ECI Select 17u Made Many Proud
The ECI Select 17U team won 19 games this year and gave every team that played them a battle. For Coach Andy Nagel it was a team he could be proud of. “There were plenty of moments that I have…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe ECI Select 17U team won 19 games this year and gave every team that played them a battle. For Coach Andy Nagel it was a team he could be proud of.
“There were plenty of moments that I have been able to reflect on for this group where I was a very proud coach but I think the thing that stands out the most is just the overall growth of each player,” Coach Nagel said.
“Some of these kids were not on anyone’s radar prior to this spring/summer and now are getting interest from colleges around the region. I think that attests to the buy-in these kids had to just flat out getting better no matter what the outcome was at our tournaments.
“To just learn from their mistakes and take that back to the gym to get better. They were a close knit group which made it even more fun to be a part of. It was a privilege to get to coach these young men.”
Kids play basketball at this higher level to meet others like themselves that love the game, to compete against other strong players, to travel to compete, and of course, to get better.
“As I said before a lot of the kids on our group were not getting looked at and after their AAU season had looks around the region. I think that speaks to the visibility that AAU brings to student athletes as well as the hard work the team was putting in on their own to get noticed.”
Coach Nagel was proud of each and every one of his guys so he took the time to run through every last one of the talking about how they improved and what kind of player they are.
Montel Carlow of Solen HS: “He was a spark to our team and is a pure shooter with great form. It was Montel’s first year playing AAU so I think just adjusting to the speed and physicality was his greatest improvement, beyond just getting comfortable in our offense and knowing that he can score, if there is a brief window for him to get his shot up, chances were it was going in. Very fun to watch him play. He is coachable and a very hard worker. Some college is going to be lucky to have him be a part of their program.”
Reece Hoherz of Beulah: “Reece was another player that saw success from outside the arc, but he also created a lot of offense for our team with his tough nosed defense. Reece was a spark plug to our group and I loved having him be a part of the ECI program the last two years.”
Cody Robertson of Grand Forks Red River: “I am tired just thinking about watching Cody play. He was someone I never had to worry about getting winded or being out of shape. One word that comes to mind with Cody is determined. Not once did he make an excuse about his size. He just flat out worked hard. I can’t tell you the number of players this summer that were exhausted after having to keep up with Cody. Beyond his defense he was a great cog in the offense and did an excellent job attacking defenses and making smart decisions at the rim. Very proud of Cody’s progress and look forward to seeing him this fall.”
Jacob Hanson of North Sargent: “When I think of Jacob’s spring / summer with ECI I always think of consistency. He was someone who I always knew what to expect from him. He may not look flashy but he is agile and crafty, there was never an issue with him getting his shot off no matter how athletic the team was that we were going against. A lot of great memories from games with Jacob. He has a great basketball IQ, is coachable, works hard. Excited to see his successes in high school transfer to the next level.”
Jack Schaefer of New Rockford-Sheyenne: “Where to begin with Jack. He was someone we cut last year and he took that as motivation to get to work and become a better player . I remember all of the coaches getting together after tryouts and talking about him, saying where did he come from. Just goes to show that there is no alternative for putting in the time and hard work. It pays off.
“As far as his AAU season went, there were some up’s and down’s but to see him go from where he was last summer to this year is incredible and I was proud to be his coach. He will have a very successful career at Minot State.”
Nate Symens of Bismarck Century: “Nate was a leader on various levels and it showed when he was absent from tournaments. He has the “it” factor, and is able to rally the team and lead by example. I loved having him be a part of the program and he was fun to watch. I would say his improvement came in playing smarter defense and not getting in early foul trouble. He plays very tough defense and flies around but that got him in trouble at times and I think he grew and was much better in that aspect by the end of the year.”
Collin Trottier of West Fargo Sheyenne: “Another guy where I don’t know where to start with. Collin has been with the ECI program for a long time and it was great to see him grow into the player he is today. His face up game and pull up jumper are two weapons that he has on offense that frustrate a lot of defenders. He also was doing a much better job of attacking the rim with a purpose and expecting contact.
“At this level you have to be able to absorb contact and finish and that was an area that Collin grew as the year went on. You could definitely tell that the time in the weight room and gym were paying off. He was a ton of fun to coach and I am excited to see him at the next level.”
Brayden Uses Arrow of Solen: “Brayden was a great player to have on our team, and he fit in well with his style of play. He played very tough defense and was fearless on offense. When Brayden got on a roll he could put up points in a hurry.”
Matt Thompson of West Fargo: “No one outside of the program knows the back ground with Matt but he is a part of the reason why I coach and why I love being a part of the ECI program. After tryouts we thought that Matt would fit in well as an alternate to fill in on tournaments when we were down a guy and him and his family were very supportive of that role.
“After we posted the teams someone backed out and he was the first call and was back to the gym ASAP to join the team. It was his mentality of never giving up, always looking at the positives, and his work ethic that I enjoyed with Matt. He was just looking to get better and would do whatever it took to be successful. Glad he was a part of the ECI family.”