Eight Intriguing Prospects: Iowa City Regina (48) at Davenport Assumption (69)
A tight game between a pair of parochial powers was blown open in the second half on Wednesday night, as Davenport Assumption used a 45-20 edge in the final 16 minutes to beat Iowa City Regina, 69-48, in a Hall of Pride scrimmage.
Tied at 12 after a quarter, Regina was able to grab control and take a 28-24 lead into the break. After that, however, it was all Assumption, who took advantage of their athleticism to extend their defense, attack the glass on both ends and contest shots. It was only an exhibition game, but it was an impressive showing from the team that opens up the year as our No. 7 team in the Class 3A poll.
Assumption was led by Ray Thrapp, who had 17 points. Dylan Peeters added 15 points and 10 rebounds. Masen Miller led three in double figures for Regina with 16 points. Zach Seaman added 13 and Jocoa Kerschen had 11 for the Regals, who open the year on our “watch list” in Class 2A.
Below we take a look at eight prospects from this game who caught our eye.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
Iowa City Regina | 12 | 16 | 10 | 10 | 48 |
Davenport Assumption | 12 | 12 | 23 | 22 | 69 |
Iowa City Regina: Masen Miller 16, Zach Seaman 13, Jocoa Kerschen 11, Jake Phillips 4, Even Brauns 2, Luke Stein 2
Davenport Assumption: Ray Thrapp 17, Dylan Peeters 15, Sean Peeters 9, Landon Dugan 7, Anthony Valainis 5, Trent Fitzpatrick 5, Daniel Powers 5, Logan Klemme 2, Adam Quested 2, Bret Kopp 2
SF Dylan Peeters (Assumption, 6-7, 2019)
Somewhat quietly, Peeters finished the evening with a double-double of 15 points and 10 rebounds, and it’s easy to see why he has blossomed into a potential Division I wing. He has a tremendous wing span, with arms that go down nearly to his knees, and he covers an incredible amount of ground in a short amount of time with his long strides. He’s able to get from the wing to the rim with only a dribble and a step, and he showed great touch and finishing ability around the rim. His jumper is a little bit flat still, but he knocked down a mid-range pull-up and looked comfortable doing so. He’s clearly at his best when he’s attacking the rim. He did a great job attacking against aggressive closeouts. He rebounds well on the defensive end and has the length and athleticism to switch on that end as well. He’ll need to add some weight and strength to his frame, but with his size, athletic ability and length, he should be a coveted low-to-mid-major prospect.
PG Trent Fitzpatrick (Assumption, 5-10, 2018)
Assumption’s point guard is cerebral, and nothing he does will blow you away. But he’s a good game manager who runs the team through their sets, handles the ball well and is a good passer. He’s also capable of knocking down 3s and can break down the defense a bit to get to the rim. He looks like the type of lead guard that Division IIIs would love to have – someone who will do all the little things to help a team win.
F Sean Peeters (Assumption, 6-4, 2020)
The younger Peeters brother looks like a more explosive athlete, and has a wider frame. He wasn’t overly aggressive, finishing the evening with just three field goal attempts (making all three), and going 3-4 from the line for his nine points. But he made the play of the evening with an impressive putback dunk in which he saw the rebound coming off to the left, ran in from the left wing and soared over a defender to flush it. An impressive display of his athletic ability. He also displayed nice patience on a post move, using a shot fake to get the defender to fly past him before laying it in. He competes well on the glass on both ends of the floor as well. He looks like he has a bright future ahead of him.
GF Ray Thrapp (Assumption, 6-4, 2018)
Thrapp has an “old man’s” game, capable of scoring at all three levels, and sometimes it may not be pretty, but it’s certainly effective. He has really good court vision, and made some nice passes out of the post to cutters or shooters on the other side of the floor. He does a nice job utilizing head and ball fakes and he has a big body that is able to finish through contact. He’s a player that Iowa Conference schools should be in on.
G Zach Seaman (Regina, 6-0, 2018)
A crafty scoring guard, Seaman had 13 points, doing a majority of his damage by attacking the rim. He showed an impressive left-handed floater after driving hard to the baseline, and he has good awareness on the offensive end, taking advantage of a defender overplaying and making a backcut to the rim for a layup. The release on his jumper is a bit odd, but he shoots if fairly well from the arc. He’s quick, handles the ball well and in a pinch could play the point and run a team through the motions. Another player who DIIIs should be looking at.
PG Masen Miller (Regina, 5-11, 2020)
Miller got off to a blazing start, knocking down three of his first four shots from behind the arc. He moves really well without the ball when he’s in scoring mode, using off-ball screens to help free himself for open looks, and he has a lightning quick release on his jumper. When he’s more in a facilitator mode, he does a nice job navigating and penetrating the defense and he keeps the ball moving. He’ll need to grow some more, but he’s a high IQ player who protects the ball and can knock down shots.
GF Jocoa Kerschen (Regina, 6-4, 2018)
A high-level wing shooter, Kerschen got off to a great start, knocking in a pair of early 3s for the Regals. He’s got good size, a high, quick release and unlimited range. He moves well without the ball and is ready to shoot on the catch. He pulled down eight rebounds and competes well on the glass on both ends of the floor. He’s a player that any Midwest Division III or potentially NAIA program should be looking at. His shooting ability will translate to the next level.
PF Even Brauns (Regina, 6-8, 2020)
It was a really quiet night for Regina’s star big man, scoring just two points and pulling in only four rebounds on the evening. But he may be the best long-term prospect from this game, with great size and athleticism. He wasn’t terribly involved in the offense, but struggled against the physicality in the paint when he was trying to finish. He needs to continue to get stronger and more assertive on the offensive end. All the tools are there for him to be dominant – good footwork and touch, explosive athlete, good hands. He stepped out to take a 15-footer, and although he missed it, looked comfortable doing so and the form looked fine. With more reps, he should be able to knock that shot down somewhat consistently. But for now, the big area to improve is with his strength. He should end up as a Division I prospect. How high will depend on how he continues to develop his body and his game.
Photo credit: NY2LA Sports (Pictured – Dylan Peeters)