Hardwood Classic (Kansas): Sunday Recaps
8:00: 16U Quarterfinal — Howard Pulley EYBL 64 vs Team Iowa White 49
It was a very successful weekend for this Team Iowa squad, they advanced farther than any other team from their state. After seeing them play against this EYBL squad from Minnesota, we see why. They aren’t intimating with their size, and they don’t have overwhelming athleticism on the roster, but they are cohesive, have some slick guards, shoot it well and play tough. This Howard Pulley squad was probably expecting to end this game early with a mercy-rule, but this one went to the buzzer, with the Iowa guys fighting until the very end. For Pulley, it was Mankato East sniper Jax Madson who impressed, he scored 13. For Iowa, it was Davis Wagner who led the way with a game-high 17 points. Jake Beckmann was really good at the point guard spot for Iowa.
9:05: 16U — KC Spurs Black 54 vs SW Iowa Select 45
The KC Spurs are on of the strongest programs in the Midwest, they have so many teams and all of them have stud players on them. This one was no exception. Daverion Goree was one of the, if the not the best passer we saw all weekend, and his teammate AJ Cooper was the recipient on more than one occasion of that sweet vision. Cooper was the game’s high scorer with 19 points. Iowa was led by Council Bluffs Lincoln rising junior Andrew Christensen who scored 11.
10:10: 17U — SW Iowa Select 67 vs Iowa Cornsharks 56
We don’t know a lot about high school hoops in Omaha, but we have a strong feeling that Millard South in Omaha will be very good next season. They have two guys that spent the weekend in Kansas showing out, and they were both especially good in this win over the Iowa squad. Nolan Benak was maybe the best shooter we saw all weekend, he led SW Iowa Select with 21 points, and canned five 3s in the game (he had six 3s when we saw him yesterday). His Millard South teammate Jalen Miles scored 18 in this one, 14 in the second half, and is a guy that gets it done at the rim, a slasher. For Iowa, it was Logan Peters and Michael Barker who led the way, each scoring 12. Both of those guys are viable college hoops prospects.
11:15: 17U — Showtime Hoopers Black 67 vs KC Magic 57
After some very impressive performances this weekend, we’re convinced this Showtime Hoopers squad is one of the very best in Iowa. Cliff McCray looks like a D1 point guard, he leads the charge, and guys like Conner Groves, Tymon Vesey, Cory Prather and Robert Mosey provide plenty of firepower. They gave Young & Reckless-DeNard all they could handle yesterday, and after a sluggish start in this one, they were whipped into shape by head coach Coco Cofield and dominant from there on out. Groves led the way in this one with 18 points, Vesey chipped in with 15.
12:20: 17U — Iowa Intensity 64 vs Hoffman Hoops Academy (NE) 54
We wanted to get a good look at Meskwaki Settlement School rising senior Tate Bear, and we’re glad we did. He’s a position-less player, but if we had to peg him we’d say a stretch-four. Bear scored a team-high 15 points and grabbed a ton of rebounds to help his team get the win over a good HHA squad. Intensity is always well-coached and well-disciplined, this 2019 unit is no exception. Joe Halverson is gritty big-man who was also good for the Iowa squad, he stepped out and hit a 3-ball to start the game and scored 12 points in the W.