Prospect Spotlight: Sam Kilburg (2020)
As one of the more recently successful hoops programs in Iowa, it should come as no surprise that North Scott is churning out an outstanding group of young talent; 5-foot-11 point guard Sam Kilburg included.
The Iowa Barnstormers product spent his summer honing his skills with one of the better grassroots teams in the country, and improved greatly while doing so.
He explained his game in detail during a recent phone interview.
“I feel like I have pretty good vision when I’m out there on the court, and have some pretty good passing. Defensively, I know the game as well. I guess offensively, I’ve been working on my shot and I feel like that’s improved,” said Kilburg.
“I’ve been working a lot on my off the dribble shooting, and finishing at the rim more creatively.”
His role with the Barnstormers was to come in off the bench and provide a spark. And he’s content with how he played this offseason.
“I was basically the backup point guard behind Bowen (Born), like the second floor general. I’d come in there and help the second unit,” said Kilburg.
“I thought I played pretty solid, defensively and offensively. And I had a lot of fun with the guys, and traveling all over the country was definitely a great experience for me.”
Last season, Kilburg played up with the sophomore unit at North Scott. This season, he’ll be looking to produce for the varsity.
“As a freshman, I played sophomore primarily, and would dress varsity. This season, our leading scorer Bailey (Basala) is gone, so I see myself helping out with scoring and making some plays defensively,” said Kilburg.
But first, he’ll have to get through his sophomore football season. Kilburg plays wide-receiver for North Scott, but it’s more or less something to pass the time until hoops season.
“I definitely prefer basketball and consider myself a lot more committed to basketball,” said Kilburg. “I like football, and I feel like I’m more naturally gifted at football and certain aspects of it. But I’m definitely more committed to basketball.”