Caoch’s Take: Iowa Barnstormers 16U (Part III)
When they were firing on all cylinders, this Iowa Barnstomrers team was seemingly impossible to beat. We got a chance to see that up close in Lawrence, KS at the Hardwood Classic. Check out these scores against some of the best teams from Midwest… Semifinals vs Team Rush (MO): ‘Stormers won 63-37 (mercy rule). Title game vs SSA Elite: ‘Stormers won 67-47 (mercy rule). It was utter dominance that weekend, one of the team’s final tournaments. And they were clearly a cut above the rest. Below is head coach Greg Stephen’s take on Waterloo East’s Tyrese Nickelson, Waukee’s Dylan Jones and Iowa City West’s Patrick McCaffery.
Tyrese Nickelson, 6’1 PG (Waterloo East) *played just during spring due to injury
“He played with us for all but one tournament through the spring. He’s an unbelievable kid; respectable, communicative. He’s really got an ability to score it. He’s another one of those two-way players who can really lock-up athletically, defend guys by getting up in them. He was a real asset to our group, and I think the last tournament he played with us in Chicago was one of his best. Timeline-wise, he should be ready come basketball season. Hopefully by October or so he’ll be working out, ready to play.”
Dylan Jones, 6’8 F (Waukee)
“Dylan had a great year for us. I always say, I’d rather have a 6’4 kid that plays like he’s 6’8 than a 6’8 kid that plays like he’s 6’4; that’s a pretty common thing you see in AAU, you see big kids playing out on the perimeter and a little soft, things like that. But Dillon, he plays like he’s 6’8. He’s got the best motor of a big kid, and one of the best I’ve been around for a long, long time, maybe since Seth Tuttle, and that’s pretty high praise. Dylan plays hard, he gives everything he’s got, he’d run through a brick wall for you. For a kid with his tools to have that kind of passion is pretty neat to see. He’s expanded his game a little bit; he can spot up from 10-15 feet and ho can hit the corner 3 on a regular basis. He rebounds at a high level and I think he has a gigantic upside. I think he’s going to be really good.”
Patrick McCaffery, 6’9 SF (Iowa City West)
“He’s had the craziest summer of any player I’ve ever been a part of. He was in Virginia for the Top 100 Camp, then he went out to LA for the adidas Nations Training Camp, then he went out with us to Spartanburg (SC), then he went to Lawrence (KS), then he went to Vegas, then three days after he got back from Vegas he turned around and went to Houston for the adidas Nations Global Event, then he got on a plane to go with the Hawkeyes to Europe. He probably hasn’t spent more than 10 days all summer in his own bed. He keeps getting better everywhere you turn. His ability to shoot it has really opened up a lot of things for him; because he’s athletic, he can get to the rim, but now people have to guard him on the perimeter and he’s just going to go by guys. Probably the biggest thing that stands out to me about Patrick is how unselfish and what a team player he is. He could easily score 20-25 points per game for us, but he’s really comfortable making that extra pass, driving and kicking for wide-open 3s. And he’ll do some of the dirty work, rebounding, blocking shots, that sort of stuff. He’s a multi-dimensional, all-around player — and boy, he’s got big things coming for him.