Kings of the Court: Travis’ 2018 & 2019 standouts, Part I
Kingdom Hoops Elite 16s
Casey Kleemeier, 5’10, 2019 (Winterset) – A strong, compact guard, he was able to control his own pace and dictate it to defenders. His strength allowed him to create space both for his jumper and around the rim. Showed a nice mid-range stroke.
Kylan Smallwood, 6’3, 2019 (Creston) – Smallwood doesn’t have a ton of size, but he was tough and hard for defenses to handle around the rim. Once he got near the bucket, opponents had little opportunity to do anything other than concede a bucket.
Hosea Treadwell, 6’0, 2019 (Des Moines Hoover) – Treadwell showed some strong ballhandling skills, but it’s what he did to create off the dribble that was impressive. He was able to lull defenders and then rise up from deep with a quick release to hit from 3-point range right off the dribble.
All Iowa Attack Red 16s
Jappanah Kellogg, 6’6, 2019 (Ames) – Kellogg probably had the best showing of any prospect I watched Saturday. Offensively, it looks as though he’s progressed significantly even since the end of prep season in March. He put the ball on the deck, finished with nice touch and intelligence while also playing through contact. He is left-hand dominant and will need to work on his off-hand, but he was otherwise extremely strong. It’s on the other end of the floor, though, that Kellogg is really special. He blocks shots without fouling at a really high clip, as he’s done throughout his career.
Malachi O’Neal, 5’10 2019 (Omaha North) – The best attribute O’Neal flashed over the weekend was his quickness. He used it well to his advantage, beating defenders off the bounce and staying in front of his man on the defensive end. He needs to continue to develop his off-hand, but is an efficient offensive player.
T.J. Schnurr, 6’6, 2019 (Algona Garrigan) – The big man really used his size well inside to establish position and carve out space. He rarely – if ever – was out-muscled for position near the bucket.