Standouts From Night #3 of the Iowa Fall Exclusive
The Iowa Fall Exclusive concluded this past Sunday, and the final day perhaps was the best day. Six of the eight total games were decided by 5 points or fewer. There were great individual duels occurring within the entertaining team…
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Continue ReadingThe Iowa Fall Exclusive concluded this past Sunday, and the final day perhaps was the best day. Six of the eight total games were decided by 5 points or fewer. There were great individual duels occurring within the entertaining team matchups. Several highly-ranked players showed off all the new tricks they’ve picked up over a summer’s worth of hard work, and many new faces burst onto the scene, making big impacts that we weren’t necessarily expecting. Here are my thoughts on the final round of performances at the 2020 Iowa Fall Exclusive.
James Glenn James Glenn 6'2" | PG Sep | 2021 State IA – Southeast Polk – (21’)
James was the best point guard I saw at the Fall Exclusive this year, and in his final performance he emptied everything he had on the court. His shooting was excellent from all three levels. He hit several fall-away jumpers in the midrange, and it didn’t really matter much if it was contested or not. It was going in. His passing is excellent, especially in high-pace situations, when both James and the defense have to make decisions quickly. James wins that battle most times.
Steven Kramer Steven Kramer 6'5" | SG Johnston | 2022 State IA – Johnston (22’)
The best offensive performance of the Fall Exclusive goes to Steven Kramer Steven Kramer 6'5" | SG Johnston | 2022 State IA for his work on Sunday. Elite three-level scoring, which has been a staple of Steven’s game for some time now. The difference this week was double-teams and extra attention devoted to Steven didn’t do much at all, and if they did Steven was making the right pass each time. He trusted his teammates more this week, and it paid off with two wins.
Elijah Vos Elijah Vos 6'4" | SF Hoover | 2023 State IA – Hoover (23’)
The sophomore gets better each time I saw him, it seems. This week, his main weapon of attack was a turn-around jumper in the lane that was just about unguardable. His ball-handling really takes his game to the next level, allowing him to control the ball and get to wherever he wants on the court. He was great vision and just a natural awareness of the action around him at all times.
Jeremiah Babers – Galesburg (22’)
Every coach in the world wants a Jeremiah Babers out there leading their team. He plays with such intelligence and calmness, making the right play nearly every time. He ran the offense very well for the Timberwolves, and never once forced his own shot. His strength makes him a stout defender, containing the drives of every assignment he drew.
Jaxson Young Jaxson Young 6'0" | SG Linn-Mar | 2022 State IA – Linn Mar (22’)
Jaxson made this list a week ago, but turned in an even better performance this week. His rebounding is excellent, and where I think his athleticism is most apparent. But he really showed out on offense, using clean dribble moves and driving strong to the basket. He was getting into the chest of bigs and finishing with confidence. Contested pullup jumpers were not part of Jaxson’s game, I thought, but he poured in a few of those, too.
Sam King – Des Moines Roosevelt (23’)
After a nice very developmental for Sam, he brought it all together on this final night of the Fall Exclusive. He was able to knock down threes for the Bucks squad, but I came away far more impressed with his work without the ball in his hands. He was the best rebounder I watched all night, flying in from the perimeter and fighting with the giants to come down with a few of them.
Kaidan Ivory – Waukee (23’)
The young Waukee guard was running circles around the defense at times, using his fast feet and tight handle. He has been getting penetration each of the last three weeks, but he brought an extra element this past Sunday. He was finishing around bigs with great body control and strength. Instead of forcing a tough layup in the teeth of the defense, he was able to pull-up for a floater or kick it out and live to fight another day.