Mississippi River Classic: Iowa Barnstormers 14U Evaluations
In addition to seeing plenty of high school age talent over the weekend at the Mississippi River Classic in Dubuque, we also snuck over to Peosta for a bit to check out some of the younger kids. Below are evaluations on some of the future Iowa high school basketball standouts from the Iowa Barnstormers 14U team, which was playing up in the 15U division and took home the title.
5-8 PG Cameron Davis (Dubuque Hempstead)
The first thing that jumps out about the 5-8 point guard is the quickness. End to end, he’s one of the fastest players I’ve seen this spring, regardless of age group. He’s a dynamo with the ball in his hands and does a great job looking to routinely push the tempo. He’s always looking ahead, and is a good passer who always makes crisp feeds to his teammates. He’s a work in progress offensively, but he’s a pretty good ball handler, and with his first step, he’s able to get to the rim pretty much whenever he wants. He needs to continue to get stronger so that he’s able to finish consistently at the rim, but that will come with natural physical maturation. Defensively he moves his feet and has the quickness to recover from the gambles that he takes (at least at this age group). A very good all-around prospect with speed to burn.
6-1 GF Quincy Wiseman (Davenport North)
A long and athletic scoring wing, Wiseman got off to a great start in their game against Wisconsin Academy. He displayed a solid mid-range game, using creative footwork to create space for himself to get his shot off against a bigger defender. He has a smooth stroke, handles the ball fairly well and can get to the rim. He needs to add strength to improve his ability to finish through contact, and he needs to continue to expand his range. But this is a true scoring wing who can score in a variety of ways.
5-9 G Caden Kipper (Pleasant Valley)
A tough, physical off guard, Kipper was knocking down shots left and right in their win over Wisconsin Academy. He’s your typical Pleasant Valley kid – he’s going to defend you hard, rebound from his guard spot, dive on the floor for loose balls, and knock down the occasional open jumper. He’s the glue guy that every team needs, and we assume that role will continue when he steps foot inside Pleasant Valley High School.
5-7 SG Marcus Morgan (Iowa City West)
The younger brother of former West and Northern Iowa star Jeremy Morgan, Marcus is a supremely confident offensive player with top-notch ball handling abilities to pair with a beautiful stroke off the dribble. He’s a stocky guard right now, but like Jeremy, has good length and will likely grow quite a bit still. He’s a very gifted offensive player, with the ability to stretch the floor out to the arc or get to the rim with ease. He needs to improve his finishing at the rim, but that will come as he matures. On the defensive end, he does a pretty good job moving his feet and has good awareness off the ball. He’s a highly gifted player who will be near the top of the 2021 rankings when those are released.
6-1 F Ashton Cook (Iowa City Regina)
The younger brother of former Regina standout Drew Cook, Ashton is a tall, thin and long combo forward with the ability to score inside and out. He’s a gifted athlete who runs the floor extremely well, moves well laterally and has the length to make a major impact on the defensive end. He handles the ball fairly well for a young forward, and can stretch out to the arc with a smooth lefty stroke. He’s going to score a lot of points during his time at Regina, and with the bevy of young talent the Regals have in their program, Cook will make a name for himself over the course of the coming four years.
6-2 PF Nick Wagner (Iowa City Regina)
This future Regal is one of the best rebounders I’ve seen this spring, regardless of age group. He attacks the glass relentlessly on both ends of the floor and plays with non-stop energy. He has quite a ways to go on the offensive end, but he’s a strong, physical interior presence who wants to rebound and can dominate the paint. He gains his team a ton of extra possessions throughout the course of a game. Regina has a load of young talent in their program, and Wagner is just another gifted piece of the puzzle.
6-3 PF TJ Bollers (Clear Creek-Amana)
Bollers is a young big man who is built like a middle linebacker already, and it makes sense. His father played football at Iowa, and he’s naturally strong and athletic. He runs the floor very well, finishes at the rim and rebounds at a high level. There is a lot of potential to untap here. As he continues to refine his skill set on both ends of the floor, he’ll become a force. Expect him to contribute early on for a CCA team that is looking to add talent. He’ll be able to contribute on the glass and score on offensive rebounds immediately.