Battle at the Lakes: Iowa 15U Preview
The Hawkeye State will be as well-represented as ever at the annual Battle at the Lakes tournament this weekend in Minneapolis, or as we like to simply call it: The Battle. Nearly all of the top programs in Iowa will be at this event, we’ll list them below, and give a breakdown of which guys to keep a close eye on. You can see the full schedule of the weekend’s events by clicking here
The Teams
National Division: All Iowa Attack, Iowa Barnstormers, Beyond Ball 24k, Kingdom Hoops Elite
Regional Division: Team Iowa Silver, Iowa Pump N Run Black, Showtime Hoopers Black, Iowa Prep, Iowa Cornsharks
Players to Watch
Karson Sharar, 6’1 G, All Iowa Attack — 2021
We saw the huge numbers he posted as a freshman with Iowa Falls-Alden (20.8 PPG), then saw first-hand how good he was at the Super 16 in Ames earlier this spring. Now, he’ll get another shot to showcase what he can do, and this time, against some of the best competition the Midwest has to offer.
Malik Allen, 5’9 G, Beyond Ball –2021
As a freshman at Des Moines North, Allen helped one of the state’s best teams to a 20-win season. Rarely will you see freshmen make such an impact with an elite Class 4A program. That production has helped land Allen on Iowa’s 2021 Watch List, and we’re very much looking forward to seeing him in a more expanded role with this talented Beyond Ball unit.
Manny Austin, 6′ G, Beyond Ball — 2021
This Des Moines Hoover guard is a sniper from all over the floor, and as a freshman with the Huskies — one of Iowa’s best teams — he connected on 54 percent of his field goal attempts. He came off the bench for his high school team last winter, and will have a chance to show what he can do in a more prominent role with Beyond Ball this weekend.
Angelo Winkel, 6’7 F, All Iowa Attack — 2021
We recently featured Winkel in a “most exciting players” article, and he’ll get the chance to dazzle fans and college coaches alike this weekend while starring with a very good All Iowa Attack unit. Winkel was sensational as a freshman with the Bears, going for 14.8 points on 63 percent shooting, 6.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
Cam Davis, 5’10 G, Barnstormers — 2021
Although he was unable to crack the varsity lineup as a freshman at Dubuque, Hempstead (zero underclassmen were able to), this quick and athletic lead guard has a lot to offer for the Barnstormers top 15U unit. Hempstead was stacked last season, so we certainly expect Davis to have a role with the varsity next season. In the meantime, he’ll shine with the ‘Stormers, and bide his time before he’s one of the premier high school guards in Eastern Iowa.
Keaton Kutcher, 5’11 G, Barnstormers — 2021
This Mount Vernon guard is a pure scorer with penchant for canning 3-balls in bunches, but Kutcher is more than just a shooter. He’s been working to refine his ball-handling skills, and when we saw him at the FutureStars Showcase in March, he was handling point guard duties as adeptly as he was shooting guard. Kutcher led the Mount Vernon varsity in scoring as a freshman, going for 12.9 points per game.
Nathaniel Mueller, 5’5 PG, Kingdom Hoops — 2021
We haven’t seen this small but supremely skilled point guard since he was lighting up the underclassmen division of our Top 250 Expo last fall. He left quite and impression on us then, and the 2021 Watch List prospect will have another chance to make his mark this weekend.
Payton Sandfort, 6’4 G/F, Kingdom Hoops — 2021
Big and skilled with a knack for hitting outside jumpers, Sandfort is part for a very bright future for Waukee. He excelled at our Top 250 Expo in the fall, and will be showcasing his butter stroke this weekend with a Kingdom Hoops squad that opens up with Wyoming Power at 8:05 in the Burnsville gym; we’ll be there.