Intriguing Prospects: Iowa Falls-Alden 61 vs North Polk 52
Alleman — We came to see Karson Sharar ball, and we ended up getting a better look at several other guys than we expected. Sharar, a 6-foot sophomore, is a Division I prospect who led all Iowa freshman in scoring last season, but he struggled tonight, battling foul trouble and finishing with just three made field goals and 13 points. Still, the Cadets led for nearly the whole time here; they have plenty of other weapons on the roster aside from Sharar. Most notably tonight, it was freshman guard Blake Janssen who was a weapon, going for a team-high 17 points in the win. North Polk has some nice players, and was led by senior guard Colten Parkins‘ 17 points. Senior guard Braden Hoksbergen was exceptional on defense, shadowing Sharar all night and causing all sorts of trouble. Shot-blocking extraordinaire and veteran big-man Caleb Lomica did not play tonight and is not on the Comets’ roster.
Team Scoring
Iowa Falls-Alden — 10 19 16 16 — 61
North Polk — 10 14 13 15 — 52
Individual Scoring
Iowa Falls-Alden: Blake Janssen 17, Karson Sharar 13, Logan Aldinger 10, Garret Renaud 9, Timothy Long 7, Nolan Frohwein 5
North Polk: Colten Parkins 17, Braden Hoskbergen 11, Cameron Markert 10, Jevin Sullivan 9, Sam Carstensen 5
The Prospects
Karson Sharar, 6′ G, 2021 (IF-A)
It was a struggle for the D1 prospect tonight (Drake has offered), but there were still flashes of what makes him great. The athleticism and length is undoubtedly what Drake likes, he was the best leaper on the floor, and was skying over bigger guys to cleanly snare rebounds. His wing-span allows him to play bigger than 6-foot. We noticed during warm-ups he was palming the ball strong. He might have rough games like this every now and then, but those physical gifts are a big reason why he’s so highly regarded.
Braden Hoksbergen, 5’10 G, 2019 (NP)
One really big reason why Sharar struggled so much tonight, was because this strong and athletic guard was shutting him down. Just 5’10, Hoksbergen was giving up some size, but his tenacity paired with strength and quickness allowed him to stay glued to the Cadets star all night. Hoskbergen, too, has some nice length on him, which aided him in poking balls loose throughout the night. Offensively, he’s capable, able to shoot off the bounce and get to the rack. We were very impressed with his game.
Logan Aldinger, 5’8, 2020 (NO)
Last season, he lit it up from deep, canning 47 3s at a 48 percent clip; we see why. If he gets even a little bit of space, he’s firing a quick-release 3-ball and will do so with confidence. He canned two 3-balls tonight, but also scored two buckets from getting to the rim. The junior is a nice offensive weapon for the Cadets.
Blake Janssen, 5’9 G, 2022 (IF-A)
In his first-ever varsity game, Janssen led all scores with 17 points and was tremendously poised while doing so. Sharar had to sit out most of the third quarter because of foul trouble, and that’s when Janssen stepped in and shined. He scored six points late in the third and helped push the Cadets’ lead to double-digits. A capable 3-points shooter, and a pretty good finisher with some handles to boot, there’s a lot to be excited about with this freshman baller.
Colten Parkins, 6′ G, 2019 (NP)
the Comets’ leading returning scorer looks to do a lot more of that this season. Parkins is bigger and more cut this season than we’ve seen of him in the past, that’s certainly going to help him become a formidable post-up guy against smaller guards. He hit one 3-ball, and another just inside the 3-point line to beat the third quarter buzzer. He’s a confident leader of this team and has a pretty J, it’ll be a bog season for Parkins.
Jevin Sullivan, 5’11 G, 2022 (NP)
Another guy playing in his first-ever varsity basketball game, this Comets freshman has a very bright future. He was playing the role of 3-point specialist tonight, canning three of them and not shooting much from inside the arc. The ball-handling skills are there and we like his length. He’ll be a key player this season for the Comets and is the future of North Polk hoops.
Timothy Long, 6’5 C, 2019 (IF-A)
He was sporting a pronounced black-eye in this one, and as tough as he plays down low, we can guess how he got it. Long was easily the biggest guy on the floor, the Comets are undersized. As a result, he was able to rack up some boards and keep possessions alive. His size and ability to play solid in the paint makes this Cadets team a well-rounded one that could make a lot of noise in Class 3A this winter.