by By Dan Ninham, contributing writer
Teysean EagleStaff is an enrolled member of Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. He is also Turtle Mountain Chippewa on his mother’s side. He will be a senior at Bismarck High School in North Dakota. He plays high school basketball for the Bismarck Demons and on AAU on the 3SSB Circuit for JSizzels.
“My biggest accomplishment was playing for JSizzles the past two years,” said Teysean Eaglestaff. “JSizzle is a 3SSB/Adidas team that is sponsored by Jalen Suggs of the Orlando Magic. We brought home the 2023 championship for the 3SSB tourney in Rock Hill SC and The Vegas Big Time Tourney,” added Teysean.
“I am very proud to be a young Lakota/Ojibway man,” said Teysean. “My culture is very important to me, it helps me work harder and keep grinding. I live a drug and alcohol free lifestyle which allows me to preform to the best of my abilities.”
The regimen is not unlike others who strive to be the best basketball player they can be. “I lift weights, run, and put up shots daily,” said Teysean. “I push myself even when I’m tired in hopes to be the best player I can.”
Elite athletes have at least one mentor to guide them on their journey. Teysean has several that he looks up to. He said, “My family is my mentor. They help push me to be the best I can be. I am the fourth of nine kids. My three older siblings all play or played basketball at the college level.”
Jordan Wilhelm is the head boys’ basketball coach at Bismarck HS in North Dakota. One of his star athletes is returning to the team next season to vie for a state championship come March of 2024. Coach Jordan Wilhelm said, “Teysean’s greatest attribute is his ability to defend multiple positions and rebound at a high rate. He has a 7 foot wingspan and plays with a high motor. When you can defend every position and rim protect at an elite level, you can impact the game in multiple ways.”
Chandler Sentell, JSizzles 17U head coach, said he has one word that sums up Teysean preparing for the winter this summer: “Teysean didn’t let missed shots alter his impact. This led to momentum plays for his team to win back to back tournaments in July. He scored at all three levels while rebounding efficiently. Toughness.”
“Teysean’s determination has always amazed me,” said his mother Kate EagleStaff, who played during the 2004-05 season at United Tribes. “When he was eight years old, he came to me and asked me ‘mom am I good enough to play for a team like Duke?’ We discussed what it would take to play at that level and how his education was just as important as the basketball component.”
“Teysean has always pushed himself to be the best he can by lifting weights, running, shooting and dribbling in his down time. He has a ‘no fear’ attitude and always rises to the occasion. Most importantly he has always remembered how important his education is. When he was a sophomore he came to me and asked if he could go to a bigger school so he would be better prepared to attend a Division I school. We are very fortunate that we were able to send him to Bismarck High where his older sister and brother graduated from. His determination has paid off and he is on track to fulfill his dream of playing Division I basketball,” added Kate.
Lance EagleStaff is Teysean’s father. Lance went to the University of Minnesota Morris after high school and left after a year. He then finished two years at United Tribes a few years later. He talked about his next varsity basketball player family member that is moving up higher. He said, “His positive attributes are playing any position starting from 2 to 5 that he is needed to play on offense, (and) on defense he will guard 1-5. Teysean’s skill set and high IQ for basketball makes him the perfect teammate on any team his silky, smooth shot and guard handles make him a D1 prospect (and) also standing 6’7 with athleticism helps as well.”
Older brother Treysean had an outstanding freshman season at NCAA DI University of North Dakota last season. He played in all 33 games and started 11 of them beginning at mid-season. The 2021 Mr. North Dakota Basketball at Bismarck HS will be looking forward to his next season. He said, “That’s my brother and he does everything you need him to do and more when you need it most. Growing up playing with him I was always the scorer out of us two but playing with him he did everything I didn’t do (and) way better in order to win. Like crash the glass, play defense and he hit open shots when he was supposed to. His game has evolved way more now (and) he can do some things for himself and with his size that is a very good combination.”
“Teysean EagleStaff plays for the Adidas J Sizzles AAU 17U basketball team,” said Larry Suggs. “I am one of the head coach of the J Sizzles (program).”
“Teysean is a very good player,” said Coach Larry Suggs. “Standing at 6’7 Teysean has the ability to guard one through five and play multiple positions on offense. I always tell him he is a Swiss Army knife of a player.”
“His willingness to play any position on our basketball team has elevated our style of play. Sometimes he’s asked to guard the other teams’ best player and other times he’s asked to be a scorer. His commitment to the team has shown through his play this year. Teysean led us to a championship this July in the Las Vegas Big Time Tournament,” added Coach Suggs.
“He has also grown as a leader helping his teammates become better players on and off the court,” said Coach Suggs. “He displays all of the winning characteristics that you would want in a player. He has always put the team first and his individual accolades second, making him a great person to have in your locker room.”
The oldest brother in the family is Jordan Davis and he played basketball for the Cobbers at NCAA DIII Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. Jordan said: “Teysean brings positivity and excitement to play the game to a team. He always looks so happy and like he enjoys the sport. Always smiling, laughing, or dancing to the music when it’s played during intermissions.”
“One instance from this year was when he was watching the younger teams play at high school. The varsity kids sit on the bench or behind to cheer their teammates on during these games. He was cheering his younger teammates on and they were all laughing and having a good time while doing it,” added Jordan.
“This is great to see from him as a leader on the team, it shows the younger players you care about them and builds team chemistry,” said Jordan.
Older sister Ashley Davis also played college basketball. She played one year at University of Minnesota Morris and three years at Black Hills State College ending her college career in 2022. She also talked about another brother playing basketball at a high level. She said, “I recently watched Teysean play in his last couple AAU tournaments and one positive attribute that stood out to me was his athleticism especially on the defensive end. He is long and quick so he was able to guard every position. His length is a huge asset in disrupting shots. He did well guarding players who have multiple high major D1 offers. I love defense so that was exciting for me to see.”
The EagleStaff’s could be another first family of North Dakota basketball and there are younger one’s moving up the ladder too.
Photos: Lance EagleStaff
