Coach’s Take: Tri-State Steam 17U (Part I)
T.J. Rushing
They say all good things must come to an end, and though Tri-State Steam founder Carlos Pittman will be moving on next season -- to the Iowa Barnstormers -- he certainly had one terrific ride with this Northeast Iowa program. It all came to a boil this past spring and summer, and his group of 17U guys held their own in every tournament they played in. Lucas Duax and Keith Johnson are two of the best players in Iowa, and were the cornerstones of the team, but gems could be found throughout the roster. Below, is the start of a three part series, where we give Pittman a chance to sound-off on those guys.
Lucas Duax, 6'3 PG (Dubuque, Hempstead) "Lucas Duax, what can I say, the kid is an extension of a coach on the floor. I got Lucas in 7th-grade, and Lucas has been playing up a year every year since I got him. What we worked on with Lucas is being more of a leader. And if you know Lucas, he's kind of a quiet kid. But he's really worked on being a leader. He is a kid that if you put him in any pick-and-roll situations, the kid is amazing, he knows how to pass, he can hit the 15-footer, he can hit the 3. And if you don't pay attention, he may dunk on you. So Lucas has really improved in that aspect. We worked on getting him to be more vocal, because at that next level, Lucas is going to play one of the harder positions in college, and that's point guard. A lot falls on the point guard, and he's really taken that challenge, he's really stepped up this year. He really, really improved his 3-point shooting and his athleticism kind of fools you., He's just an all-around great teammate, and a great kid." Johnny Supple, 6'3 G (Cascade) "Johnny has played for me for three years now. He's really stepped up and taken a leadership role with this team. He was able to guard fours and fives for me. Cascade plays a lot of zone, but he did show me that he was able to guard. He's kind of athletic and shifty, and he can get to the basket. And he can shoot the 3. But I really was impressed with him guarding guys at the AAU level, because he doesn't see that much in his conference. And I thought he really improved with his defense and guarding." Cade Daugherty, 6'1 G (Bellevue) "Cade is another kid who is really under the radar. He's played for me for three years, and has improved every year. He's a kid who can flat-out shoot it, and he's very smart, has a very high basketball IQ. He always knows where to be, knows how to guard. I just thought he really, really shot the ball well for me this summer. there were games where he'd hit like eight 3s, and just be on fire. He has worked on his dribbling and can get to the basket any time he wants. He's another kid that I think will be a great Division III kid. He could possibly could have some D2 looks. But he's another kid that coaches will enjoy having them in their program. He's just so willing to learn, a leader, and always willing to sacrifice for the team."
Lucas Duax, 6'3 PG (Dubuque, Hempstead) "Lucas Duax, what can I say, the kid is an extension of a coach on the floor. I got Lucas in 7th-grade, and Lucas has been playing up a year every year since I got him. What we worked on with Lucas is being more of a leader. And if you know Lucas, he's kind of a quiet kid. But he's really worked on being a leader. He is a kid that if you put him in any pick-and-roll situations, the kid is amazing, he knows how to pass, he can hit the 15-footer, he can hit the 3. And if you don't pay attention, he may dunk on you. So Lucas has really improved in that aspect. We worked on getting him to be more vocal, because at that next level, Lucas is going to play one of the harder positions in college, and that's point guard. A lot falls on the point guard, and he's really taken that challenge, he's really stepped up this year. He really, really improved his 3-point shooting and his athleticism kind of fools you., He's just an all-around great teammate, and a great kid." Johnny Supple, 6'3 G (Cascade) "Johnny has played for me for three years now. He's really stepped up and taken a leadership role with this team. He was able to guard fours and fives for me. Cascade plays a lot of zone, but he did show me that he was able to guard. He's kind of athletic and shifty, and he can get to the basket. And he can shoot the 3. But I really was impressed with him guarding guys at the AAU level, because he doesn't see that much in his conference. And I thought he really improved with his defense and guarding." Cade Daugherty, 6'1 G (Bellevue) "Cade is another kid who is really under the radar. He's played for me for three years, and has improved every year. He's a kid who can flat-out shoot it, and he's very smart, has a very high basketball IQ. He always knows where to be, knows how to guard. I just thought he really, really shot the ball well for me this summer. there were games where he'd hit like eight 3s, and just be on fire. He has worked on his dribbling and can get to the basket any time he wants. He's another kid that I think will be a great Division III kid. He could possibly could have some D2 looks. But he's another kid that coaches will enjoy having them in their program. He's just so willing to learn, a leader, and always willing to sacrifice for the team."
