10 Best: Iowa City High (57) vs. Muscatine (76) [WFA Shootout]
CEDAR RAPIDS — A game of runs was eventually broken wide open by way too much Joe Wieskamp at the inaugural Wells Fargo Advisors Shootout on Saturday afternoon, as Muscatine ran away from a game Iowa City High team in the second half en route to a 76-57 win.
City High jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead before 11 straight were poured in by Muscatine. City responded with a 16-2 run of their own to take a 21-13 lead after the first quarter, limiting Wieskamp to just three first quarter points. That didn’t last very long, however, as the Iowa signee and Mr. Basketball frontrunner poured in 15 of his game-high 38 points in the second quarter, as Muscatine ended the half on an 18-2 run to take a 39-31 lead into the break.
The second half was controlled by Muscatine, as they led by double figures from the midway point through the third quarter on.
Muscatine (7-5) was led by Joe Wieskamp, who had 38 points and 15 rebounds. He was 13-19 from the floor. Bryce Howard added 15 points and seven rebounds, and Joshua Hutton had five points and 11 assists for the Muskies in the win.
City High (3-8) was led by sophomore Keshawn Christian, who had 23 points (18 in the first half). Antonio Turner added 14 for the Little Hawks in the loss.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
Iowa City High | 21 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 57 |
Muscatine | 13 | 26 | 20 | 17 | 76 |
Iowa City High: Keshawn Christian 23, Antonio Turner 14, Carter Westlake 9, DeAngelo McNeil 4, Ry Threlkeld-Weigand 4, Quincy Wells 3
Muscatine: Joe Wieskamp 38, Bryce Howard 15, Jackson Foulk 7, Antonio Melendez 5, Joshua Hutton 5, Alex Hahn 4, Jose Martinez III 2
MVP: Joe Wieskamp (Muscatine)
The Iowa signee got off to a slow start, scoring just three points in the first quarter. But he was dominant after that en route to 38 points and 15 rebounds, despite facing constant double teams and being face guarded throughout the game. He’s a truly special talent who is able to score in bunches, and do so efficiently (13-19 shooting) despite facing such constant pressure on the offensive end.
Best offensive performance: Joe Wieskamp (Muscatine)
He did his scoring in a variety of ways, like he always does. He showcased the silky smooth jumper, with unlimited range, and the ability to do so either off the dribble or the catch, going 4-6 from behind the arc and 8-9 from the free throw line. He showed his ability to move off the ball and find spaces in the defense, losing his defender and getting free for open layups. He showed his ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim and score. He’s a remarkably gifted offensive player who is going to step in and start right away at Iowa. There’s a reason he’s a top-50 player in the country, and he shows it every night.
Best defensive performance: Ry Threlkeld-Weigand (City High)
City threw a bunch of different looks at Wieskamp, but it may have been the 6-4 junior who did the best job on him. It’s certainly not an enviable position to be in, but he did a nice job chasing Wieskamp through numerous screens and making sure that each shot was at least contested. Generally relied upon as City’s top perimeter shooter, Threlkeld-Weigand did an admirable job against the state’s premier scorer.
Best shooter: Joe Wieskamp (Muscatine)
He showed off his silky jump shot and unlimited range by going 4-6 from behind the arc. He has beautiful form, gets great rotation and is always ready to shoot on the catch.
Best underclassman: Keshawn Christian (City High)
Christian got off to a fantastic start, scoring 14 points in the first quarter, and pretty much going shot-for-shot with Wieskamp in the first half (each had 18 first half points). He cooled off a bit in the second half, finishing with 23 points, but he most definitely showed his high potential. A 6-2 guard, he’s really well put together, a big, strong, physical wing and a fantastic athlete. He’s able to get to the rim and score either through or around contact, and he’s improved as a shooter tremendously. He knocked down a few early 3s and may have fell in love with the deep 3 a bit, but it’s a shot he’s shown the ability to make. If he’s able to start piecing everything together, he has the potential to become an all-state player before his time in high school is done.
Best passer: Joshua Hutton (Muscatine)
The Muskies point guard was in complete control throughout the afternoon, finishing with 11 assists and assisting on 37% of his team’s buckets. Coming into the game, he had only 33 assists on the year, so this may have been a bit of an abnormality, but his vision and passing skill were on full display in this one. Of course, it helps to have the state’s leading scorer to pass to.
Best rebounder: Joe Wieskamp (Muscatine)
You could pretty much just put Wieskamp on here for every category, but he was certainly the best rebounder in this contest, pulling down 15 boards. He’s long and athletic, and does a great job actually making contact on his box outs, something that seems to have been lost among players in recent years.
The X-factor: Bryce Howard (Muscatine)
Howard gives the Muskies a big body in the paint at 6-7, and he scored 15 points on 7-9 shooting to go with seven rebounds. He came in averaging only 3.6 points a game, but if he can just finish plays at the rim, clean up any rebound that Wieskamp doesn’t grab, and protect the paint on the defensive end, it’ll go a long way for the Muskies. Jackson Foulk, who is their second leading scorer, suffered an ankle injury in the game that looked fairly serious. If he’s sidelined for any amount of time, they’ll need someone else to step up and score, and Howard may be the answer, simply as the beneficiary of easy buckets off of rebounds and drop-off passes.
Story to watch moving forward for Muscatine: How far can Wieskamp carry this group?
Wieskamp almost single-handedly carried the Muskies to a substate final last year, where they got blasted by eventual champion Iowa City West. Given a draw similar to last year’s (pretty light until the final), they could get to that point again. But it’s tough to see this group making it to the state tournament unless they get a really favorable draw, which is unfortunate that the state may never get to see Wieskamp play on the biggest stage.
Story to watch moving forward for City High: How does the youth continue to develop?
Only one senior sees any significant playing time for the Little Hawks, and that’s 6-8 big man Jeremy Kambomba, who comes off the bench. This group is going to take plenty of bumps throughout the year going through a loaded MVC, but with guys like Keshawn Christian, Antonio Turner and Ry Threlkeld-Weigand set to return next year, the rest of this season should be about improvement and development, looking forward to next year when they could be a really competitive unit.