Grassroots Preview: Iowa Barnstormers 17U
As we continue our grassroots preview series, Iowa Barnstormers 17U coach K.C. Schmitt joins us to help break down his group, which will be one of the best teams in the country. The ‘Stormers are competing full-time on the adidas Gold Gauntlet this season, which will provide them with top-notch competition and exposure all summer long. Below, you’ll find their roster, schedule, Schmitt’s thoughts on the team and some of my own as well.
17U
Head coach: K.C. Schmitt
Name | Height | School |
Elijah Hazekamp | 6-6 | Sioux City Heelan |
AJ Green | 6-4 | Cedar Falls |
Devonte Thedford | 6-2 | Des Moines Hoover |
Sam Ingoli | 6-5 | Dowling Catholic |
John Waggoner | 6-5 | Dowling Catholic |
Joe Wieskamp | 6-7 | Muscatine |
Troy Houghton | 6-4 | Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln |
Joey Hauser | 6-9 | Stevens Point (WI) |
Nathan Johnson | 6-7 | Waukee |
Cade Moritz | 6-8 | Des Moines Roosevelt |
Ed Chang | 6-8 | Papillion La Vista (NE) |
Schmitt says: “This year’s 17U squad has a lot to live up to. However, the guys suiting up this season are extremely driven and hold themselves accountable for everything. We were blessed by having a ton of talent in the gym at tryouts this year. We added some talented and dynamic young men to a fantastic established core.
We return the biggest and best shooting backcourt in the Midwest with 6-4 AJ Green, 6-5 Sam Ingoli and 6-7 Joe Wieskamp. All three of these guys are big-time players. To get out and run-and-jump with those three, we added Devonte Thedford (Hoover) and Troy Houghton (Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln). Devonte and Troy can flat out tear up an open floor and both are extremely talented defenders. We love what we’ve seen out of those guys in practices.
Our guards get a ton of national recognition, deservedly so, but our wings are really special this year. We bring back 6-9 point forward Joey Hauser (Stevens Point, WI) and 6-6 Elijah Hazekamp (Bishop Heelan). Joey and Elijah can go inside or out and both play the game without ever being sped up. We also made some really nice additions here with Nathan Johnson (Waukee), a freakish jumper with outstanding long range ability, and Nebraska’s top 2018 player 6-8 Ed Chang from Papillion La Vista (Nebraska). Ed could be really special and is incredibly skilled for his size. We look for those two guys to do some really big things alongside Joey and Elijah.
Also returning this season at the post is John Waggoner, although John won’t be suiting up for us until the college football visit/combine tour is over in May. With John on the road, we added Cade Moritz to come in and be an impact guy. Cade offensively is really good – nice touch, athletic and solid skill set. Cade is really talented, and he’s definitely putting the time in which is huge. It will be nice to get John back later this year to help Cade out. John’s just so quick on his feet and strong as a bull. He’s a load to handle.”
Tony’s take: This group is going to be incredibly fun to watch. They ended last year as one of the country’s top teams, and they’ll be right back up there again this year. With three nationally ranked prospects (AJ Green, Joe Wieskamp, Joey Hauser), and a lot of other talented players in the mix as well, they’ll have college coaches swarming them at every live period event they’re at.
There is all sorts of versatility with this roster. They’ve got all sorts of players who can handle the ball and make plays, and great size and length across the board. With a bevy of shooters on the roster and some dynamic playmaking guards, they should put up a lot of points.
The additions of guys like Troy Houghton and Devonte Thedford make a ton of sense. They already have plenty of scoring options, and adding those two gives them more versatility and ability on the defensive end. Houghton was one of the best defenders I saw during the high school season, combing great length and athleticism to be able to defend multiple positions. And Thedford can be a lockdown guy on either guard spot. Nathan Johnson and Ed Chang give them more length on the wing and a load of athleticism. Those two are among the most athletic wings in the Midwest.
Green, Wieskamp and Hauser get a lot of the publicity, but I think I’m most curious about Elijah Hazekamp and Sam Ingoli from this group. Both of them have low-major interest and hold offers from North Dakota. I’d expect to see plenty of mid-major action on both of them this summer.
Schedule
Date | Teams | Event | Location |
March 31-April 2 | ALL | NY2LA Swish N Dish | Milwaukee, WI |
April 7-9 | ALL | The Rock Spring Classic | Madison, WI |
April 21-23 | 16U and 17U | adidas Gauntlet #1 (Live) | Fort Worth, TX |
April 21-23 | 15U | Midwest Live! | Ankeny, IA |
April 28-30 | ALL | adidas Gauntlet #2 (Live) | Emerson, GA |
May 5-7 | ALL | Spiece Run N Slam | Fort Wayne, IN |
May 12-14 | 15U and 16U | Battle at the Lakes | Minneapolis, MN |
May 27-28 | ALL | Gauntlet Qualifier | Chicago, IL |
June 10-11 | 17U Only | Rumble in the Bronx | New York, NY |
July 12-16 | ALL | Gauntlet Finale (Live) | Spartanburg, SC |
July 19-23 | ALL | NY2LA Summer Jam (Live) | Milwaukee, WI |
July 26-30 | ALL | adidas Summer Championship (Live) | Las Vegas, NV |