Coach’s Take: Beyond Ball (Part II)
It’s August, that means live action on the hardwood slows down, but our coverage of Iowa high schools hoops remains active. The grassroots season recently wrapped up, and we’re going to spend the month re-capping what went down by talking to some of the most successful team’s coaches, and getting their take on players that suited up for them all spring and summer.
We continue our “Coach’s Take” series with Beyond Ball program director John Lamb, who was at the helm of one of the state’s most talented 17U units. The squad spent very little time in Iowa, and were not only all over the Midwest this spring and summer, but all over the country. Guys like Tyreke Locure, Lino Malual, Mach Nyaw and Kenny Quinn made this one of the more formidable teams around. Below, Lamb gives detailed analysis of his guys.
Beyond Ball program director John Lamb talks…
Gatdoar Bijiek, 6’5 SG (Des Moines North)
“Gatdoar is maybe the smartest kid on the floor, each and every game. He doesn’t really turn the ball over, he shoots at a very high percentage, and I would venture to say that for the majority of the season last year, he had the highest 3-point percentage in the CIML. He can absolutely stroke it, he’s 6’5, he’s very hard to guard, very shifty. When we played Oakland Soldiers, a team that finished second in the EYBL, he had about 17 points. He shoots it from very deep. He has kind of an unorthodox release, but because he has that release, he’s able to get the ball off very quickly and from almost anywhere on the floor. He’s got to really get stronger. Every single high school in our area has been begging me to send him there, but at the end of the day he has dreams that are very impressive. He’s got a 3.9 GPA and he’s got a full-time job, he works seven hours a day. He bought his own car. He’s just a class act. He’s one of those guys you have to have in the locker room, not only because he’s talented, but he’s going to do the right thing. He’s one of those guys as he continues to grow and mature, that you’re going to want. He’s going gain 30 pounds, he’s going to do what it takes, he’ll never miss a workout. And he loves basketball and it’s a cool, cool, thing. There’s been a few very, very prestigious high schools ask me if he’d go there, and he’s as loyal as it comes to Coach (Chad) Ryan and North High School. He’s always been OK with taking a backseat. Whether it was his sophomore year or last year, he’s just been the guy that holds the whole thing together. He’ll do anything it takes to win, and again just a high character, super loyal kid.”
Lino Malual, 6’2 G (Des Moines North)
“Lino’s a stud. He’s someone that I started in every single game this summer, because I had to. We were in 16 different states in three months, we drove though them or played there, and he’s someone that I know wherever we go in the world, no one is going to match his athleticism; the way he gets off the floor, the way he glides in the air. He finishes at the rim and he can shoot it; his mid-range game is very impressive. I remember we were somewhere and he took a pass from half-court and jumped right in front of the 3-point line and somehow wound up at the rim to shoot like a lay-up; it was one of the crazier things I’ve ever seen. And I looked across the gym and these (college coaches) were just staring at him, like how did that happen. He’s a relentless worker, I know if you were to ask Coach Ryan, there wasn’t one day when he was not in the gym. North is an interesting school, because they have a little bit longer lunch and they can be in the gym at that time, and they’ll shoot baskets 80 percent of their lunch time. And he’s one of those kids that’s always in there, always working on his game. He’ll take the bus and get to my facility and just work, just to be around the game of basketball. He’s never been in trouble, he has a 3.5 GPA. He qualifies right now (for college). His ability to just do it all will be very, very special for whatever school wants to give him a chance; and that’s multiple Division I schools that are interested.
Malga Yanga, 6’9 G/F (Storm Lake)
“He’s super young, he actually should be going into his junior year. He’s a very intelligent guy. He’s like a little baby (Kevin) Durant; I’ve seen him dunk on people, I’ve seen him take it coast-to-coast out from a rebound, he can shoot the 3. He averaged about 20-some points per game in Vegas to finish the year. He has the ability to guard because he’s so long. He has a 6’11 wing-span and he’s so smooth. He loves the defensive end, he loves help-side. He does things to win, second rotation, and he would take a charge, but he doesn’t need to because he’ll pin it off the glass. He’s a mismatch nightmare, he can bring the ball up. Storm Lake is going to be very good, and he’s going to be very good. He’s got a very, very accelerated mind and accelerated game for sure. He’s another kid that will have the ability to play this game for a very long time, and go to school for free — no doubt about it.”