Coach’s Take: Iowa Barnstormers 17U Silver (Part II)
It’s August, that means live action on the hardwood slows down, but our coverage of Iowa high schools hoops remains active. The grassroots season recently wrapped up, and we’re going to spend the month re-capping what went down by talking to some of the most successful team’s coaches, and getting their take on players that suited up for them all spring and summer.
We’re kicking off our “Coach’s Take” series with Tanner Carlson, the Iowa Barnstormers’ 17U coach. These guys created a ton of buzz in July, and finished the three-weekend live period stretch with a sterling record of 16-2. And made the title game in all three events they were at, including a championship at the Summer Classic in Minneapolis.
Iowa Barnstormers 17U Silver coach Tanner Carlson
Nathan Michels, 6’4 G (Benton)
“Nate has gotten a lot better playing with the Barnstormers from the spring to the summer, very similar to Antonio (Turner). In the spring he played sparingly, and in the summer he was just exceptional; I mean, he made play after pay. He was always making the right read, very unselfish, he’s athletic, he’s long, he can shoot it. He’s a really good player and is a good defender as well, he uses his length very well. Nate is another kid that was very coachable. He was in a tough spot because he played the same position as Keegan and Kris, so he would sub in for them, but, man, we didn’t drop off when we would sub because Nate was so good. He’s good in transition and is a good passer. I have nothing but good things to say about Nate. He’s heard from some Division III schools and some NAIA’s that have reached out as well. I think, regardless of level, he’s going to have a really good career in college.
Hayden Passmore, 6’5 SF (Linn-Mar)
“He is a phenomenal team player. He is what every single coach wants in a player; he defends well, he can guard a one through four, we would put him on the other team’s best player every game. He’s tough, he’s always working hard, he’s always in a stance, he’s coachable. He’s a winner; I think one way to describe Hayden Passmore is he’s going to help a college basketball team win games, regardless of level. He told me that a couple of Division II schools have reached out to him and also a couple of Division III and NAIAs. He’s a high-academic kid, I’ve told some colleges that I’ve talked to, that he’s a kid that might play as a freshman, even if he never scores a point in a game. He’s almost impossible to keep off the floor because of the way he guards and the way he passes, and the way he screens, and the way he gets extra possessions by being tough and flying in there for a rebound. I think he’s going to be a kid that will find the rotation early in his college career, whereas some kids have to wait a little while because they have to learn how to defend.”
Keshawn Pegues, 6’2 F (Davneport Central)
“ATHLETE. I think it was probably the third possession that Keshawn touched the ball this spring, he took one dribble from the 3-point line and went up and two-hand slammed on a kid. That was an eye-opener for me as to how athletic he really is. He’s definitely a kid that’s strong, he’s a little undersized at his position for the next level, but because of his length and his ability to jump (he can jump higher than anyone on our team right now), because of his ability to do that, I don’t think his height won’t hurt him. It’s been junior colleges, NAIAs and D3s that have reached out. He’s a really good kid too, and will be a really good role player for somebody. He has a pretty good shot as well, which is something he proved to me throughout the summer. He’s not just someone who can dunk, he has a good pull-up jump-shot as well.”
Ryan Schmitt, 6’10 PF (Van Meter)
“Ryan is a 6’10 big-bodied post player who has great hands. He catches some passes that came from VJ and Antonio that a lot of bigs aren’t ready for, he would catch them and finish them very well. He can shoot it to 15- feet, I gave him the green light from there, he’s got a nice 15-foot jump-shot. He’s a college weight-program away from being really, really good, like exceptionally good, because of his hands and his footwork, and all of those intangibles are there. We’re trying to get him to cut up his body a little bit more for the next level. But he’s going to be a monster for somebody. I know throughout the process he’s heard from schools at all levels. I know lately it’s been mostly NAIAs and Division II schools.”