ECI 16U Prospects: Team Breakdown
In this article:
This group of sophomores and one freshman will get their AAU season started this weekend in St. Cloud. They should hit the ground running as the majority of this team played together last spring/summer. They also have the same coach…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThis group of sophomores and one freshman will get their AAU season started this weekend in St. Cloud. They should hit the ground running as the majority of this team played together last spring/summer. They also have the same coach as last year, Kyle Cummings. Expect this ECI squad to play an entertaining brand of basketball. I am looking forward to watching this team in a few weeks at Prep Hoops Live in Kansas City. All of these players had standout high school seasons and now it is time for them to shine in AAU hoops. Read below for the ECI Prospects roster, schedule and comments from coach Cummings.
Roster
Comments from Coach Kyle Cummings
Carter Zeller Carter Zeller 6'6" | PF Fargo North | 2024 State ND (2024) |6-6 PF| Fargo North
Carter is a traditional 5 with excellent hands and smooth feet. He has patience in the paint with a great shot fake and is crafty with getting defenders in the air and finishing through contact. He also shoots free throws at a high percentage, making him a person we want in at the end of games grabbing clutch rebounds and hitting free throws when they matter most. Carter will be a strong paint defender causing problems for opposing teams’ bigs.
Jacob Brandt Jacob Brandt 6'10" | PF Hillsboro/Central Valley | 2024 State ND (2024) |6-8 PF| Hillsboro/Central Valley
Jacob is smooth big that can really stretch the floor. He is crafty around the rim, has nice touch around the mid-range, and is dangerous in the pick and roll/pop game because of his ability to shoot the three and put the ball on the ground against slower post defenders. Jacob will be versatile either playing in the post to take advantage of his size, high post against zones, or on the perimeter when he has a slower post defender on him.
Dylan Zimmerman (2024) |6-5 SG| Moorhead
Dylan is a long athletic player that can get hot in a hurry. Dylan is a shooter that hits shots in bunches and also has a knack for hitting timely threes as well. His length and athleticism make him dangerous in the passing lanes leading to tips, steals, and transition dunks. Dylan moves well off the ball cutting for backdoor layups and backdoor lobs for dunks.
Drew Hofstad Drew Hofstad 6'1" | SG Devils Lake | 2024 ND (2024) |6-1 G| Devils Lake
Drew is a high motor player who lets his defense create his offense. He is a strong quick guard that turns point guards over in the full and half-court. He is also a ball hawk that is excellent at reading eyes, laying in the weeds, and picking off long or skipped passes. Drew has grown into a great catch and shoot guard with a consistent three-point shot that will open up driving lanes for him to get to the basket.
Matthew Sem Matthew Sem 6'1" | SG Fargo North | 2025 State ND (2025) |6-1 G| Fargo North
Matthew is a quick shifty guard that can score from all three levels. Matthew is best when he is able to get out and run in transition. He has learned when to attack the rim and when to shoot the three in transition. Matthew is also very good in ball screen situations. He is able to use his quickness to turn the corner, stop and shoot from the elbows, or shoot the pull-up three from behind the ball screen.
Logan Conklin Logan Conklin 6'5" | SF Minot | 2024 ND (2024) |6-5 PF| Minot
Logan is another long athletic player that can let his defense create his offense. Logan’s length helps him guard the ball on the perimeter and helps him create transition offense by getting into passing lanes. Logan has a nice catch and shoot three and attacks the rim in straight-line drives. He has a knack for creating second-chance opportunities for his teammates and himself by crashing the offensive glass hard.
Lucas Kupfer Lucas Kupfer 6'5" | SF Bismarck Legacy | 2024 State ND (2024) |6-5 SF| Bismarck Legacy
Lucas fits the theme of long and athletic as well. Being left-handed Lucas is a natural scorer that scores in bunches before other teams realize he is left-handed. He has a nice catch-and-shoot game but is at his best when attacking the rim in a straight line. He is quick and athletic on the defensive end causing turnovers, fast breaks, and transition dunks.
Lewis Jones Lewis Jones 5'9" | PG Goodridge/Grygla-Gatzke | 2024 State MN (2024) |5-9 G| Grygla-Goodridge
Lewis is a pass-first point guard that can do it all. He has a great “second catch” mentality getting his teammates involved first. He excels in the ball screen and is great at getting to “his” spots knocking down mid-range jump shots. Lewis is crafty with pass fakes and gets teammates open around the rim using his eyes. He is a strong guard that will often guard the other team’s point guard and make it difficult for them to get any flow on offense due to his strength and quickness.
James Hamilton James Hamilton 6'4" | SF Fargo South | 2024 State ND (2024) |6-3 SF| Fargo South
James is a monster in transition with different moves to get to the rim and different finishes at the rim as well. Off the catch, James has a long, low, quick first step that is hard for anyone to guard. He is a gym rat that has an arsenal of counter moves that helps him get by the help side/secondary defender. James can get to the rim at will and knows when to kick out to shooters when the help comes. James will be a great asset on defense guarding multiple positions and using his athleticism to grab defensive rebounds.
SCHEDULE
EVENT | DATES | LOCATION |
Comet Shootout | April 2-3 | St. Cloud, MN |
Prep Hoops Live | April 23-24 | Kansas City, MO |
SPTS #1 | April 30-May 1 | Minneapolis, MN |
SPTS #2 | May 14-15 | St. Cloud, MN |
ECI Spring Preview | May 21-22 | Moorhead, MN |
Comets Alliance | June 24-25 | St. Cloud, MN |
D1 Live Period | July 6-10 | Atlanta, GA |
SPTS #3 | July 15-17 | Sioux Falls, SD |
Q & A with Coach Cummings
PHD: What will your team “hang your hat on”?
Coach Cummings: “1. Half-court defense 2. Transition offense 3. Bench Energy and being great teammates cheering each other on“
PHD: Who will be your top rebounders?
Coach Cummings: “All of them! Carter Zeller Carter Zeller 6'6" | PF Fargo North | 2024 State ND , James Hamilton James Hamilton 6'4" | SF Fargo South | 2024 State ND , Lucas Kupfer Lucas Kupfer 6'5" | SF Bismarck Legacy | 2024 State ND , Logan Conklin Logan Conklin 6'5" | SF Minot | 2024 ND , Dylan Zimmerman, and Jacob Brandt Jacob Brandt 6'10" | PF Hillsboro/Central Valley | 2024 State ND should all rebound the ball well this year.”
PHD: Who do you expect to be your primary ball-handlers?
Coach Cummings: “ Matthew Sem Matthew Sem 6'1" | SG Fargo North | 2025 State ND , Drew Hofstad Drew Hofstad 6'1" | SG Devils Lake | 2024 ND , and Lewis Jones Lewis Jones 5'9" | PG Goodridge/Grygla-Gatzke | 2024 State MN will “run the one” in half-court offense but we want everyone to rebound and push the tempo.“
PHD: Who will be a couple of your top 3-point shooters?
Coach Cummings: “Dylan Zimmerman can get really got hot in a hurry and will be someone we try to get shots for. Everyone else will have the green light for catch and shoot threes.“
PHD: When you look at your roster, what are you most excited about heading into the AAU season?
Coach Cummings: “Our toughness, our length, and athleticism will be a lot of fun to watch on the defensive end and in transition offense on the floor. Off the floor, I think these young men are great people and I’m excited for us to grow together as a team and as friends making some great memories along the way.“