Prospect Spotlight: Manny Austin (2021)
It was clear last summer when we saw Hoover freshman Manny Austin at the Council Bluffs Lincoln Team Camp, that he was one of Iowa’s best 2021s
The 6-foot guard notched 20 points with the varsity that game, against Creighton Prep, one of Omaha’s best hoops programs.
We recently caught up with the rising Huskies star, and he explained his playing style in his own words.
“I feel like my strength is to getting to the rim and be able to finish at the basket. And my shot can get better, but getting to the basket is my strength,” said Austin.
He played this spring and summer with Kingdom Hoops Elite 14U, and says by summer’s end, he was as good and as confident as he’s ever been.
“When we first started, my game wasn’t mature, and I didn’t really know what I could do and didn’t know myself as a player. But as the season went on, I worked with my coach and worked with a lot of people to get my game stronger,” said Austin.
“I came back after July and feel like I made a greater impact on my team. My role got bigger, and I was able to be a main player on that team.”
Now, as he heads into his freshman season with Hoover, Austin — the younger brother of Hoover junior Hosea Treadwell — says he’s just going to play his role and do what he can to help the team.
“I think I can provide more scoring for the team. We’re not an offensive team, we defend good, but people don’t look at us as an offensive team, and we’re looking for more coming this year. So, I’ll need to play my role as a freshman, but I feel like I can still score,” said Austin.
“Coming into this season, I‘d like to start out as the No. 1 freshman in Iowa. And I’m not going to say I’ll score 20 every night, but I’m going to try my best to score, and I’m going to try my best on the defensive end. And just do what I do best, on both sides of the floor.”