Kings of the Court: Pure Prep 17U Player Evals

<p><strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/108-Sam-King.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1290513" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/108-Sam-King-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>PG [player_tooltip player_id="1167710" first="Sam" last="King"] (Roosevelt)</strong></p> <p>A 6-2/6-3 point guard who handles it well, King does a good job playing with pace and using his bigger frame to bully his way to the rim for finishes or dishes to open teammates. He’s a heady guard who can do a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor, contributing across the board. </p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/Lincoln-Cantrall-crop-3226x2118-1652902000.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1459316" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/Lincoln-Cantrall-crop-3226x2118-1652902000-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a><strong>SF [player_tooltip player_id="1367397" first="Lincoln" last="Cantrall"] (Southeast Polk)</strong></p> <p>Cantrall had a great game in Pure Prep’s loss to Martin Brothers, showing that he’s one of the state’s best shooting threats, and when combined with his 6-6/6-7 frame, that makes him an interesting prospect. He moves really well off the ball and has a quick release off the catch. He can get his shot off pretty much whenever he wants with his size and has improved his ability to create his own look. </p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/Sam-Tornabane-crop-3226x2118-1652902088.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1459319" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/Sam-Tornabane-crop-3226x2118-1652902088-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a><strong>F Sam Tornabane (Johnston)</strong></p> <p>One of the breakout players at the state tournament in March, Tornabane is a really intriguing 6-7 stretch-4 with a silky smooth stroke from behind the arc. He’s rail thin, but he’s tough and isn’t afraid to mix it up in the paint. He can protect the rim with his length and timing, and he’s a fantastic perimeter shooter. Division II and NAIA programs looking for a modern big who can run the floor, stretch the defense, and protect the paint should be looking here. </p> <p><strong>PF [player_tooltip player_id="1171674" first="Jacob" last="Simpson"] (Johnston, 2024)</strong></p> <p>Simpson is probably a bit undersized as a traditional big man, but he makes up for being a few inches less than "ideal" by using his big, physical frame effectively and imposing his will on opponents. He’s a good interior defender who doesn’t give up any ground and he rebounds at a high level on both ends of the floor. He showed good touch around the rim and runs the floor well.</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/102-Mason-Costello.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1290508" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/102-Mason-Costello-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>SG [player_tooltip player_id="1171683" first="Mason" last="Costello"] (Waukee, 2024)</strong></p> <p>Costello is one of the best wings in the 2024 class, and while he didn’t have a great shooting game against Martin Brothers, he showcased many of the attributes that help make him such a dangerous scoring threat. He’s a confident shooter who gets the ball into his shooting pocket quickly off the dribble, and he’s a solid ball-handler who can create his own shot. He uses his length and long strides to his advantage on the offensive end to help create angles to get by defenders. Costello has a lot of potential, especially if he grows a few more inches.</p>