Midwest Summer Shootout: Saturday Standouts (Part II)
2020 Vasko Novakonvic, 6’4 G (All Iowa Attack Black 16U)
Maybe the best Iowa surprise of the day, this Waterloo West product is one in a slew of standout Wahawks coming up in the 2020 class. He’s tall and lean, and for an off-guard handles it well. His strength is certainly shooting, and he can hit off the bounce and with range. A very intriguing prospect here.
2019 Joe Halverson, 6’3 F (Iowa Intensity 16U)
This kid’s team got walloped in the game we saw, but he was a lone bright spot. He’s a combo forward, able to play from the perimeter just as well as in the paint. He’s listed as a power forward in the roster book, but the way he was connecting on his deep balls, he looked more like wing. He’ll be a major player for West Marshall this winter.
2019 Joseph Lombard, 6’5 C (Minnesota Heat-Ismail 16U)
Sheer size is the predicate of this kid’s success, and toughness too. His wide frame was being bombarded, especially early in the game, but he bulldozed through the comp en route to nine first half points in our viewing of him. He was a maker of AAU Bingo, here’s why: He was fouled hard on a play (no foul was called), bloodying his nose. And on the ensuing possession, bloody nose and all, he was fouled (again), instead of heading to the free throw line, he went to the restroom to take care of his bloody nose — got T’d up for it. Can’t say I’ve ever seen that before…only in AAU.
2020 Zach Huff, 6′ G (All Iowa Attack Black 16U)
One of a trio of terrific scorers on the Attack Black 16U squad. This Don Bosco product is a skilled combo-guard, who can handle the ball as well as he shoots it. His shooting is a definite strength, and he can make both set shots and shots off the bounce. He’ll have a big three seasons for the Dons.
2020 Tyler Sansgaard, 5’10 SG (All Iowa Attack Black 16U)
Slight of frame, but big-time effective, this Nevada sharpshooter can play. He has a game very similar to South Hamilton 2019 Conner Hill, also an Attack player, and that’s a major compliment. His shooting is his best strength, and he throws up rainmakers that swish more often than not. When he misses, it’s certainly not ever by much.
2020 Akoi Akoi, 6’5 SF (South Dakota Network 15U)
This was probably the best college prospect we saw today, and at 6’5 with great length and plus athleticism it’s plain to see why. Akoi is not going to rip the nets apart with his jumper, at least he didn’t showcase that skill today. But he will attack the rim, and is almost unstoppable when doing so.
2020 KaSean Ladd, 6’2 PG (South Dakota Network 15U)
Like Akoi, Ladd was definitely one of the better college prospects I saw today. He’s got a quick first step, and the lefty connected on a pair of triples in the game I watched. He’s a true point guard, who scores as well as he passes, and at a slight 6’2, the athletic rising sophomore gets to the hole with ease. Ladd is comparable to Sioux City West’s rising junior, Cliff McCray — Iowa’s 20th-ranked 2019.