Iowa Mavs Purple 17U Evaluations

A high IQ guard who does a great job facilitating the offense, Schilling is a talented ball-handler and good decision maker who values possessions, gets his teammates involved, and sees the floor really well. While he’s a pass-first guard, he’s also a good perimeter shooting threat who can bury looks from deep when he’s given a bit of space. A strong on-ball defender who moves his feet well, he takes pride in his work on that end of the floor and makes opposing ball-handlers work hard to get anything going against him.

Gorsline is an undersized but physical and athletic forward who rebounds extremely well on both ends of the floor, using his great hands, explosive bounce, and physical box outs to carve out space as a rebounder and then outleap opposing players for rebounds. He’s a versatile defender with the length and athleticism to defend smaller players, and the physicality and bounce to contest shots against bigger bodies in the paint. A lot of his work on the offensive end comes around the rim, but he showed a fairly reliable jumper out to the high school line, knocking down shots with a smooth release.

A knockdown shooter with great size on the wing, Bockman moves well without the ball in his hands and is a really good shooter off the catch, showing a quick release and tons of range. With his size, he can get his shot off pretty much whenever he wants, and with his ability to shoot it from anywhere inside the halfcourt line, he puts constant pressure on opposing defenses. The next step in his development will be continuing to tighten up his ball-handling and ability to create shots for himself and others. He’s a really talented offensive weapon who just keeps improving.

Kennedy may be one of the most improved players in the state over the course of the last 12 months. He was really, really good at our postseason event in March, and he was really, really good in the Quad Cities this past weekend at the NXT Pro event. A long wing who does a good job staying in his stance and moving his feet on the defensive end, he can defend multiple positions with his combination of size, length, and athleticism. But where he really stood out was on the offensive end of the floor, where he was much more assertive and aggressive, looking to attack the rim constantly. He covers a lot of ground with his long strides and does a good job protecting the ball en route to the bucket. He showed a willingness to post up smaller defenders, getting a good seal and making himself big and visible on the block. And he did a good job using his dribble penetration to open up the rest of his game, attacking hard closeouts, taking a few hard dribbles and getting into a smooth pull-up jumper from 15 feet on multiple occasions. His improvement has been a very pleasant development to watch over the last few months.

A quick guard with a smooth stroke from deep, Suntken can play with or without the ball in his hands. He’s a capable playmaker who handles it and sees the floor well, and he’s a really good shooter who can bury looks both off the dribble and the catch.

A tough guard who will really get after opposing players on the defensive end, Rubel loves to put pressure on opposing ball-handlers and really make them work. He’s a skilled lead guard who sees the floor well and limits turnovers, and he can knock down shots when he gets a bit of space. He’s a pass-first guard who looks to get his teammates involved first and foremost, but he’s a capable three-level scorer who can fill it up in a hurry if the defense tries to lay back.

Probably the most intriguing prospect on this team, Webb is armed with great size and length at 6-6/6-7, and as he continues to develop and put everything together, his potential is sky high. He moves his feet well on the defensive end and has the size and length to defend multiple positions. Offensively, he has a really smooth stroke off the catch and the ability to get his shot off pretty much whenever he wants to. He can be a bit passive at times, but when he’s locked in and wants to attack, he can take over games on both ends of the floor. The talent and frame are there, it’s now about putting it all together, and putting it all together with consistently strong effort.

Williams was at times one of the best players in a gym that was filled with a ton of talent last weekend in the Quad Cities. An athletic 6-5 forward who can score in bunches around the rim, he showed great footwork and touch around the bucket, scoring with either hand, finishing through contact, and dominating games on the glass on both ends of the floor. He showed an improved face-up game, stepping out to about 15 feet and confidently knocking down jumpers, and he also flashed improved confidence in his ball-handling. On a few occasions, he caught the ball on the wing, gave a quick upfake, and then put the ball on the floor to get to the rim for tough finishes through contact. He has noticeably added some strength to his frame, which is helping his improved finishing, and he has a tremendous second jump that he uses to help control the glass, getting back up above opposing players quicker than anyone else.

A talented and confident scorer, Bockman has a smooth release both off the dribble and the catch with range well beyond the high school line. He used his shooting to open up the rest of his arsenal, putting the ball on the floor and creating shots for himself and his teammates, and he showed great body control around the rim.

Northup was playing with the Mavs for the first time this past weekend, and he fit right in with this group. A physical combo forward who can score inside and out, he showed a smooth stroke off the catch and the ability to help space the floor with his shooting. He has a big, physical upper body that he uses to power through contact around the rim, and he’s a skilled interior scoring threat who can take advantage of smaller defenders with his physicality and footwork on the block. A strong rebounder on both ends of the floor, he’s a good enough ball handler and decision maker that he can bring the ball up the floor after a defensive rebound and initiate the offense.