Kings of the Court: 16u Preview
After more than a month of following Iowa teams around the Midwest, we’ll get a chance to stay home this weekend and catch some of the state’s best talent right here in Des Moines at the always-entertaining Kings of the…
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Continue ReadingAfter more than a month of following Iowa teams around the Midwest, we’ll get a chance to stay home this weekend and catch some of the state’s best talent right here in Des Moines at the always-entertaining Kings of the Court. The Iowa Gym Rats tournament will be held at Kingdom Courts Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon, we’ll be there for a good portion of it. Below, we take a look at the 16u field; what to expect and who to watch.
Teams to Watch
Kingdom Hoops Navy – This is the top Kingdom Hoops 16u unit and it will be the favorites in the field. Seven of the state’s top 50-ranked 2021 prospects reside on this team, so we’ll be looking for them to do a lot of damage this weekend on their home courts.
Beyond Ball 24K – There’s plenty of offensive firepower with this Des Moines-based squad, including one of the state’s best sophomore shooters James Glenn, and Dowling’s 6’7 shooting guard Jack Groeteke.
Iowa Mavs-Fisher – This is a Mavs squad that showed they could light it up last weekend in Minneapolis at Prep Hoops Battle at the Lakes. The back-court of Alec Brown and Mekhi Jacobs will be one of the better duos in the field.
Minnesota Lightning – In this almost exclusively Iowa tourney, there’s a team from up north that threatens to come in and take home a ‘ship. Six players on the Lightning’s roster are ranked among the the top 125 in Minnesota’s 2021 prospect rankings.
Top Prospects
Payton SandfortPayton Sandfort, 6’6 SG (Kingdom Hoops Navy)
A top ten player in Iowa’s Class of 2021, Sandfort is a guy that can change the game with not only his elite shooting ability, but with his size in the paint. We expect the Waukee sophomore to have a dominant weekend.
Manny Austin, 6’1 G (Kingdom Hoops Navy)
He’s bigger and more athletic this spring, and with his leaping ability paired with some handles and shooting capability, he could be a guy that turns a lot of heads in Des Moines.
James Glenn, 5’10 G (Beyond Ball 24K)
The Southeast Polk product connected on 58 3s at a fantastic 46% clip last season as a sophomore. He’s been showcasing that shooting ability this spring as the leader of a dynamic Beyond Ball 24K unit.
Diondre Taylor
Diondre Taylor, 5’10 G (Beyond Ball 24K)
A Des Moines North product, he’s always been one of the better finishers in the state for his size. Taylor, though has been working to improve his handles and shooting ability, and was lighting it up last weekend in Minneapolis.
TJ Harkins, 6’1 G (Pure Prep 16u)
Harkins is a lengthy sharpshooter who was one of Iowa’s best sophomore snipers last winter. He canned the fourth-most 3s among Iowa’s Class of 2021 with 70. And did so at an efficient 39.2% clip.
Teyghan Hovland, 6’3 SG (Minnesota Lightning)
The best prospect on a Minnesota Lightning squad that projects to be one of the better teams in the field. Ryan James and Co. have the Austin wing ranked No. 37 in Minnesota’s Class of 2021 prospect rankings.
Alec Brown
Alec Brown, 5’9 G (Iowa Mavs-Fisher)
Brown is a well-built guard who can score in bunches. His offensive arsenal is vast, and he’s able to score off the bounce with a jumper or at the rim, where he’s able to absorb and finish through contact.
Reid Grant, 6’2 G (Kingdom Hoops Navy)
There’s a whole cast of talented Johnston Dragons underclassmen that will play this weekend at Kingdom Courts. This sophomore guard the best-established of the bunch. He averaged 9.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists last winter as a sophomore.