Prep Hopps Summer Challenge: Saturday Recaps
8:00: 15U — Wisconsin RAP 54 vs Team Iowa Silver 29
It was never close and the guys from Wisconsin made a statement with this win: that they are here to play deep into Championship Sunday. RAP advanced to the Elite 8 after this win, they’ll play Wisconsin United at 1:25. For the Iowa guys, there were a couple of standouts; Linn-Mar’s Carter Schminke was playing well (he was yesterday when we saw him briefly too), and Mid-Prairie’s Jacob Nonnenmann had a burst where scored seven points in the second half. RAP was led by rangy 6’3 wing Brennan Timm (West Bend West), who poured in 15 second half points.
9:05: 15U — Meanstreets 2022 50 vs Iowa Dynasty 15U 45
This was an entertaining game; not only because the Meanstreets 14U squad (which was playing up a grade) featured several future high-major D1 prospects, but because the guys from Iowa believed and proved they could hang right there with them. Dynasty fought until the very last second, and were led by Iowa City High rising sophomore Keon Agee who put in a game-high 15 points. Liberty High has a rising sophomore sniper coming through the ranks, Ira Hazeltine, he scored 11 in the loss, and was showing off a pure stroke from deep. For Meanstreets, the roster is littered with elite talent. It was 6’8 forward Andre Casey who was most impressive, he scored 12. Kam Craft, a future Buffalo Grove hoopster also scored 12.
10:10: 16U — D1 Minnesota 63 vs Great Northern Elite 13
It’s not that this team from Michigan was bad, they weren’t. It’s just that they ran up against one of the five best 16u teams in the country. D1 Minnesota is absolutely loaded with high-level talent, and it was on full display in this beat-down. Guys like Dawson Garcia, Ben Carlson and Kerwin Walton were showing off their athleticism with some electric dunks. And it was Eden Prairie point guard Drake Dobbs who was lighting it up from deep, he finished with a game-high 15 points. Everyone on the Minnesota squad looked like a high level college prospect, and coaches from Stanford, Iowa State, Wisconsin, Green Bay, North Dakota State were there top take it all in.
11:15: 16U — NOVA Cavs 47 vs Team Iowa White 41
This was a good game with two good teams going at it full bore. In the end, it was the guys from Virginia that were able to survive and advance to the Elite 8 in the 16U bracket. It was Jack Fricka who started things of for the Cavs, he scored eight first half points. Down the stretch, it was Daniel Peterson who excelled. The 6’5 power forward had one of the finer blocks we’ve seen this weekend, and it came late in the game, just as an Iowa guy was getting ready to lay one in and cut the deficit to just two. After that, he was money at the line, hitting four free-throws in the final minute to help seal the deal for NOVA. For Iowa, it was Marion guard Will Henricksen who was tough, he scored a game-high 14 points.
12:20: 16U — Wisconsin Academy Noll/Fish 64 vs Iowa Dynasty 52
Six-foot guard Trey Schroeder caught fire in the second half and almost single-handedly buried this good Iowa Dynasty squad. Schroeder was good in the first half, going for seven points, he ended the game with 25 after pouring in 18 second half points. Not coincidentally, Wisconsin led by just two at the break, but busted the game wide-open just as Schorerder started to reach a boil. Mitchell Nowak was in fine form as well for Wisconsin, putting in 16 points of his own. For Iowa, it was Cedar Rapids Prairie rising junior Garrett Pientok who shined, the 6’5 forward was impressive while scoring a team-high 14 points. The win for Wisconsin was especially impressive because they were down 9-2 at the start; they move on to play Tipping Point IE/2020 in the Elite 8.
1:25: 15U — H.I.T. Basketball 56 vs Kessel Heat 48
Hoops Intensity Training, an Illinois-based program, has its 15U squad in the Final 4 after this hard-earned win against an in-state rival. It was tight at half, 25-24, but in the second half, Neuqua Valley wing Connor Davis took control, and hit a slew of clutch free-throws late to help his team the W. Davis finished with a monster game, going for 28 points (12-12 from the line) and 10 rebounds. H.I.T will play tomorrow morning against Meanstreets’ 14U squad, which features several future high-major Division I talents.
2:30: — 17U — Iowa Dynasty 71 vs Great Northern Elite 41
This Iowa Dynasty team is going to be a very tough out, and after a 30-point win in the Sweet 16, they move on to the Elite 8 beaming with confidence. There are so many weapons on this Iowa squad which is headlined by 2018 prospects, and future Kirkwood CC teammates, Seybian Sims and Luke Appel, but also a top 2019, Dante Eldridge and a bevy of other solid rising seniors. It was a fresh face that shined in this one, though. Iziah Paulsen, a rising senior from Iowa City Liberty, scored a very impressive 19 points. He’ll be in-line for a big season with the Lighting next season. But first, he’s got a chance to be a part of a Summer Challenge title squad here in Chicagoland. Dynasty will play in the quarterfinals tonight at 9:20. If they win that, they’ll play in the Final 4 tomorrow at 12:20.