Kings of the Court: Kingdom Hoops Elite 17U Player Evals

Tony Roe June 14, 2021 @ 03:39 PM

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 BallerTV. Below is a look at the 17U Kingdom Hoops Elite team. We watched their game against Martin Brothers.   [player_tooltip player_id="1158483" first="Chris" last="Louis"] (Centennial) An attacking 6-1 guard, Louis has a quick first step and is extremely quick when changing directions, which helps him break down the defense and get into the paint, where he's a solid finisher at the rim. He handles the ball well and sees the floor. He doesn't look to do too much offensively, picking and choosing his spots to attack and doing a strong job of getting others involved when he's not looking for his own looks.   Brenden Moss (Minnesota Prep) I was trying to keep this article solely Iowa players, but Moss was simply too good to ignore. He led Kingdom Hoops with a game-high 27 points, and it was efficient. The lefty has a pretty stroke from deep and is an excellent shooter with a quick release off the catch. He used that stroke to open up the rest of his arsenal, showing the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the bucket. He's a highly efficient three-level scorer who also showed that he can be a dynamic defender with his lateral movement and length.   [player_tooltip player_id="682288" first="Jacob" last="Runyan"] (Johnston) A talented lead guard with great court vision, Runyan is a true point who thrives on getting others involved. He uses screens well and is strong in the pick-and-roll game. The 5-10 guard is a capable shooter, but doesn't look to score too often, rather making an impact by getting others involved and playing strong on-ball defense.   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Steven-Kramer-1-crop-2791x1833-1615513419.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1148899" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Steven-Kramer-1-crop-2791x1833-1615513419-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="784982" first="Steven" last="Kramer"] (Johnston) Kramer has been one of the big risers in the 2022 class over the last year or so, and he just keeps improving. He's a long, athletic playmaking wing with good size and length at 6-5. He showed improved handle and passing skills when Runyan was on the bench, as he handled it quite a bit, and he's a very good three-level scorer. A good defender who moves his feet and utilizes his length to contest shots, he provides versatility on both ends of the floor. He finishes above the rim with authority and is excellent when playing downhill.   Kormahyh Karmue (Southeast Polk) Karmue was a pleasant surprise, a quick and athletic guard who can break down a defense and really make life difficult as an on-ball defender. He has great lateral quickness that he uses to be a pest defensively, and he showed the ability to get to the rim to finish or create for others on the offensive end.   [player_tooltip player_id="784972" first="Kir" last="Diew"] (Hoover) Diew is a 6-6 forward who can defend multiple positions. He doesn't do much on the offensive end for his high school team, but showed good touch around the rim on a few finishes, and also showcased a smooth jumper on a corner 3. He does a great job staying vertical when contesting shots around the rim.   [player_tooltip player_id="1158415" first="Eric" last="Mulder"] (Pella Christian) Mulder was excellent in Kingdom Hoops' win. A high motor big man who makes an impact on both ends of the floor, he gets good, hard screens and rolls hard in the pick-and-roll game. He has good hands and rebounds well, and he's mobile. He showed a fairly impressive handle in the open court after pulling down a defensive rebound, and he has a nice looking free-throw stroke, suggesting he may be able to add some range to his game.