Prep Hoops Iowa Expo Team 7 Standouts

The Prep Hoops Iowa Expo was packed with talented hoopers at every position. And Team 7 was no outlier in that regard. Let's get right into the most standout prospects from this exceptional group.    [player_tooltip player_id='2523892' first='Chuck' last='Crawley'] already has an elite skill set at a young age. His offensive game was lethal. Chuck was an extremely aggressive driver who embraced contact and drew fouls at the rim. His handle was always in control, and he had no issue blowing by defenders. Chuck showed that he can stop on a dime and showcased his deep bag of spin move finishes around the paint. His shooting from outside was also very impressive. Off the catch, his mechanics were super quick. And in the midrange, he displayed an ability to pull up for shots out of his drives and hit them with his soft touch. All of these skills made the defense respect him greatly. This opened up his playmaking abilities. Allowing him to dime up his teammates once the defense collapsed. Chuck was no slouch on the other end of the floor. He played with great hustle throughout the games he appeared in and got many steals. He got in passing lanes and poked out opponents' dribbles on many occasions. [player_tooltip player_id='2523892' first='Chuck' last='Crawley'] displayed his all-around skill set at The Expo.     [player_tooltip player_id='2521849' first='Adam' last='Strasburger'] did it all at The Expo. Around the rim, he was unstoppable. His touch in the paint and midrange was delicate. His deceleration and use of euro steps kept every defender tasked with slowing him down on their toes. And he was very efficient at being patient and finding openings for himself down low. In the midrange, his touch was also very evident. He was great at rising over contests and cashing out with a hand in his face. And he was elite at creating space for these shots with simple but effective moves. His three-point shooting was very much in the same vein. He was a sniper off the catch, and he didn't need to be fully balanced to hit shots from deep. Rebounding was another very impactful skill he brought to the floor. He was constantly fighting for position and timed his jumps very well to secure boards. And on the defensive end, he showed a propensity for getting steals and locking up opposing guards. [player_tooltip player_id='2521849' first='Adam' last='Strasburger']'s impact on the game can only be described as unique for his position.     [player_tooltip player_id='2976041' first='Jackson' last='Smothers'] was a sniper at The Expo. He was automatic from three-point range. Jackson showed his insanely fast release and soft touch from outside. He didn't need much air space at all to cash out from behind the line. And in the corners specifically, he was particularly efficient. His midrange shooting was no different either. And he showed an innate ability to remain balanced and keep his touch when pulling up for tough jumpers. The pressure from his outside abilities sprang him downhill many times as well. He would show his driving skills, coupled with his ability to finish around the rim many times. His reboudning was also very impactful. He was great at blocking out and using his length to tip rebounds away from opponents, gaining his team extra possessions. Defesne was another bright spot for Jackson. He displayed his discipline around the rim, not biting at pump fakes and staying straight up and challenging shots. [player_tooltip player_id='2976041' first='Jackson' last='Smothers'] offers an elite repertoire of skills for his size.     Drake Pflatzgraff is everything you want in a forward prospect. His fluidity at his size was especially evident. His footwork was great all over the floor. But in the post was where it stood out most. Drake shields off opponents with his frame and backs them down using smart fakes to carve out angles for himself around the rim. He was very patient in these positions and manufactured many exceptional looks for himself. And his interior passing made him even more of a weapon in these scenarios. As he drew lots of attention from the defense, and would make them pay whenever he drew extra defenders. However, he wasn't just great around the rim. Drake showed an elite ability to stretch the floor and hit threes off the catch. Defensive rebounding was one of his most impactful areas at this event. He used his strength often to fight off opponents who were crashing the glass and keeping the ball out of their grasp. And defense in general was a strong suit of his. Drake blocked many shots and was a constant presence around the rim, deterring drivers from entering the paint. Drake Pflatzgraff really showed his elite combination of size and skill.     [player_tooltip player_id='2955008' first='Logan' last='Klein'] showed his playmaking abilities at The Expo. Logan was always in control when he had the ball in his hands. He read the floor and processed the defense at high speeds. And was great at getting to his spots and finding his teammates with crisp bounce passes. His elite shooting from three and great finishing around the rim forced the defense to respect him. This opened up his passing skill tenfold. This made him even more lethal because at any moment, he could snap out of scoring mode and produce an open shot with a quick pass. He also displayed high feel as a rebounder. Logan was great at crashing the glass at opportune times and getting put-back layups for himself. His high vertical definitely played into this, but I would say it was more so his recognition when shots went up that allowed him to affect the game on the glass. [player_tooltip player_id='2955008' first='Logan' last='Klein'] showcased his multifaceted game throughout this event.     [player_tooltip player_id='2378350' first='Wesley' last='Rainer'] is the definition of a shot creator. Off the bounce, he was a walking paint touch. One-on-one, he created an abundance of space throughout this event. Wesley has a deep bag of moves that he can chain together into unguardable flurries of dribbling excellence. This created many amazing looks for him around the rim. His rim pressure opened up many shots for himself on the three-point line as well. Off the catch, he was deadly, and even when off balance, pulling up from deep on step-back threes, he was wildly efficient. His contact balance was special. He was never bothered by physicality and was relentless when it came to bumping defenders off him to create space. Wesley's size and length made him extremely effective on the glass. And those same tools made him formidable for opposing scorers. [player_tooltip player_id='2378350' first='Wesley' last='Rainer'] imposed his will on the game every time he got the chance.

The Prep Hoops Iowa Expo was packed with talented hoopers at every position. And Team 7 was no outlier in that regard. Let's get right into the most standout prospects from this exceptional group.