Spring Season: Take Five
It’s officially summer, and with plenty of team camps left in June and still three live periods ahead of us in July, it’s sure to be an eventful one. This spring though had it’s share of newsworthy events — here’s a quick look at five attention-grabbing happenings.
Jal Bijiek Moves, Blows Up
It’s been an up-and-down past year-and-a-half for this former Des Moines North high-flyer. He had a breakout junior season and successful 17U season, that garnered him a couple of low-major offers, from North Dakota and Southeast Missouri State. After a senior season hampered by nagging injuries, Bijiek was still good, but never quite himself. The 6’7 small forward elected to play a year of prep school down in Texas, at Creating Young Minds, and boy has that move paid off. Within a couple days of being in Texas, Bijiek had a high-major offer from Texas Tech on the table. Three more offers, Sam Houston State, Cal State Fullerton and Arkansas-Little Rock, have come in the week-and-half since.
Thomas Faber Transfers
Dowling is one of those schools that is loaded with talent, both at the varsity ranks and with its underclassmen groups. Currently Iowa’s 15th-ranked 2019, 6-foot-3 point guard Thomas Faber likely would have played and started with other schools’ varsity teams as a sophomore, but starred on the Maroons sophomore team last winter instead. Well it just so happens that he’s got a sister who is a standout (First Team All-Big East) at Creighton, and earlier this spring, Faber told us he’d be transferring from Dowling — where he was sure to have a major role next season as a junior — into Creighton Prep in Omaha.
Waukee Wins Urbandale Team Camp
We’ve covered the Urbandale Team Camp for the past three seasons now, and it’s always an assembly of some of the best teams in Iowa, and a foreshadowing of things to come as it turns out. The past two seasons, the team that won the Urbandale Team Camp has gone on to win the 4A state title; that was Valley in 2015 (2015-16 season), and Iowa City West the next year. This season is came down to a two OT sudden death thriller between Valley and Waukee to decide a winner, and the Warriors came out on top. It should be noted that Valley was playing without dynamic 2019 guard Trayvon Williams in the final — he was having a breakout weekend up until then. But as it is, you can go ahead and pencil in Waukee as your 4A 2017-18 champs (wink, wink).
Offers Coming In, Early Commitments
Though there wasn’t a bevy of offers coming in for Iowa guys this spring, but there were some notable ones, and even a couple commitments. G-H-V’s James Betz got a big offer this April from Northern Iowa, the Panthers coaching staff undoubtedly likes the 6-foot-6 forward’s length and leaping ability. Des Moines North’s Tyreke Locure is playing with MOKAN Elite EYBL, and finally received his first offer in April, from North Dakota. That was quickly followed by a Drake offer. Phenom Cedar Falls point guard AJ Green already had a slew of mid to high-major offers to his name, and added Clemson to that list. Upper Iowa continues to kill it on the recruiting trail, they offered 2018s Keith Johnson and Brady Sartorius, and picked up a huge commitment from perhaps the state’s best shooter, Xavier’s Jackson Joens. And last but not least, perhaps nobody has had more of a breakout during last six months that Bettendorf 2019 point guard DJ Carton. The electric junior-to-be is playing with Quad City Elite this offseason, and picked up two D1 offers this spring, from IUPUI and North Dakota.
Garrett Sturtz Showing Out
Perhaps nobody was more dominant this spring that Newton’s 6’3 guard Garrett Sturtz. He played with Iowa Intensity 17U, and at times would single-handedly carve up competition. Sturtz scored 30+ seemingly every game we saw him play, and did so with precision shooting, and very limited mistakes. He recently rocketed up the 2018 rankings, all the way up to No.8 — that’s a spot typically reserved for a D1 player. He was good enough to grab the Iowa Barnstormers’ attention, and he’ll run with the adidas sponsored ‘Stormers 17U this summer. It’ll be interesting to see if the D1s come calling.