Game Recaps: Midwest Spring Tune Up
8:00 — Iowa Wolves 16U 65 vs Kingdom Hoops 1 58 It was a sloppy start for the very talented Iowa Wolves squad, but they were still able to maintain control early and took a somewhat commanding 28-21 lead into…
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Continue Reading8:00 — Iowa Wolves 16U 65 vs Kingdom Hoops 1 58
It was a sloppy start for the very talented Iowa Wolves squad, but they were still able to maintain control early and took a somewhat commanding 28-21 lead into the break. Then a hot start from Kingdom Hoops, spurred by the deep shooting of Urbandale big-man Justin Boord, propelled them to a lead early in the second half. That lead was short-lived, and Will Turner, along with Marco Balderas hit some big shots late to help carry this solid Wolves team to an early morning W.
MVP: Will Turner, 5’9 PG, Gilbert
The silky smooth and supremely quick guard can do a little bit of everything, including top-notch handles, great vision, and an ability to hit from well beyond the 3-point arc.
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9:10 — Iowa Ambush 15U 34 vs Kingdom Hoops 1 43
It was close early and Kingdom Hoops led by just two at the break, but in the second half it was Storm Lake 2019 Mach Nyaw who took control and helped his team to the relatively comfortable win. With the dynamic Nyaw in the back-court and talented big-man Arturo Montes (Grand View Christian) patrolling the paint, this team could be a tough out this weekend.
MVP: Mach Nyaw, 5’11 G, Storm Lake
A supremely athletic and rangy guard, Nyaw was jumping out of his shoes to sky for rebounds (offensive too), and was passing and scoring better than anyone on the floor. He averaged 2.4 points with Storm Lake’s varsity as a freshman.
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10:20 — Tryon Gym 15U 68 vs NCC Thunder 64
This was as entertaining as a game gets, and included several lead changes, some raw emotion, and a captivating final 30 seconds. It was tight throughout and Tryon held a 33-31 advantage at the break, but the Thunder would make a run to start the second half and seemed to be in control by midway through the second. But Tryon’s talent shined though in the final five minutes, and it made big play after to big play — especially Exira big-man Dakota Rold and Kuemper sharpshooter Blake Baumhover — to help seal the victory.
MVP: Dakota Rold, 6’6 C, Exira-EHK
Rold was narrowly overlooked when we made our inaugural 2019 top-50 in March, but the gritty and defensive-minded big-man will certainly find himself in the next installment.
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12:20 — Kingdom Hoops Elite 16U 57 vs Go-Hawks 17U 44
Austin Phyfe was playing with the Go-Hawks’ 17U squad — the Barnstormers 17U are off this weekend — and though he was at times dominant, one man was not enough to stave off this talented KH Elite squad. Most impressive in this game was Des Moines North point guard Tyreke Locure, who was the youngest player on the floor (a 15U guy, playing with a 16U team, in a 17U field), but was the best player on the floor.
MVP: Tyreke Locure, 5’9 PG, Des Moines North
Offensively his first step is tough to handle, especially when the defender is on their toes, weary of the sharpshooting point guard hoisting up a 3-ball. Defensively his hands are as quick as I’ve seen, and his instincts are innate and elite; he had his hand in about seven steals.
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1:25 — Kingdom Hops Select 16U 72 vs Tryon Gym White 82
This was a wacky game, more like a NBA ebb-and-flow than a high school game. It was one run after another that kept this game topsy-turvy, including a 16-2 run to end the first half for Tryon Gym, breaking out of a 25-all tie to take a 41-27 lead into the break. It was Boyer Valley point guard Joe Weber providing the extraordinary plays for Tryon Gym, and it was Harlan center Jacob Hansen providing toughness and grit down low that was too much for Kingdom Hoops to overcome.
P.S. — Former Kingdom Hoops Elite/Interstate-35 star, and future University of Mary-commit Jaylan White was coaching this KH squad — he looked like a natural.
MVP: Joe Weber, 5’8 PG, Boyer Valley
The epitome of “big things come in small packages,” Joe Weber was slicing and dicing his way through the KH defense and launching precise 3s from deep effortlessly. I knew the name, but not the face, when I inquired afterwards it all made sense.
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2:30 — Kingdom Hoops Elite 17U 84 vs TNE 78
Spectators got there money’s worth and then some in this jam-fest. Jal Bijiek and Douglas Wilson weren’t merely jumping, they were soaring, and wrecking the rim in the process. Bijiek ended the game with three rim-rattlers, and even alley-ooped to Wilson on one of his two slams. In other news, Drew Maschoff was flashing his elite long-range shooting, and it turns out Ben Juhl and Stephen Glenn were excellent additions to this supremely talented 17U squad.
MVP: Douglas Wilson, 6’6 PF, Hoover
The crazy athletic forward was flying through the air on every rebound and block-attempt, it’s fun to simply watch him leap. He’s getting better and better each time I see him, and he’s becoming more adept offensively, around the rim, and even on the perimeter. Wilson looks like a D1 power forward to me, regardless of height.