Summer Preview: Waterloo Salvation

Waterloo Salvation started in 2017 with just one team and has now grown into a program featuring four high school age teams and a seventh-grade squad. Program director Charles Masmar has compiled rosters comprised primarily of kids from Waterloo, but they do have some players from the surrounding area as well, and they aim to provide "a quality basketball experience against excellent competition with exposure to college coaches for a fraction of the cost and less travel time for practices". 

Salvation will compete on the Prep Hoops Circuit this spring and summer, with Masmar citing a number of different reasons to join the Circuit. "From our three years of experience playing Prep Hoops tournaments, they have always been well organized and ran professionally. Prep Hoops allows independent clubs to compete against other top independent programs as well as shoe-sponsored teams, which we enjoy. Another reason we continue to choose the Prep Hoops Circuit is because the overall coverage of the players at every tournament and throughout the high school season is second-to-none. We understand the importance of getting our players noticed, ranked, and promoted through the means of social media and other networks," Masmar said. Below he helps me preview each of the high school level teams that will compete this spring and summer.

17U

Player	Height	School
Andrew Spates III	6-0	Waterloo East
Atarion Spates	6-0	Waterloo East
Benjamin Mbele (2022)	6-10	Macarthur (TX)/Waterloo West
Dayton Bruce	5-5	Waterloo West
J’kwon Wise	6-3	Waterloo East
Keadyn Leiss-Demus	6-0	Waterloo West
Mekhi Sailor	6-0	Waterloo East
Staphen Robinson	5-10	Waterloo East
Trelvion Brown (2022)	5-11	Waterloo West
Tristen Sanford-Anders Tristen Sanford-Anders 6'5" | PF Gladbrook-Reinbeck | 2022 State IA (2022)	6-5	Gladbrook-Reinbeck
Tucker Clark Tucker Clark 6'5" | PF Center Point-Urbana | 2023 State IA	6-6	Center Point-Urbana

Masmar on Benjamin Mbele: "At 6-10, Ben has undeniable size and potential. He has transferred quite a bit in high school which has unfortunately led to not as much playing time as he had hoped, but we hope to gain him some game time experience and get him off the board before the summer."

Masmar on Dayton Bruce: "Heart over height is written all over Dayton and it’s easy to see. While small is stature, he’s an absolute pest on defense, an excellent ball-handler, knockdown shooter, and is always the quickest guard on the floor."

Masmar on J’kwon Wise: "J’kwon is looking to take his game to the next level. He is hyper-athletic, averaging no less than 5 blocks a game last spring/summer. He constantly plays above the rim. His shooting form is textbook and is looking to build consistency in his shot."

16U

Masmar on Jabari Woodbury: "Jabari is a newcomer to our program and we are glad to have him. He started all 20 games for GMG, averaging 11.2 ppg while shooting 79.1% from FT and 30.6% from 3. He also averaged 5.4 RPG and 1.8 spg."

Masmar on Jeremiah Chestnut-Rucker: "He received great varsity experience this year at Waterloo West. He has the athletic ability to defend almost all positions on the floor. He’s an extremely hard worker who always finishes in the top few for conditioning drills."

Masmar on Leo Christensen: "Leo is a long perimeter player who started 22 games for Columbus Catholic this year. While most of the primary scoring roles were filled by upperclassmen, he shot 37.1% from 3. He will grow into a very important piece for his high school team next season."

15U-1

Masmar on Da'Shaundis (JuJu) Moore: "JuJu is an up-and-coming star for Waterloo East. He has grown considerably as a person, leader, and basketball player over the past year. He has the ability to score at all three levels, has great timing for shot-blocking and hustle for rebounding."

Masmar on Jeremiah Clark: "Jeremiah is a vocal leader at every practice, holding his teammates to a high standard. He will be, without a doubt, the loudest player on any court on defense especially. His work ethic and effort are never in question."

Masmar on Talan Lafrentz: "Talan played varsity minutes in every game this season for a talented team from Denver. He's a newcomer to the program and we can't wait to see what he brings to the team!"

15U-2

Note: The two 15U rosters are not split as "A" and "B" teams. 

Masmar on 15U-2: "Many of these players played together last year. Dane Appleby, Dalton Weepie, Gabe Meany, Jace Matern, Joseph Hudson, Mason Michels, and Noah Fuelling were all on their respective school's varsity rosters this year. Many of the players on smaller schools received quality minutes."

Masmar on Shakyran Tooson: "He is an excellent defender against multiple positions, capable ball-handler, and shooter. His basketball growth over the next few years will be fun to watch."

Schedule