Summer Reset: Iowa CornSharks 17U
Editor’s note: We will be profiling a number of programs and teams ahead of the always-important July schedule getting underway this weekend. We polled program directors and coaches to get their take on their team’s performances up until this point. The section below was submitted by Iowa CornSharks program director and 17U coach David Morris.
Record: 24-13
Best tournament finish(es): Prep Hoops Battle at the Lakes Regional Champs, Midwest Spring Tune Up Champs, May Classic Champs
Team MVP: Jake Kluender
Biggest surprise: Team unity and unselfishness. These guys play best when they play for each other and it was apparent when they were at their best. Also, not having Spencer Brown for help at all because of his injury.
Best defender: Luke Hudnutt really disrupts a lot of paint attempts and boards. Eli Gingerich is very deceptive and just has a knack for reading things which gets him a lot of steals.
Best team moment: Christian Reischauer chased down a breakaway layup and blocked it off the board what would have been the go ahead bucket in Minneapolis with about 8 seconds left to win the Regional Championship at the Battle at the Lakes. It was a great way to bring these guys first tournament to an end.
Evaluation of how your team performed in the spring: We had a very good spring. With only two practices the entire spring and learning during pool play this team did a great job of learning each other and playing. Bradley Fisher, Christian Reischalauer, Alec Potthoff, AJ Leporte, Luke Hudnutt, Preston Funderburg, Eli Gingerich, Blake Illg, Jake Kluender and Dylon Storey have been an awesome bunch of kids to be around this year. Each of them understood that to be succesful on this team they would have to readjust their mindset and accept playing less time but playing just as hard, sharing the basketball in times when they might have to force a bad shot, not be lazy on the boards because every possesion matters.
July schedule:
July 17th – 19th Sanford Pentagon Challenge – Sioux Falls, SD
July 24th – 26th Hardwood Classic – Kansas City, KS
July goals: I would like a strong showing in both tournaments. I would like each of the guys to have an idea of what their future holds in basketball after high school.