Prep Hoops Iowa Freshman Showcase: Team 5 Evaluations
In this article:
The first ever Prep Hoops Iowa Freshman Showcase took place in Des Moines on Sunday afternoon, with 64 players from the Class of 2027 competing. Throughout the next few days, myself and Jeremy Brooks will be running through some of…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe first ever Prep Hoops Iowa Freshman Showcase took place in Des Moines on Sunday afternoon, with 64 players from the Class of 2027 competing. Throughout the next few days, myself and Jeremy Brooks will be running through some of the standout performers from the event, and providing full evaluations of all 64 players who were in attendance. This article will take a look at each player from Team 5.
Cooper Huston
Cooper Huston
Huston looks a lot like his older brother Bo, a former DCG standout, both in style of play and in general appearance. A 5-6/5-7 lefty sharpshooter, he moves well without the ball in his hands and has a quick release off the catch with plenty of range. He showed that he can play with or without the ball, creating plays for others when he had the ball and looking to push the tempo. He has good hands, moves his feet on the defensive end, and wasn’t afraid to compete against bigger bodies on that end of the floor.
Bradley Hayes
Bradley Hayes
Hayes gets really good rotation on his jumper, and his shot was certainly the aspect of his game that jumped out the most when watching him. He has a quick release, and that rotation on his shot allows him to get some friendly bounces when he’s a bit off. He moves well without the ball in his hands and showed that he can shoot it both off the dribble and the catch with equal efficacy. He did a good job competing on the defensive end, especially when defending on the ball, moving his feet and making opposing ball handlers work hard.
Barron Samayoa
Barron Samayoa
Samayoa might have been the smallest player in the gym on Sunday, but he didn’t let that deter him from competing hard on every possession. As a smaller player, he knows that he needs to have good footwork to help create a bit of space to get his shot off, and he has done a good job working on that aspect of his game. He didn’t have any issues getting to his shot throughout the afternoon, and he’s a good shooter. He handles the ball well and is a good passer who sees the floor at a high level.
Grady Ross Grady Ross 5'10" | CG Linn Mar | 2027 IA
Grady Ross Grady Ross 5'10" | CG Linn Mar | 2027 IA
A talented off-ball guard, Ross has a quick release off the catch and does a good job using his off-ball movement to find spaces in the defense to get his shot off. He has his feet squared and is ready to shoot it as soon as he touches the ball, showing a smooth release and plenty of range. He showed some secondary ball handling and playmaking ability as well throughout the afternoon.
Rhett Driskell
Rhett Driskell
A 5-10 off-ball guard who moves without the ball in his hands and is ready to fire off the catch, Driskell knocked down a number of shots off of good off-ball movement in the two games that I saw his team play. He has a quick release and plenty of range. He didn’t have many opportunities to create for his teammates, but he showed that he’s a capable ball-handler and decision maker who doesn’t force anything.
Quantae Alexander Quantae Alexander 6'2" | SF Prairie | 2027 IA
Quantae Alexander Quantae Alexander 6'2" | SF Prairie | 2027 IA
Alexander is an intriguing young player, a 6-1 wing with great size and length that he uses to impact the game on the defensive end. His offensive game is a work in progress, but he showed some skills on that end, getting to the rim and finding open teammates with impressive court vision. He’s able to cover a ton of ground on both ends of the floor with his long strides and wingspan. He’ll need to continue to tighten up his handle and work on his jumper, but his combination of size, length, and athleticism make him an interesting two-way player to keep an eye on moving forward.
Derrick Akines Derrick Akines 6'1" | PG Waterloo West | 2027 State IA
Derrick Akines Derrick Akines 6'1" | PG Waterloo West | 2027 State IA
A skilled shot creator, Akines has good size as a lead guard at 6-0 and well-built. He’s able to absorb contact and finish through it around the rim. He has great handles and good footwork that he uses to create some additional space, and he showed range out to the arc with a quick release, especially off the dribble. He plays with pace, keeping his defender guessing as to which speed he’s going to play at, which helps him get by defenders as well. He has the size, court vision, and shooting to be a really good offensive weapon for the Wahawks for the next four years.
Asher Stensrud
Asher Stensrud
A mobile 6-3 big man, Stensrud was one of the biggest players in attendance on Sunday, and while it took him a little while to get going, he was really good in the second game that I watched his team play. He has good hands and was excellent on the glass on both ends of the floor, using his length and athleticism to pull down boards. He runs the floor and finishes at the rim well with his right hand (left hand could use some work). He’s a good enough athlete to become a good defender with some versatility as he gets some more coaching on that end of the floor.