Grassroots Preview: 17U ECI Prospects
The high school season didn’t end that long ago, but basketball takes no breaks. The grassroots season is upon us with most teams kicking off their seasons in mid-April. ECI is one of the premier programs in the Dakotas and…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe high school season didn’t end that long ago, but basketball takes no breaks. The grassroots season is upon us with most teams kicking off their seasons in mid-April.
ECI is one of the premier programs in the Dakotas and at the 17U level, the ECI Prospects may have the best team in North Dakota.
With essentially the best returning players from the EDC, the ECI Prospects should have a strong summer.
Here’s a quick look:
Guards: Matt Miller, Brady Dvorak, Tyler Terhark, Grayson Haman, Blake Berg
Four of these guys are returning starters from their respective teams last season and among the best in the league.
Matt Miller started at point for West Fargo and averaged 12 points and four assists. He’s effective as a slasher and while he isn’t the biggest or the most explosive guy, this experience can be valuable for him going against guards from all over the midwest and beyond.
Blake Berg and Tyler Terhark were key guys for West Fargo Sheyenne. These two will be keys as they provide solid size and athleticism on a team where athleticism on the perimeter may be worth questioning. Haman was a key bench piece for Fargo Davies last season but he’s a terrific outside shooter and has solid size. This is an opportunity for him to really showcase himself.
Dvorak was one of the best guards in the EDC last year and averaged nearly 15 points per game on a Grand Forks Red River team that made the state tournament. He might be this team’s best perimeter shooter and while he doesn’t have a lot of height, he’s feisty on the defensive end of the floor and can make shots.
Forwards: Drew Hagen, Cam VanDam, Grant Nelson, Hunter Lyman
I’m really intrigued to see this frontcourt work together as it looks like it’ll be the strength of this team.
Hagen comes over from Moorhead, Minnesota where he was second fiddle to Maleeck Harden as a junior. At 6-foot-5, He’s got the size and strength to hang with frontcourt players but also the skillset to make plays on the perimeter.
VanDam was a jack-of-all-trades super role player for Fargo Davies as a junior and it stands to reason that he’d bring a lot of that same value to this team. It’ll be interesting to see how impactful he can be on the defensive end of the floor in this setting because he was awesome in the EDC defending multiple positions and making plays.
Lyman and Nelson are arguably the two best returning big men in North Dakota – at least in the EDC – and could spend time together on the floor. At 6-foot-8, Lyman has advanced footwork and low-post moves while Nelson is a terrific rebounder and shot blocker plus can score from all three levels at 6-foot-8.