Kings of the Court: Kingdom Hoops Elite 16U Player Evals

The annual Kings of the Court Classic in Des Moines took place over the weekend of May 14-16. While we weren’t able to attend in person, we will be checking out a majority of the 16U and 17U teams over the next few weeks via Baller TV. Below is a look at the 16U Kingdom Hoops Elite team. We watched their game against Iowa Barnstormers Gold.   5-11 PG [player_tooltip player_id="1167670" first="Todd" last="Littlefield"] (Waukee) Littlefield is one of the players on this roster that I knew the least about, and I came away impressed. He’s a high IQ player on both ends of the floor who makes the right plays and is in the right position a large majority of the time. He’s a good rebounder for a guard, and looks to push the tempo, keeping his head up to look for open teammates running the floor in transition. He’s a good shooter off the catch, with his feet squared and ready to shoot, and he keeps his elbow nice and tight on his jumper.   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/11-Kenzie-Reed-crop-2173x1427-1610657914.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1116187" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/11-Kenzie-Reed-crop-2173x1427-1610657914-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>5-10 PG [player_tooltip player_id="956877" first="Kenzie" last="Reed"] (Kennedy) A quick lead guard who changes directions with the ball as quickly as anyone in the state, Reed excels in the pick-and-roll, with the ability to find the roll man with a quality pocket pass, turn the corner and get to the rim, or step behind the screen and knock down a jumper. He looks much more confident in his shot, and he’s getting better at finishing around the rim. He does a nice job shielding the ball from the defender and absorbing contact around the bucket. He’s an excellent ball-handler and passer and is really starting to emerge as a scoring threat.   5-11 SG Mason Gorsh (Centennial) Gorsh is a solid role player for this group, a sharpshooter who moves well off the ball and has a quick release on the catch. He’s a high IQ player who runs the floor and gets to the corner where he knocks down open 3s.   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Cade-Kelderman.jpeg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1066825" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Cade-Kelderman-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>6-0 PG [player_tooltip player_id="956887" first="Cade" last="Kelderman"] (Waukee) A solid lead guard who can get by his defender and finish with either hand, Kelderman is also an excellent passer who loves to get others involved. He’s strong in the pick-and-roll, and looks to push the tempo. He has a little bit of a low release on his jumper, but he can knock down 3s when he’s given a bit of space, and he displayed a nice floater game. He moves well defensively and has quick hands. He reminds me quite a bit of former Iowa City West point guard [player_tooltip player_id="801854" first="Nick" last="Pepin"].   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/116-Elijah-Vos-1-crop-1855x1218-1621546748.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1198885" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/116-Elijah-Vos-1-crop-1855x1218-1621546748-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>6-4 SF [player_tooltip player_id="956869" first="Elijah" last="Vos"] (Hoover) Vos is a pure scorer who poured in an effortless 22 points in Kingdom’s win. He showed the ability to score from all three levels, showing a smooth pull-up mid-range game. He’s willing to post up smaller defenders and can take bigger defenders off the dribble and get to the rim. He does a great job subtly using his off-arm to create space. He played on a high school team with a pair of ball-dominant guards, but expect to see him have a huge junior year for the Huskies. His ability to score from anywhere with his size is top-notch.   6-3 SG [player_tooltip player_id="1167692" first="Kyle" last="Sternberg"] (AHSTW) Sternberg is a good all-around scorer who can create his own looks but thrives with this group in his ability to move off the ball and knock down open jumpers. He didn't have the best shooting game, but he has a smooth stroke and range well beyond the high school line. He rebounds at a high level from his wing spot and can lead the break after pulling down a defensive board. With his high school team he's asked to play with the ball in his hands more, so playing with this group is teaching him how to play off the ball, which has been very beneficial.   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/132-Vance-Peiffer-e1619111364346.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1066368" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/132-Vance-Peiffer-e1619111364346-300x206.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="206" /></a>6-7 PF/C [player_tooltip player_id="1167685" first="Vance" last="Peiffer"] (Waukee) Peiffer was a standout on both ends of the floor. Offensively, he showed a smooth mid-range game with range out to the 3-point line, as well as the ability to create his own look by putting the ball on the floor and getting by bigger defenders. He's a switchable defender who does an excellent job contesting shots. A long, lean forward who can make a strong all-around impact.   6-6 C [player_tooltip player_id="1067656" first="Kirby" last="Schmitz"] (Urbandale) Schmitz is another solid role player for this group, a big, physical interior presence at 6-6. He rebounds well in his area and showcased a smooth mid-range jumper. He has good hands and can protect the paint defensively.