Standouts From Night #2 of the Iowa Fall Exclusive
Week two of the Iowa Fall Exclusive saw several players turn in improved performances from underwhelming week one performances. Others followed up a successful first outing with an even more impressive showing. All in all, we saw several completive games…
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Continue ReadingWeek two of the Iowa Fall Exclusive saw several players turn in improved performances from underwhelming week one performances. Others followed up a successful first outing with an even more impressive showing. All in all, we saw several completive games that came down to the buzzer as players grow more comfortable with their assigned teammates. Let’s dive right in to the diverse list of players (2021-2024) who impressed the most at Kingdom Hoops on Sunday October 4th.
Jaxson Young Jaxson Young 6'0" | SG Linn-Mar | 2022 State IA – Linn Marr (22’)
Jaxson put together two complete games for his Lakers squad. He has a keen awareness of offensive spacing. He had several cuts that relieved offensive pressure and crossed up the defense. He did his work early in the post, causing multiple doubles when he received the entry pass. He’s a capable scorer but always has his eyes scanning, and found multiple cutters for buckets who were taking advantage of the attention Jaxson was drawing.
Caleb Burks Caleb Burks 6'6" | C Waverly-Shell Rock | 2021 State IA – Waverly-Shell Rock (21’)
The lengthy forward provided excellent energy and effort for the Lakers on Sunday. He ran the floor all afternoon, and was his team’s main rim protector. In the post, he walls off his defenders well with his frame to secure rebounds and finish using his length. He showed a spatial awareness that proved valuable in the pick and roll. As a roll man, he consistently found the soft spots in the coverage. He moves his feet very well for his size.
Trovary Cavil – Des Moines Lincoln (24’)
The 2024 prospect handled himself just fine among the horde of talent at the expo. Offensively he did a little of everything, showing his three-level scoring ability. He started off the night well, hitting multiple 3-point jumpers in the first few minutes. He is very shifty in and around the lane thanks to a low center of gravity and a tight handle. What impressed me most was his comfortability and confidence when a big man was switched on to him. He went straight to work every single time and made the defense pay for the switch. He showed great tenacity and athleticism on the defensive end as well.
Traijan Sain Traijan Sain 6'5" | SF Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023 State IA – Cedar Rapids Washington (23’)
Nobody turned in a more improved performance from week one to week two than Traijan. I appreciated that he wasn’t forcing any offense early. He made an impact running the floor and slashing to open up gaps. He was prone to mentally check out while playing defense off-ball, but he was very effective containing his man with the ball. As the game came to him, he showed excellent playmaking ability in the pick and roll and took the shots the defense provided. An attractive mix of floaters, midrange jumpers, and runners high off the glass was the Nuggets’ biggest spark of the day.
Noah Allen Noah Allen 5'11" | PG Pella | 2022 State IA – Pella (22’)
Noah has one of the smoother shooting strokes you’ll see among see this group, and it was on full display. His footwork is clean on his pull-ups, which he can hit most spots on the floor. He was very slippery in the lane, getting relatively clean looks when it looked like no such shot existed. He’s quick to rise into his shot which makes him difficult to contest strongly.
Ben Loverude Ben Loverude 6'6" | PF Dmc | 2021 State IA – Des Moines Christian (21’)
Another excellent performance was turned in from the Des Moines senior. There isn’t a thing on the court he can’t excel at. He has probably been the most reliable rebounder at this expo so far, and at 6’7″ is able to get up and down the court with the guards. He once again showcased excellent spot-up shooting, but his most impressive contributions came while running the point for the Heat. He has great touch on his passes and reads and reacts very quickly.
Jack Groeteke Jack Groeteke 6'9" | C Dowling Catholic | 2021 State IA – Dowling Catholic (21’)
It was pretty clear to me that Jack turned in the most dominating performance of any player in week two. He did it in every possible way. He caught my attention within the first few minutes of the first game when he came from outside the paint to the opposite block to provide perfectly-timed help defense and he rejected the ball into the stands. A few minutes later he hit back-to-back catch and shoot three-pointers. He moves so quickly with the ball which makes him very difficult to slow down in the open court at his size.
Kaleb Booth Kaleb Booth 6'1" | SG Carroll | 2022 State IA – Carroll (22’)
The best defender I saw on the floor Sunday was the shooting guard from Carroll. He was locked in and hounding his man, but also stunting on time and disrupting the flow of the offense off-ball. He had a much better offensive performance this week too. He distributed well, hit jumpers when they were there, and showed some East-West wiggle to get past his man.