PH Iowa Open: Court 45 15U Player Evaluations

During the 11:15 time window, there were no 13U, 14U, or 17U games being played (the age groups that I was assigned to cover this weekend), so I took advantage of that time to check out Court 45's 15s, a team filled with players out of the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids metro. They beat 3-Point Elite, a team out of the Lincoln, Nebraska area, on Saturday afternoon. This article takes a look at some of the standout performers from that game from Court 45.    Yates was incredibly active on the glass for Court 45 in their game against 3-Point Elite out of Nebraska. The 6-5 big man runs the floor well, has long arms, and makes good, strong contact on his box outs. He does a nice job looking for open shooters or cutting teammates after pulling down offensive rebounds, racking up a number of assists from his work on the offensive glass. He also showed some ability to step out and stretch the floor, knocking down a catch-and-shoot 3 with confidence.     A 6-0 guard who can play with or without the ball in his hands, Garfield showed the ability to knock down shots off the catch with a high, quick release, as well as create quality looks for both himself and his teammates off the dribble. He's an active defender with good hands and quick lateral movement that allows him to contest shots on that end of the floor.     A lefty guard who likes to play downhill and attack the rim, Koenig has a great first step that he uses to blow by defenders. He changes speeds well and can play with pace, lulling his defender to sleep before bursting towards the rim. The threat of that quick first step also allowed him to knock down some shots that were a little less contested than they should've been, with a defender afraid of getting blown by again.     Another 6-5 big man from Liberty playing for Court 45, Kampman has a much bigger, more physical frame than Yates does. He uses that big frame to carve out good position on the block. His footwork is still a bit rigid and robotic, but he does a nice job keeping the ball high and using his frame to shield the defender, showing deft touch around the bucket with his right hand.     Another combo guard for Court 45 who had a strong showing against 3-Point Elite, Thompson showed the ability to score from two different levels throughout. He attacked off the dribble and finished over bigger defenders, and he knocked down shots from distance off both the dribble and the catch. He's a good communicator on the defensive end who coached his teammates through screens, and he's an active contributor on the glass on both ends of the floor.

During the 11:15 time window, there were no 13U, 14U, or 17U games being played (the age groups that I was assigned to cover this weekend), so I took advantage of that time to check out Court 45's 15s, a team filled with players out of the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids metro. They beat 3-Point Elite, a team out of the Lincoln, Nebraska area, on Saturday afternoon. This article takes a look at some of the standout performers from that game from Court 45.