ECI 17U Prospects: Team Examination

(All players are current juniors)

This exciting squad has players from North Dakota Class A, B, Montana, and South Dakota. All of the players should fit well together and ECI 17U will have a very competitive roster. They have a nice mix of ball-handlers, playmakers, slashers, shooters, athletes, and interior size. This ECI team will be playing tournaments in Minnesota, Nebraska, Georgia, and South Dakota. Make sure you put ECI 17U Prospects on your watchlist for this AAU season.    ECI will get their AAU season started this weekend in St. Cloud at the Comets Shootout. ECI 17U Prospects ROSTER (All players are current juniors) Raymond Brown Raymond Brown 5'11" | PG Fargo Davies | 2023 State ND |5-11 G| Fargo Davies He knows how to run the show. Ray thrives at getting in the lane and making plays. Brown is very strong, which helps with his crafty finishes inside. He also has great court awareness which allows his teammates to get easy buckets. Cruz Hernandez Cruz Hernandez 5'11" | SG Hankinson | 2023 State ND |5-10 G| Hankinson  He is super scrappy and is willing to do all the little things. This is a kid you love to have on your team but hate to play against. Cruz is a solid ball-handler and shooter who makes smart plays and rarely turns the ball over.  Hernandez takes pride in defense and guarding the other team’s best player. Michael Murphy |6-6 G/F| Dawson County (MT) He can do a little bit of everything. Michael can shoot the 3, attack from the perimeter, and play inside. With his long frame, he has a great knack for getting boards.  Murphy is super coachable and always looking to make the right read. Michael is new to the ECI program but they are very excited to get to work with him this year!  He brings a different dimension to this team with his length and versatility. Jake Vliem Jake Vliem 6'9" | C Sturgis Brown | 2023 State SD |6-9 PF| Sturigs Brown He likes to play with his back to the basket and do work in the paint but also is very capable of playing on the perimeter. In high school, Jake plays in a 5 out offense at times so he really knows how to use his body to get others and himself open. Vliem is a physical kid with solid footwork and a nice touch. He will be a great presence in the paint for ECI. Max Froslie Max Froslie 6'8" | PF Fargo Davies | 2023 State ND |6-7 SG/F| Fargo Davies He can stretch the floor yet attack the rim with his length. Max has a really nice shot from 3 and a solid pull-up game too. Froslie can get hot from deep and score many points in a hurry. He is a tough guard as he’s crafty with the ball and has a good feel for the game. He is also aggressive around the rim looking to dunk when he can. Max is a solid defender who can alter shots around the basket.  Welcome Muhoza Welcome Muhoza 6'4" | SF Fargo North | 2023 State ND |6-5 G/F| Fargo North He saw a little varsity time down the stretch this year. Welcome has good size and he really knows how to put that to work. Muhoza is crafty in the lane and has great footwork. This kid can do a little bit of everything and is super coachable.  ECI is really looking forward to working with him this year! Sam Kobbervig Sam Kobbervig 6'2" | SG Central Cass | 2023 State ND |6-2 G| Central Cass He puts in a ton of time working on his game. This kid handles the ball well and is a very smart player. Sam knows when to distribute to his teammates and when to look to score. Kobbervig is also a very solid defender. Sam will be a great addition to this team and ECI is excited to see what he brings to the table. Zach Kraft Zach Kraft 6'2" | PG Grand Forks Red River | 2023 State ND |6-2 G| Grand Forks Red River He has a really nice shot. Zach has a lot of range with a very nice 3 point stroke. When he gets going he’s tough to stop. Zach is a great team player who just wants to win. He will do whatever it takes to help the team out. He has also taken a huge step forward in being a great defender and making it tough on his matchup! Reis Rowekamp Reis Rowekamp 6'4" | SG Grand Forks Red River | 2023 State ND |6’3 SF| Grand Forks Red River He had a great junior year at Red River. Reis is a really hard matchup as he can pretty much do it all. He is capable of shooting the 3, has a nice mid-range game, and is tough around the rim with how strong he is. Rowekamp showed off his big scoring ability earlier in the high school season when he dropped 36 points in a win over West Fargo. ECI is really looking forward to his spring/summer. Q & A with coach Lucas Moormann PHD: What will your team “hang your hat on”? Coach Moormann: "I plan to “hang our hat” on the same thing it is every year. Hard work mentality and taking pride in doing the little things."  PHD: Who will be your top rebounders? Coach Moormann: "I think our whole squad is capable of rebounding and the leader will change from game to game. I do think though that Welcome Muhoza Welcome Muhoza 6'4" | SF Fargo North | 2023 State ND and Michael Murphy have a great knack for getting boards though!" PHD: Who do you expect to be your primary ball-handlers? Coach Moormann: "I think our primary ball handlers will be Raymond Brown Raymond Brown 5'11" | PG Fargo Davies | 2023 State ND , Sam Kobbervig Sam Kobbervig 6'2" | SG Central Cass | 2023 State ND , and Cruz Hernandez Cruz Hernandez 5'11" | SG Hankinson | 2023 State ND . I also think Michael Murphy will bring it from time to time." PHD: When you look at your roster, what are you most excited about heading into the AAU season? Coach Moormann: "I’m really excited about the talent on this team and the kind of teammates these kids are. They all want to win and are all team players looking to do what’s best!" SCHEDULE DATE TOURNAMENT LOCATION April 2-3 Comets Shootout St. Cloud, MN April 23-24 Midwest Live Council Bluffs, NE April 30-May 1 SPTS #1 Minneapolis, MN May 14-15 SPTS #2 St. Cloud, MN May 21-22 ECI Border Battle Moorhead, MN June 23-25 Comets Alliance St. Cloud, MN July 7-10 D1 Live Period TBD Atlanta, GA July 15-17 SPTS #3 Finals Sioux Falls, SD