Iowa Freshman Showcase: Team 5 Evaluations

Galloway is an aggressive young guard who loves to play downhill, using his handles and speed to blow by defenders and get into the teeth of the defense. He finishes well around the rim with either hand and showed an impressive floater game, and he can shoot it well off the dribble. He sees the floor well and is a talented passer.     Edwards was one of the more impressive guards in the gym on Saturday afternoon, a quick, dynamic player who showed that he can play on or off the ball. He has good body control around the rim and can finish through or around contact. He handles the ball really well, seemingly having the ball on a string. He moves well side-to-side on the defensive end, with quick feet and hands that he uses to pester opposing ball handlers.     The Nebraska product has a big, physical frame that he uses to carve out space on the block. He showed impressive, quick footwork and soft touch around the rim on a variety of post touches, showing a few different moves and countermoves to use on the block. He's a strong forward who uses his soft hands and big frame to corral rebounds on both ends of the floor at a high level.     Spencer was among the most productive players in the gym on the glass on Saturday afternoon, pounding the boards hard on both ends of the floor. He makes good, strong contact on his box outs and does a nice job rebounding in and out of his area. He showed good footwork and touch around the rim, plays through contact, and showcased a little bit of potential as a floor-stretcher as well, stepping out and showing a smooth stroke from deep.     Evans is a long, athletic, mobile forward who showed the ability to step out and stretch the floor with a smooth lefty stroke that gets great rotation. He's thin and will need to add some strength to his frame, but his mobility, length, and athleticism allow him to provide some versatility on the defensive end of the floor. He's an active rebounder on both ends of the floor and also showed some ability to attack bigger defenders off the dribble.     If you picture a Cedar Rapids Kennedy guard, you'll end up picturing Strasburger in the next year or two. A tough-nosed defender who puts in a ton of effort on that end of the floor, his physical nature carries over to the offensive end as well, where he's a great finisher around the rim through contact. He's a skilled ball-handler who sees the floor well and likes to get his teammates involved, but when he needs to score, he can do so in a major way as well from all three levels. He's a really solid all-around player who does everything well, and he'll be a big-time impact player for the Cougars within the next few years.     Stephens (pictured) is a kid that I've watched play since he was in third or fourth grade (one of his WSR teammates is my wife's cousin), and it has been really fun to watch him continue to improve and develop his game. He's an explosive athlete who combines physicality with grace on the hardwood. He can bully his way to the rim against smaller defenders or blow right by bigger ones and get to the rim, where he's a really good finisher. He's a skilled playmaker with good vision, and he's a creative passer who sees the game ahead of most of the other players on the court. The next step in his development will be adding more consistency to his jumper. He's capable of knocking down shots, but if he's able to turn himself into a 38-40% 3-point shooter, he'll be really difficult to slow down with the way he attacks downhill and gets to the free throw line. When he's engaged and locked in, he has the length, athleticism, and lateral movement to be a really good on-ball defender.