17U Preview: It’s the Biggest Weekend of the Spring
This will be one of the busiest weekends of the year for AAU basketball programs in the PHD area. Who is where? What are they facing? PHD runs you through the weekend.
Battle at the Lakes
BBA Force. Who is the BBA Force (in terms of what their identity is this year)? This weekend we should get a clearer idea. They have spread out their events this spring and are today playing in their fourth (they also played in Washington DC a month ago). They have a tough first opponent in Rip City who is a top 12 team in Minnesota with an 8-3 record after three events. They are a big team with tough guards.
Player to Watch: Jankes. Jadon Janke and Jaxon Janke are two of the best juniors in the state. They led their team to the state title game and a great year. Can they lead BBA to a strong weekend in one of the toughest tournaments in the Midwest?
North Dakota Phenom. The Phenom is also competing in their fourth weekend of the season but so far they have had a hard time winning games. Why? They’ve been playing with five or six guys most weekends and usually with nor more than one guard. This weekend the Phenom will have everyone from their roster save Bartholomew Ogbu (he’s at prom) so it will be a true showing of what their big line-up can do. The Phenom open with Fundamental U Grey which is a tough squad but a team that Phenom can beat with a good showing.
Player to Watch: Trae Steckler. The Mandan forward is a do everything player that will play PG, post up, and then go the other way and guard wings. Valley City State offered last weekend, more are calling.
Pentagon National Team. This will be the toughest event of the year for this team so far and a chance to show how good they really are. The Pentagon National Team opens with a winnable game against a team from Arkansas and then will step into bracket play against some of the best in the Midwest if they win that opener. The Pentagon National club has lost only one game so far this year so they come into the event an Elite Eight contender and that should be an expectation.
Player to Watch: Cole Bergan. There are numerous division one offered frontcourt players in this event. Where does Bergan fit among that group? This weekend will be a good indicator.
SPTS
Dakota Schoolers. The Schoolers are 3-2 in SPTS play and have a strong chance to win at least four games this weekend as they play four of the bottom five teams in the standings (those teams had a combined record of 3-17 last weekend). The top challenge for the Schoolers will be Owen King and his Wisconsin Playmaker teammates who went 4-1. The OSA Crusaders and Minnesota Fury beat the Schoolers last weekend establishing themselves as top contenders along with the Playmakers and Minnesota Comets (who the Schoolers play the final weekend). If the Schoolers are a top contender in this league four, and maybe five wins should be the goal.
Player to Watch: Aaron Fiegen, 6-foot-7 power forward from Madison. Fiegen is starting to garner some D1 interest and is a definite up and comer in the region.
ECI Prospects. The Prospects open with the Dakota Schoolers in a long time rivalry game of long time programs from North Dakota and South Dakota. It’s a big chance for Josh Sipes, Joe Pistorius and company to make a push for a huge win. ECI faces a reasonable tough schedule this weekend but the goal for them should still be .500 in league play by Sunday night. That would take a 3-2 weekend. It will be tough, but doable.
Player to Watch: Joe Pistorius, 6-foot-3 shooting guard from West Fargo. Joe is a shooter of a different level. He’s long, fearless, and has a touch at a high percent despite constant attention.
SPBL
South Dakota Heat. The Heat opened the year strong winning three of four but then dropped their of four in the SPBL opening weekend in Woodbury. The Heat have a great chance to pull out at least two wins this weekend as they play the North Dakota Phenom Regional club and the Iowa Mavericks Orange team which are both squads that have really struggled. They also face the top Omaha Crusaders team in this league (best in the SPBS) and the Crossfire who is beatable but it will take a strong showing.
Player to Watch: Ryan Wieneke. The Heat isn’t a big team but they have solid guards and then Ryan at 6-foot-5 in the frontcourt to finish plays.
ECI Select. The second ECI bunch is always tough and this team is no exception. They have won half their games this year but have the players to step up and put together a big weekend. Every game they play this weekend is winnable. They should grab two wins for sure, three would be good, but a good weekend of team play could get ECI four wins this weekend.
Player to Watch: Parker Stenseth and Kemal Hajric. Parker has been very good for this team both weekends of play and Hajric was very good last weekend. If the pair are solid again, and the guards produce it could be a huge weekend for ECI.