Iowa Barnstormers 16U Guard Evaluations
The Iowa Barnstormers 16U group went 3-1 in their first weekend at the adidas Gauntlet Series, with their only loss coming in overtime to a Team Teague (IN) group that went on to finish second over the weekend. I was there for each game, and will have evaluations for each player on the roster. Below you’ll find evaluations of the guards, with wings and posts to follow in another post later in the week.
Kenny Quinn (5-9 PG, Des Moines Hoover)
Quinn has always been one of the best defensive players in the class, and this weekend was no exception. He’s a great on-ball defender with fantastic lateral quickness and great hands. He makes life difficult for opposing ball handlers, as he plays very tight man defense, and he’s capable of defending much bigger players despite his size with his strength and intelligence on that end of the floor. While he’s not a major scoring threat, he keeps the ball moving on the offensive end of the floor, and he rarely turns it over. He’s someone the coaching staff trusts to help keep a lead by controlling the basketball on offense, and playing exceptional defense on the other end of the floor.
Gage Malensek (6-1 PG, Brookfield Central (WI))
This weekend was the best the Wisconsin product has looked as a Barnstormer. Another newcomer to the program, he has a similar style of play to Jake Hilmer, but with more of a scoring mentality. Despite being right handed, he’s excellent going to his left and finishing around defenders. He does a nice job changing paces, and he’s a very good ball handler. He accelerates quickly and can turn the corner in a hurry to get to the rim for buckets.
Logan Wolf (6-4 G, Cedar Falls)
This combo guard from Cedar Falls has been perhaps the most pleasant surprise for the ‘Stormers over the first month of the season. He’s been playing at an extremely high level on both ends of the floor, and that continued this weekend. He’s a savvy guard who understands defensive positioning and does a really good job playing off the ball on that end of the floor. On offense, he’s a capable ball handler and passer (he plays a lot of point guard during the high school season), and he has a solid mid-range game. A long, smart and athletic guard, he’s gotten off to a great start on both ends of the floor for this group.
Noah Hart (6-3 G, Waukee)
The first five minutes of the ‘Stormers loss to Team Teague may have been the best I’ve ever seen Hart play, and he’s a kid I’ve been high on for quite a while. Another combo guard who does a nice job on the defensive end, he has a bit more offensive ability than Wolf does at this point. He’s capable of creating his own shot, showcasing a really solid mid-range jumper off the bounce. He has good footwork, which he uses to help create space, and is a solid ball handler and passer. He’s playing with more confidence seemingly every time he steps on the court, and is steadily improving as a player.
Jake Hilmer (5-10 PG, North Linn)
Hilmer is without a doubt one of the fastest players in the state with the ball in his hands, constantly looking to push tempo. He’s a great passer who loves to distribute the ball, and he puts his teammates in spots to score with his passes. He’s a smart player (coach’s son) who rarely makes the wrong read when he has the ball. At the high school level, he’s more of a scorer, and when he transitions into grassroots mode, he’s more of a pass-first player, which is a good thing alongside the players he has on this roster. Still, he’s a capable scorer with a solid floater game that he uses to score over bigger defenders in the paint, and he’s a pretty good perimeter shooter.
Photos courtesy of Cole Cooper.