Midwest Live (Omaha): Players to Watch
Plenty of tournaments will be taking place around the country during the second weekend of April’s live periods, and Omaha — or rather Council Bluffs — has a little gem, and we’ll be there Saturday afternoon. The Division I talent may not be rampant, but Division II and NAIA coaches will have plenty to look at. Below we highlight some guys that will surely standout this weekend in Council Bluffs.
2019 Mason Porter, 6’2 SG (Iowa Pump ‘N Run Black 16U)
One of Iowa’s highest-ranked players participating in this tournament. Porter checks in a No. 14 in Iowa’s 2019 class, and had a monster season with New London to the tune of 19.4 points per game on 55 percent shooting and 8.4 rebounds as a sophomore. Look for an athletic slasher who can certainly drill a deep ball.
2018 Grant Johnson, 6’9 F (Kingdom Hoops X 17U)
He’s listed as a small forward in the Midwest Live roster book, and that’s not too much of a stretch. We’d classify him as more of a power forward, but his ability to hit a jumper and an increasing ability to put the ball on the floor certainly make him one of the more intriguing and versatile players in the whole tournament.
2020 Jacob Schockemoehl, 5’11 G (Iowa Mavericks Purple 15U)
A smooth and skilled scoring guard, Schockemoehl played up a level with the Dubuque, Wahlert sophomores last winter and was the team’s leading scorer, netting nearly 20 points per game. He’ll try and be more of a mix of scorer and distributor with this Mavs squad that could do a lot of damage in their division.
2020 Ozzie Meiborg, 5’10 PG (Iowa Mavericks Purple 15U)
The Cedar Rapids Jefferson product is a key piece to one of Iowa’s best 15U squads and he was very good when we say him two weekends ago in Dubuque at the Future Stars Camp. His handles are sharp and his jumper is pure. He’ll can a mid-range or a 3, and could score in bunches in Council Bluffs.
2019 Carson Crile, 6’4 PF (Iowa Pump ‘N Run Black 16U)
We have yet to see this undersized but very effective post. He was sensational last season for 3A’s Fairfield, one of just a handful of players in the state to average a double-double, going for 15.1 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. We’ll get our first look at him at 3:10 when his team takes on SW Iowa Select Black.
2019 Dom Robertson, 6′ G (Iowa Mavericks Orange 16U)
An Oelwein product, Robertson has had one of the finer springs of anyone in Iowa. He’s a very lengthy playmaker, and the unquestioned leader of an Iowa Mavs Orange squad that has likely overachieved greatly so far this offseason. When something good happens for the his team, whether on offense or defense, Robertson probably had something to do with it.
2019 Ryland Threlkeld-Wiegand, 6’4 F (Iowa Dynasty 16U)
We got our first look at the tall, rangy and versatile sharpshooter last weekend at Midwest Live in Des Moines. He canned four 3s in a title game loss, and we came away impressed. The Iowa City High product glides on the court, and though he’s most effective on the perimeter, has the height and length to compete in the paint.
2019 Trey Hinote, 6’1 G (Iowa Cornsharks Select 16U)
Another one of the highest ranked Iowa players competing in this weekend’s Council Bluffs action, the Greene County point guard checks in at No. 27 in 2019 thanks to an ability to score from all three levels and some slick and savvy passing and ball-handling. We heard he was sensational last weekend in Des Moines, and are looking forward to see what he has in store for Council Bluffs.
2019 Christian Stanislav, 6’4 SG (SW Iowa Select Red 16U)
Iowa’s 21st-ranked 2019, Stanislav is a good-sized true shooting guard with a sweet mid-range and the height to get his shot off when he pleases. As a sophomore he averaged 15.8 points on one of 3A’s best teams, Glenwood. We consider him to be a fringe D1 prospect for now.
2018 Griff Clark, 5’10 PG (Iowa Mavericks Purple 17U)
For the fourth weekend in a row we’ll be on hand to see this Cedar Rapids Prairie point guard slay his competition. He’s as quick and fast as any player in the state, and has the high-level skill to pair. Remember Turner Scott from Valley? Clark has a lot of that same skill-set. D2s should pay very close attention.