Kings of the Court: TJ’s 2018 & 2019 Standouts
2019 Trayvon Williams, 6’3 G (Kingdom Hoops Elite 16U)
He’s gotten bigger since we last saw him, and more athletic. The Valley sophomore was playing physical against smaller guards, and getting tough buckets in the paint. Williams looks like a possible high-level player.
2019 Agueck Deng, 6’7 PF (Kingdom Hoops Elite 16U)
Another Valley sophomore, like Williams, Deng would have likely been a major contributor with almost any other 4A varsity in Iowa last season. As it was, he was mashing all over opponents with the Tigers’ sophomore squad. He threw down a couple monster jams when we saw him last weekend, and his strength is definitely his leaping ability. He also flashed a nice, fluid stroke from the free-throw line.
2019 Dillon Carlson, 6′ G (Martin Brothers Select 16U)
It looks like Carlson has grown quite a bit since we saw him last, and his skill-level — always intact — continues to develop. The Ankeny sophomore was most potent around the rim, where he’s an adept and creative finisher. He also rebounds extraordinarily well from the guard spot. I expect him to have a breakout junior season with the Hawks.
2019 Jackson Frerichs, 6’7 F (Martin Brothers Select 16U)
A very tall and rangy wing, this Cedar Falls product showcased an ability to put the ball on the deck and score at the rim. His size alone makes him a daunting defender, and if his offensive game continues to develop, he’ll become a highly sought-after college prospect.
2019 Jackson Molstead, 5’10 PG (Martin Brothers Select 16U)
We knew this Charles City sophomore was big-time scorer — one of the best in Iowa’s 2019 class. But it was his vision and passing ability that caught my eye last weekend. Defensively he’s extremely quick laterally, able to stay in front of nearly anyone he comes up against. He’s a triple threat; scoring, passing, defense.
2019 Carter Cuvelier, 6’4 SF (Martin Brothers Select 16U)
He’s a big wing, but moves better than you’d think. The Aplington-Parkersburg sophomore appears to have an above average wing-span, and that helps him on defense, where he was very solid in the game we saw last Saturday. Cuvelier looks the part of a solid Division II prospect as of right now.
2019 Lino Malual, 6’2 G (Beyond Ball 16U)
This Des Moines North sophomore has a scary amount of potential, and he continues to dig into it. His leaping ability is among the best — maybe the best — in Iowa; he soars to the rim, and gets well above it with ease. But it’s also his ball-handling that’s becoming increasingly sharp — as he continues to develop the ability to use those handles more efficiently, Malual will persist in his gradual climb to becoming one of the state’s best guards.
2019 Kylan Smallwood, 6’4 G/F (Kingdom Hoops Elite 16U)
Another guy — like many on this list — who have grown considerably since the last time we saw him. Taller and broader, this Creston standout was man-handling smaller opponents around the basket. Last summer we saw his ability to handle the ball and shoot it, so he’s putting a fuller, more dangerous skill-package together now.
2018 Bo Sandquist, 5’10 SG (All Iowa Attack 17U)
We popped over to check out All Iowa Attack vs Dowling for about 10 minutes, and nobody was more dazzling than this coach’s son. I saw glimpses of what the Johnson guard could do last summer during a tourney in Kansas, and he’s grown some and shoots it even better now. He was Steph Curry’ing the Maroons, letting it fly from deep, off the bounce and with supreme confidence. He and 2018 D1 prospect Camden Vander Zwaag could be one of the best shooting duos in the state next season.
2018 Sam Urness, 5’8 G (Kingdom Hoops Elite 17U)
This short but strong Clarion-Goldfield guard had his game kicked into an extra gear all afternoon at Kingdom Courts, and every time we looked his way, it seemed he was getting to rim absorbing contact to score with the foul. His blow-by ability allows him to get where he needs to be, and his elite strength allows him to finish through contact.