Most Intriguing Prospects: Des Moines Roosevelt (66) at Des Moines East (31)
Des Moines — Buckets were hard to come by for the Des Moines East Scarlets, and their winless season continued at the hands of a Cade Moritz and his upstart Roosevelt squad.
Moritz, a 6’7 big-man with a jumper, notched a game-high 26 points in the blowout win. He started the game with a transition dunk, then a 3-ball and a turnaround jumper, all in the first three minutes.
Matters were made worse for East, as leading scorer and intriguing frosh guard Wil Burt was not playing….not even on the roster. Rumor has it he might he transferring back to Waterloo.
That this East team — though the effort and passion was there — is not very good, and Roosevelt had the weapons to make them pay.
Team Scoring
Roosevelt — 19 19 23 5 — 66
East — 10 10 8 3 — 31
Individual Scoring
Roosevelt: Cade Moritz 26, Burke Pitz 13, Landon Ingle 7, Antonio Alzheimer 7, Sam Knoshaug 6, Eman Arevalo 5, Jamie Spinks 2.
East: Scott Cooper 10, TK Dabner 8, Derrick Troncoso 6, Devante Witherspoon 3, Rashad Madyun 3.
The Prospects
Cade Moritz, 6’7 PF, 2018 (Roosevelt)
The man they call “Big Country” was cookin’ tonight, and Moritz was showcasing his ability to score from both inside and out. He had buckets from all three levels within three minutes of the game, and that’s what he’ll do. His stroke from deep and from the line is pure, and his athleticism is underrated, add some length and you’ve got yourself a legitimate scholarship level big. Iowa Central CC was in the house tonight, presumably to see Moritz. He has an offer from D2 Upper Iowa.
Burke Pitz, 5’9 G, 2019 (Roosevelt)
Easily the best surprise of the night was this prior unknown sharpshooter. We knew of every other player in the Roosevelt rotation, bit Pitz came in and utterly impressed with his mistake-free, smart and precise style of play. His jumper is beautiful, and aside from one bad miss, he was spot on with every deep attempt and splashed in three of them. He makes the right pass, never forces and can get to the rim, too. What a weapon off the bench, and look for him to be a breakout player next season.
Sam Knoshaug, 6’1 G, 2018 (Roosevelt)
We were impressed with Knoshaug’s high IQ and knack for making the right play. He was the Roughriders’ quarterback this past fall, so his ability to rifle accurate and timely passes wasn’t too surprising. Like the rest of his teammates, he doesn’t force anything and is always patient; a team-first guy. He’ll be critical to this team’s success moving forward.
Scott Cooper, 5’9 G, 2018 (East)
This senior guard was shooting the ball at a decent clip coming into the night and he started this one hot, canning two of his first three attempts from long-range, They might want to get him some more looks; his somewhat low-arching shot is precise, and when he shoots it, it’s always got a shot to go in. He’s also a smart player, always moving, and understands the game better than most.
Derrick Troncosco, 5’9 G, 2021 (East)
Just a freshman, there’s a lot to like about Troncoso, his other freshman peers were not in the lineup tonight (James Jefferson, Wil Burt), but he played with enough energy for the three of them. His jumper needs work, and his handles should be sharpened, but his athleticism and effort are assets. If he can continue to improve, the future could be bright.
TK Dabner, 6’3 F, 2020 (Wast)
Perhaps the most intriguing prospect on the East roster, Dabner is a big and versatile wing with skill-set that included some decent handles and a good-looking J. He’s a big-bodied forward and could probably do some scoring in the paint if he worked on it. At one point in the second quarter he connected on consecutive triples; all of his other attempts had a good shot to drop.
Antonio Alzheimer, 5’11 PG, 2020 (Roosevelt)
Our 15th-ranked 2020, Alzheimer was not much needed tonight. He’s the point guard for this team and it looks like his best asset is his ability to hit an open jumper. His handles are right there, too; and that combo of J plus handles will make him a headache for opponents over the next two season. Right now, it Moritz’s team, but the next two season’s, it’ll be interesting to see how Alzheimer reacts to the Riders being his squad to lead.