Midwest Live! (Omaha) Saturday Recaps
Jaxson Young 15U: Iowa Mavericks 59 vs Iowa Dynasty 43 This one was nip-and-tuck until Linn-Mar rising sophomore Jaxson Young got red hot from deep. The 5’10 guard scored four first half points, and the Mavs took a narrow 26-24…
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Continue Reading15U: Iowa Mavericks 59 vs Iowa Dynasty 43
This one was nip-and-tuck until Linn-Mar rising sophomore Jaxson Young got red hot from deep. The 5’10 guard scored four first half points, and the Mavs took a narrow 26-24 lead into the break, then he erupted for 14 second half points, 12 of which came from his four 3s. Cedar Rapids Kennedy big-man CG Mills has been impressive all spring and summer, and this game was no exception, he bullied his way to 13 points, five of which came from the free-throw line, where he has a skilled stroke. For Iowa Dynasty, it was Jamari Newson who showed loads of potential, the athletic and fiery Iowa City High guard scored a team-high 14 points in the loss.
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16U: SW Minnesota Stars 67 vs Kingdom Hoops Red 47
The guys from Minnesota were no challenge for the Kingdom Hoops squad. At halftime, the Stars led 40-24 thanks to Joshua Baker’s 11 points. The second half started with a surge from the Iowa guys; a 9-0 run saw them down just seven and with all the momentum, but that was as close as they’d get in this one. Ankeny Centennial guard Carson Wycoff was the leading scorer for Kingdom Hoops, he put in 14 points, including a pair of 3-balls.
15U: Team Iowa Elite 68 vs SW Iowa Select 56
There was a lot of talent on display in this one, not the least of which was Council Bluffs Lincoln point guard Jamison Gruber and East Buchanan guard Kaiden Gage, both were spectacular. Gage, a 6’2 rising sophomore averaged 12.2 points per game as a freshman, and proved to be a skilled and crafty guard with shooting and ball-handling ability. Gruber is one of the better passers we’ve seen come through Iowa in the last half decade, his court vision is off the charts. He can score it, too, both from beyond the arc and getting to the rim. The game itself was highly entertaining, one of the best we saw this weekend. The Team Iowa squad had more depth. Gage led all scorers with 19. Big man Ian Duffey led the SW Iowa guys with 14, Gruber added 11 and a slew of dimes.
Cael Schmitt
17U: Iowa Barnstormers Black 64 vs Minnesota Heat-Presbi 53
Dubuque, Wahlert guard Cael Schmitt was utterly impressive and the Barnstormers came away with a quality win over a talented group of Minnesota guys in this one. Schmitt, who averaged 13.4 points per game as a junior, was easily the most impactful player on the floor, using hustle and some sharpshooting to do his damage. The Barnstormers as a unit canned seven 3s alone in the first half, they hit 11 in the game, Schmitt had five of those. This ‘Stormers unit pays hard and is extremely well-coached, it’s no surprise it went to on to win the 17U title in convincing fashion; not losing once, and beating Kingdom Hoops Navy by 35, 99-64, in the title game. The Minnesota squad had some serious talent, including 6’4 guard Riley O’Connor who had one of the purest strokes we’ve ever seen; Gunner Reed was very impressive as well.