The Iowa Expo: Eliot’s First Team All-Expo

Prep Hoops hosted The Expo in Des Moines over the weekend, offering an opportunity to sophomores through seniors from Nebraska, Illinois and Iowa to come and get some run in with other competition across the Midwest. These five players in particular stood out from the rest.    My Expo MVP, [player_tooltip player_id='1765505' first='Parker' last='Berns'] was the most consistent, best player in virtually all facets of the game on Saturday. A lead guard that can handle the rock, shoot and make open or contested threes with regularity, distribute the ball to rack up assists, get downhill and attack the basket and so much more, Berns was the best player in Des Moines.   With body control and poise to make shots at all three levels, contort his body to score at the rim, find shooters on the perimeter and do all the little things -- fight for rebounds, run back in transition defense and block a shot, poke steals away -- Berns is a dream starting point guard for almost any team in the state. Lucky for Cedar Falls, though the Tigers lose some talent from last year's senior class, it will be plug and play for the Waterloo West transplant into the backcourt for one of the powerhouse programs in the state.     A quick lead guard that limits mistakes, can create for himself and makes others around him better, [player_tooltip player_id='2272195' first='Keane' last='Jorgensen'] was another top guard in attendance on Saturday. Somehow, he and Berns ended up on the same team in the 3-on-3 and 5-on-5 portions of the day.   Though the shared backcourt could have used some more height, Jorgensen added an attack-first mentality that served his team in his ability to get defenders on his hip on the way to the rim and finish with either hand. A lefty, Jorgensen's quick release as a shooter and fast first step made him an even more difficult guard for opposing defenders. That same speed helped him defensively.     The iso-scoring champ of the weekend, [player_tooltip player_id='2979803' first='Isaiah' last='Slaughter'] got a bucket just about whenever he wanted to in Des Moines. Whether it was creation on the perimeter to step back and get open shots for himself, driving to the rim, getting out in transition or catch-and-shoot from the corner, Slaughter was a walking bucket for his team in the five-on-five part of the day.   A deceptively good scorer, in fact, Slaughter is quick, but doesn't get erratic with the ball in his hands. He plays at his own pace, and he doesn't get sped up by opposing defenses. His shot-making ability was flat-out impressive, too. No matter how frequently he put a shot up, it felt as though it almost always went in.   Always in control, one may say that he holds onto the ball too much, or is a "ball hog," but when he's scoring at-will and doing just about everything for his team on the offensive end, that gets shut down quickly.     One of the big names in attendance as he holds offers from Drake and Northern Iowa, [player_tooltip player_id='2523886' first='Ben' last='Wade'] of Regina Catholic showed up and showed out on Saturday. One of the bigger players in attendance at 6-foot-9, Wade used his size to his advantage in the post, but he also displayed some guard skills, to boot.   Once the five-on-five portion began, it was like a switch flipped for the sophomore forward. With the ball in his hands, Wade immediately became much more aggressive in the half court, putting the ball on the floor and attacking the basket. A much better ball-handler than I anticipated, Wade used it to his advantage. Additionally, he's got a smooth stroke from three, and if he continues to hone his handles and become a creator, he could receive many more offers than just the in-state mid-majors.   A big that isn't hampered in transition, Wade got out in front of the break with regularity and threw down some super athletic dunks, including a 360 slam early on in the day. As a help defender, he's good at keeping an eye on the ball-handler, stepping off his assignment and swatting away shots near the cup.     One of the more athletic, bouncy players in attendance, [player_tooltip player_id='2773360' first='Zaccai' last='Walters-Poage'] of Cedar Rapids Washington is registered at 6'5", but he may have recently hit a growth spurt, as he looked taller than that. Maybe his ability to get up above the rim made his height deceiving, because he played there for a good chunk of the day.   A frontcourt pairing in the five-on-five with Wade, Walters-Poage was an excellent compliment to what Wade did at the rim, the perimeter and in transition. A lob threat that could attack the bucket with the ball in his hands, possessing long, bouncy strides, Walters-Poage was a dunk or a layup waiting to happen. When his team got out in the fast break, Walters-Poage used his athleticism to throw down some momentum-shifting dunks. One of the more athletic players in attendance, the Cedar Rapids Washington product was fun to watch, if anything else.

Prep Hoops hosted The Expo in Des Moines over the weekend, offering an opportunity to sophomores through seniors from Nebraska, Illinois and Iowa to come and get some run in with other competition across the Midwest. These five players in particular stood out from the rest.