teams? The 5-3 Pentagon Jewett team is playing, the Minot Heat are coming off an excellent first weekend of play (went 3-2 and lost to good teams), and you have a Huron group of young players from the Tiger program in South Dakota.
- Who is good from Minnesota? Watch out for Grassroots Suggs 15U who is likely the Sizzle Nation team that has won a load of games as 14U and 13U teams. All in all there are ten Minnesota teams including three 16U Grassroots teams, a team of Moorhead Spuds high school kids, Crossfire Watnemo who is solid, and a couple top 25 teams in Minnesota’s 16U division West Central United (9-5) and Minnesota Suns (10-9).
- Who is the Favorite? We would have to say ECI again of course but that Grassroots 15U team will be really tough if it has Suggs, Kaden Johnson, and some of the other top kids that it used to have in years past. They are a top ten 15U team in Minnesota and that is without Jalen so with him they would be double tough.
15U
Let’s finish up with bullet points for 15U
- There are a dozen teams split into four pools.
- The area breakdown is one from North Dakota, five from Minnesota, four from South Dakota, one from Wisconsin, and one unknown (Woodlake).
- The host team ECI Prospects are number one in 15U in the PHD area but PBC Long wants a shot at them after losing only one game in two events. PBC Long is ranked third plus the PBC Tigers team is 6-3 and has played really well.
- None of the Minnesota teams in the event are ranked at the moment but Crossfire Bertsch is close.