Standouts From Night #1 of the Iowa Fall Exclusive
This fall, Prep Hoops Iowa is hosting an exposure series for players of all classes and star levels. From September 27 – October 11, eight carefully arranged teams will compete each Sunday to showcase their skill. These are just some…
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Continue ReadingThis fall, Prep Hoops Iowa is hosting an exposure series for players of all classes and star levels. From September 27 – October 11, eight carefully arranged teams will compete each Sunday to showcase their skill. These are just some of the talented players who stood out from night one of the Iowa Fall Exclusive on September 27th.
Tysonn Burrage – Davenport Central (22’)
For the Boston Celtics team, Tyson controlled the pace and ran the offense wonderfully. He was excellent handling the ball in pick and roll. For one assist, he looked off both defenders involved in the screening action, allowing the big to slip just enough for Tyson to deliver a delicate floater right over the top of the defense. He got the rim early and often and brought that same energy to his defense, picking the pockets of multiple players.
Sean Murphy Sean Murphy 6'0" | PG Waukon | 2023 IA – Decorah (23’)
I had not seen Sean play before this expo and after watching these two games, I was a little shocked to not see him ranked in the 2023 class. Especially in his first game he was slicing up the defense with impressive dribble moves. Early on he was finishing hard at the rim, but later on when defenses started to collapse on him he would correctly make the kickout. On one occasion, he had a rather advanced play where he slowed his pace while driving to buy some time for something to open up, and then motioned towards the perimeter as if he was passing there before dropping in a dime to the big who was wide open thanks to Sean’s fake.
Trevion Labeaux Trevion Labeaux 6'3" | SF Ames | 2022 State IA – Ames (21’)
The teammate of Sean Murphy Sean Murphy 6'0" | PG Waukon | 2023 IA in this expo, Trevion proved to be a powerful slasher for the Denver Nuggets squad. Either in transition or against a set defense, he got a head of steam, usually to his right, and once he crossed the 3-point line he would plant hard and change direction quickly, exploding to the rim. There were stretches in which that was the go-to play for several consecutive possessions.
Ashton Hermann Ashton Hermann 6'4" | SG Ballard | 2022 State IA – Ballard (22’)
Ashton is one of the more versatile offensive prospects in this group. For the Bucks, he was running the show for a majority of their two games. The variety of his offensive game is fun and impressive to witness. He was excellent in pick and roll, mostly because he has such a great understanding of pace. He uses it to create windows and make plays for others. If you are not swarming him off that pick he will come off firing, using that sweet, sweet jumper. His footwork on his pull-up game is always on point.
Damir Selimanovic – Cedar Falls (21’)
We have another unranked prospect who showed he belonged with the best on Sunday. He showed excellent playmaking skill. He had multiple assists that came off the live-dribble, and showed ability with both hands. He was a frequent and timely cutter, although his teammates did not reward a lot of those in these two games. He has a very smooth stroke from outside, and made the defense pay for helping off him too far.
Kieren Nichols Kieren Nichols 5'11" | PG Knoxville | 2021 State IA – Knoxville (21’)
There might not have been a player on the courts this past Sunday better than Kieren. He showed tremendous ability to score and facilitate at all three levels. He was getting to the rim at will, going either direction. He didn’t have any complicated or overly fancy moves to get past defenders. He just relies on angles, footwork, and selling his fakes and body feints. He turned on the jets multiple times when he saw an opportunity cut or sprint in transition. His passes were also very crisp and on a line, hitting the man right in the pocket.
Simon Daniels – Dowling Catholic (21’)
Daniels let the three pointers fly for the Clippers, and the return on those shots was excellent. What I liked most is that Simon missed his first 3-4 shots of the game, all 3-pointers, but continued to shoot with no hesitation or dip in confidence. He also played tough, physical defense all night long. I was watching intently all night when he drew the defensive assignment on Elijah Vos Elijah Vos 6'4" | SF Hoover | 2023 State IA in the first game. He held up very well against the talented scorer.
Elijah Vos Elijah Vos 6'4" | SF Hoover | 2023 State IA – Hoover (23’)
This kid is in the conversation for best all-around player in Iowa, regardless of class. On Sunday, he brought out all the tricks. At 6’5″, Elijah was running the point for a lot of the games. His handle is very impressive for his size and age, and his body control to go with it was equally as impressive. As a shooter, he hit 3-pointers and mid-rangers from all spots on the court. And from every location on the court he can shoot off the catch, on the run, and off the dribble. Of course, the defense began swarming him, but there was never any panic. An escape dribble or release valve pass and he was back to dominating. He runs well in transition and can facilitate in that space, too. The game-winning buzzer beater at the end of his first game was a heavily-contested step-back elbow jumper, and he put it in without even grazing the rim. Impressive showing for the youngster.
Ben Loverude Ben Loverude 6'6" | PF Dmc | 2021 State IA – Des Moines Christian (21’)
Ben had the best all-around impact of any player I watched on Sunday. His initial contribution was made on the glass, where he ripped down rebounds seemingly on every possession. Once Cole Glasgow Cole Glasgow 6'2" | SG Dallas Center- Grimes | 2022 State IA got into his flow as the offensive initiator, Ben stepped up and hit some big time 3-pointers. He easily showed the most impressive range of anyone at the gym, nailing shots more than 3 feet behind the line. He showed excellent ability to protect the rim, but is also agile enough to contain a drive.
Steven Kramer Steven Kramer 6'5" | SG Johnston | 2022 State IA – Johnston (22’)
It was frustrating at times for Kramer and his Toronto Raptors squad, who struggled to find consistent offense from the team, but Kramer was fantastic. Few players have ability to beat their man one-on-one as consistently as he showed on Sunday. He has a devastating jab that got even the best defenders in this group leaning. He started the day off with a barrage of jump-shots all over the court and at different levels. He showed great ability to drive and kick, although after several missed open shots from his teammates, he began to force his own offense which led to some turnovers. All in all, an excellent showing from a top scorer in Iowa.