AAU Preview: Sanford ND 17U Black

Sanford's top North Dakota 17U team is loaded with talented players who play the game the right way. They are coached by veteran coaches Terry Porter and Ryan Carpenter, staples in the regional college coaching community. These guys know what they are doing and will have these girls winning a ton of games this summer. This article is a combination of some notes I received from Coach Porter and my own evaluations.    Burchill, one of the top forwards in the state, continues to improve. Coach Porter has appreciated her improvement with her ball-handling. All great players need to be able to handle the rock. Athletes can't be a liability with turning the ball over and it is good to hear Katie is working on her game. She excels around the basket and has the physicality to dominate and be effective at the next level. She holds a handful of Northern Sun offers. I would expect that number to grow by the end of the summer.     Ashlynn is a terrific talent who has garnered some Division 2 interest. She currently holds offers from University of Mary and Minnesota State University Moorhead. These are two quality programs and are great talent evaluators. Forde is a two-time All-Conference award winner and is a great leader for a good Park Christian team. She is great off of the bounce, deadly from either a mid-range or getting to the basket with her impressive strength. She can stretch the floor with her three-point shooting and quick release. She is a player with good strength for her position and will be a great college athlete. She finished last season averaging 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals per game.     Brodina is describe by Coach Porter as an instant bucket. She has the ability to score from all three levels. She is also a true two-way player, giving extreme effort and execution on the defensive side of the ball. She rebounds really well for her size and makes good decisions when getting downhill to the basket. She is able to draw defenders and kick to open teammates or finish with contact. Her athleticism, quickness, and strength will all translate well to the next level. She is another player on this squad who holds multiple NSIC offers.     Basketball IQ runs in the Carpenter family. It is clear that Jordyn was taught a lot of situational basketball while growing up which has translated to stellar play as a high schooler. Porter appreciates Jordyn's ability to utilize her athletic ability on both sides of the floor. She is an excellent defender, moves well on air-time, and is scrappy with her active hands. She is another player on this team that can create her own scoring opportunities off of the bounce but also finds her teammates for clean looks. Carpenter has a very nice looking shot and is a threat the second she steps on the floor.     Fobb is yet another player to have multiple Division 2 offers to play college basketball. She is racking up her visits and will receive more interest this AAU season. She is an agile 6'2 and is beginning to be a serious threat from three. This will elevate her recruiting as most schools are looking for stretch-fours who can shoot the three-ball. She is an excellent finisher at the rim and has a soft touch with her inside shots. She is long, athletic, and strong. Her frame is what college coaches look for in their recruits.     Jamestown has some potential to make some noise in 2026-2027 with many returning players. Yunck is one of those returners with varsity experience. She is a quality guard who keeps improving every season. This shows her work ethic is strong and she finds different ways to get better. One of the first things you will notice watching Adisyn play is the effort she brings to the court. She is clearly one of the hardest working girls on the floor. Coach Porter says that Addy is a natural floor leader. She sees the floor well and can keep space in the half-court with her three-point shooting. She can also get downhill and make the right reads at the rim.     Sanford was able to snag many talented Western Minnesota girls for their top 17 team. Hovland is one of those Minnesota girls who brings a lot to this team. She is a defensive specialist and often guards the opposing team's best player. Like many of the girls on this squad, Arianna can also score from all three levels. She is a great athlete with an impressive first step. This quickness allows her to get past opponents for scoring opportunities. Coach Porter is impressed with Hovland's ability to embrace pushing the ball and stretching the floor.     Cierra joins teammate [player_tooltip player_id='990223' first='Ashlynn' last='Forde'] as a Falcon dynamic duo. Park Christian is lucky to have two guards as good as these two. Carlson is another excellent athlete who moves well. She gets up and down the floor quickly which translates to easy transition buckets. Porter tells me that Cierra is a 'blue-collar' type of worker. She isn't afraid to get her hands dirty and do the little things required to win. She is a quality shooter and ball-handler. She is described as a tenacious defender. College coaches are always looking for guards who can shoot and defend. Cierra fits the bill.     Lawrence rounds out this amazing team and brings some size and strength to their interior. University of Jamestown, Bemidji State, and Minnesota State University Moorhead have all noticed Alexis and offered her opportunities to play at the next level. She would fit in great in the Northern Sun. She is long, lanky, athletic, and plays with a chip on her shoulder. She is really tough around the basket. She utilizes her physical abilities to keep the lane plugged up defensively and to score easy baskets close to the rim on offense. She is tough at the free-throw line where she likes to take defenders off the bounce.

Sanford's top North Dakota 17U team is loaded with talented players who play the game the right way. They are coached by veteran coaches Terry Porter and Ryan Carpenter, staples in the regional college coaching community. These guys know what they are doing and will have these girls winning a ton of games this summer. This article is a combination of some notes I received from Coach Porter and my own evaluations.