Kings of the Court: 17u Preview

<p><em>After more than a month of following Iowa teams around the Midwest, we’ll get a chance to stay home this weekend and catch some of the state’s best talent right here in Des Moines at the always-entertaining Kings of the Court. The Iowa Gym Rats tournament will be held at Kingdom Courts Saturday morning through Sunday afternoon, we’ll be there for a good portion of it. Below, we take a look at the 17u field; what to expect and who to watch.</em></p> <hr /> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 18pt; color: #ff6600;"><strong>Teams to Watch </strong></span></p> <p><strong>Pure Prep</strong> - Oskaloosa's<strong> Xavier Foster</strong> is one of the best 2020 forwards in the country and holds a lengthy list of high-major offers, including Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas and UCLA; but there's plenty of guard talent on this team, too, including <strong>Aquan Smart</strong> from Illinois, who is another D1 talent. </p> <p><strong>Kingdom Hoops Navy</strong> - A group of unsigned 2019 guys carried this team to a title at Midwest Live! in Omaha last month. Hoovers' <strong>Hosea Treadwell</strong> and <strong>Adam Jackson</strong>, and Valley's<strong> Trayvon Williams</strong> and <strong>Aguek Deng</strong> were playing that weekend. The group features top 2020 guards <strong>Matt Ockey</strong> and <strong>Tyler Johnson</strong>, maybe the best shooting duo in this field. </p> <p><strong>Iowa Mavs-Cleveland</strong> - The Iowa Mavericks have been staying busy this spring, they've been out every weekend sharpening their skills. With guys like 6'7 wing <strong>Caleb Delzell</strong> and skilled guard <strong>John Steffen</strong>, they're always a threat to make a deep run. </p> <p><strong>Iowa Intensity 2020</strong> - Grinnell wing <strong>Jake Hull</strong> headlines this group of east-central Iowa's finest, we saw him go off for 40 points twice in the same weekend last summer as a 16u guy with Intensity. At point guard is skilled and athletic guard <strong>Emmett Roberts</strong> from Meskwaki. Then there's <strong>Blaize Kuhlmann </strong>from Lynnville-Sully, he can light you up in a hurry. </p> <p><strong>Beyond Ball 24K</strong> -  This is an athletic bunch headlined by top-60 2020s <strong>Rome Hellems</strong> from Roosevelt and <strong>Goanar Biliew</strong> from Denison-Shleswig. They'll play in a tough Pool D, which features a couple other solid teams, Mavs-Schlabaugh and newly formed Iowa Chill. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="font-size: 18pt; color: #ff6600;"><strong>Top Prospects</strong></span></p> <p><strong>Xavier Foster,</strong> 6'11 F (Pure Prep)</p> <p>One of the best players in the country, Foster is the reason Pure Prep 17u will be favored to bring home a title this weekend. He's obviously very tall and strikingly long and has been working to develop a smooth outside game. His defense, though, is a strength, Foster might average 10 blocks a game this weekend. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Matt Ockey</strong>, 5'10 G (Kingdom Hoops Navy)</p> <p>The Gilbert guard is one of the more skilled players in the state, and if he gets an open look from deep, you can bet it's probably going to drop. His hoops IQ and ball-handling skills are a cut above, too. Ockey is one of those guys that's just fun to watch. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Goanar Biliew</strong>, 6'7 PF (Beyond Ball 24K) </p> <p>His younger brother, Omaha, has been catching a lot of headlines lately, and rightfully so, he's one of the best 2023 prospects in the country. Goanar can ball, too, though. A solid two-way player from Denison-Shcleswig, Goanar averaged 18.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game as a junior.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Zach Huff</strong>, 6'2 G (Pure Prep)</p> <p>One of the better shooters we'll see this weekend, Huff plays in a solid Don Bosco program and was sensational last winter as a junior going for 15.1 points per game. He made a team-best 57 3s at a very decent 43% clip. Huff is more than just a shooter, though, he's a high-level passer and can handle the rock, too. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Luke Schwartzhoff</strong>, 6'7 PF (Minnesota Lightning)</p> <p>The Minnesota writers think highly of this La Crescent big-man. Ryan James and Co. have him ranked No. 67 in the North Star State's 2020 prospect rankings. Schwarthoff will headline a Minnesota Lightning squad that always shows well at this event. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Rome Hellems</strong>, 6'2 G/F (Beyond Ball 24K)</p> <p>An athletic wing from Des Moines Roosevelt, Hellems is a guy that's best when attacking the glass, both while scoring and rebounding. His athleticism and length are his best traits and we expect him to turn a lot of heads this weekend with Beyond Ball 24K. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Cameron Soenksen</strong>, 6'1 G (Iowa Mavs-Cleveland)</p> <p>This Camanche junior is always fun to watch, it's his high motor paired with excellent athleticism that makes him one of the most electric guards in the state. He can handle the rock and shoot it, too. Soenksen averaged 20 points per game last season with the Indians. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Tyler Johnson</strong>, 6'4 SG (Kingdom Hoops Navy)</p> <p>The Norwalk wing has grown to 6'4 and only continues to refine what's always been a solid 3-point shot. He's tall enough to off the shot over smaller guards and when he let's if fly it goes in a high clip. As a junior with Class 3A runner-up Norwalk, Johnson made 62 3s at a 46%. </p>