Urbandale Shootout: Sunday Standouts (Part II)
2018 Blake Brinkmeyer, 6’8 PF (Valley)
He’s known for his high-flying dunks, but Blake Brinkmeyer was so much more today. His defensive presence was great, and his immense length makes him a one of the best rim protectors in Iowa. Also, his short to mid-range jumper was dropping with regularity. This kid is getting really good, really fast.
2018 Carter Frey, 5’10 G (Valley)
We’ve seen his game come a long was since he was a freshman who transferred from Waukee to Valley several years ago. And this weekend he put together a solid string of clutch Js, slick passes and savvy defensive plays. Frey will be a very solid guard for one of the state’s best teams next season.
2018 Nathan Nelson, 6’3 SF (Waukee)
He’s being touted more for football, and with that frame he’s got, we see why. He skilled enough to handle it and shoot, and big and tall enough to finish through people down low. After notching a team-high 15 in the final against Valley, it was clear that Nelson is still taking basketball very seriously.
2018 Jackson Joens, 6’5 SG (Xavier)
Perhaps the best pure shooter in Iowa, Joens was sending his onlooking peers into a frenzy with his quick release and precision shooting. He’s one of those guys that when he misses, you’re surprised, and he was aggressively shooting it today. He scored a team-high 27 points in an overtime loss to Valley, including four 3s. He committed to D2 Upper Iowa late last week.
2018 Matt Mims, 5’11 PG (Xavier)
Easily one of the best point guards in the state, Mims dropped 25 points while showcasing an array of offensive moves in a semifinal loss to Valley. Whenever he’s on the court it feels like his team has a chance to win. He’s a two-time state champion, one of the quickest point guards in the state, and could see several D1 and D2 offers come in this summer.
2018 Michael Bryan, 6’3 G (Valley)
The best surprise of the day, Bryan started the final red-hot, scoring the Tigers’ first eight points, and ended it hot too. His team may have come up just a bit short to rival Waukee, but Bryan canned four 3s and made a slew of other tough shots en route to a game-high 22 points.
2018 Noah Samples, 6’2 G/F (Valley)
The more we see him the more we like. He plays his role well, and that’s to use his strength and length to be a defensive stopper and to deflect passes while manipulate passing lanes. Offensively, he can snare offensive rebounds, and is strong and long enough to finish around the rim. He reminds us of a Valley Tigers version of Andre Iguadala.
2019 Trayvon Williams, 6’3 G (Valley)
After his coming-out party happened yesterday against Newton, we were curious to see what today would bring for the junior-to-be. Again, he was electric in a semifinal win over Xavier. And defensively, he was making life miserable for Xavier point guard Matt Mims in the semifinal. He did not play in the final, maybe the Tigers were trying to keep him secret for the regular season. Regardless, he may have been the most dynamic player we saw this weekend.