Northern Iowa Camp: Team notes
CEDAR FALLS — PHI was on hand Sunday to take in much of the action on the Northern Iowa campus as the Panthers held the first of two team camps this past weekend. The other is at the end of this month.…
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Continue ReadingCEDAR FALLS — PHI was on hand Sunday to take in much of the action on the Northern Iowa campus as the Panthers held the first of two team camps this past weekend. The other is at the end of this month. Below, you’ll find some notes on some of the Iowa teams in attendance.
Norwalk: The headliner for the Warriors is their backcourt. Everyone knows about top-10 2018 point guard Luke Vaske, who was very solid this day, but incoming freshman Bowen Born flashed some serious ability. He stands just 5-foot-6 presently, but he’s very skilled with the ball. A player to keep an eye on in the 2020 class, no doubt. Norwalk didn’t have a ton of size on the floor Sunday, but their bigs are active on the glass, especially on offense. The whole group did well moving in the ball in the half-court and defensively played 2-3 zone and man.
Urbandale: The J-Hawks played with great pace offensively, consistently pushing the tempo and getting out in offensive transition to get easy buckets before the defense could set. Their ability to do so was fueled by having a number of ballhandlers on the floor, even if some came from the post positions.
Iowa City West: The Trojans didn’t have their full complement of players (most notably Devonte Lane absent as he continues to nurse a groin injury), but the cohesiveness and talent of one of the state’s best teams was on full display. The McCaffery brothers, Connor and Patrick, were very solid all around as was Seybian Sims.
Cedar Rapids Xavier: The Saints were shorthanded Sunday, so Cedar Falls point guard A.J. Green filled in, which certainly helped Xavier out significantly. One of our top 2018 players, Green was splendid, finishing at all levels and getting his team, which isn’t really his team, involved. Other than that, the Saints were able to play reasonably well given the circumstances, playing with high energy and hustle throughout.
Forest City: I was really impressed with how Forest City’s 2-3 zone moved to track ball movement. Every player was in sync and covered their space well. Their bigs also did a great job of providing rim protection when the zone was punctured with penetration. The Indians boast a ton of length on the wings.