Nash Kooken Nash Kooken 6'2" | PG Waukee Northwest | 2028 State IA was a floor general in this game. His passing is way beyond his years. He makes amazing reads in the pick and roll and in transition. His feel and processing of the floor is special. He makes reads at very high speeds and punishes any mistakes defenders make. He threw a crazy no-look lob on the fast break that was insanely impressive and flashy. However, he is super comfortable making these risky passes, and they often turn into wide-open shots for his team. His connective passing also very much stood out. He passes up good shots for great shots and always keeps the ball moving. He was great as a scorer in this game as well. He was elite as an off-the-catch shooter. He has a very fast release with soft touch, and he doesn’t need much space to get his shot off. His touch was also very evident in his floater in this game. He hit his floater over many contests and was very comfortable hitting it on the move while flying through the air.

Nash Kooken Nash Kooken 6'2" | PG Waukee Northwest | 2028 State IA plays like a veteran at this point. He really has a game beyond his years in terms of polish. He is an elite ball handler and a calm initiator of the offense. His processing speed is out of this world when it comes to reading defenses. Even at his young age, the game moves very slowly for Nash. He routinely dimes up his teammates with his ability to manipulate the defense and predict their next moves. He is especially great at making reads out of the pick and roll, which is where his court vision shines through the most, as he can make layered reads in seconds and find cutters before the defense has a chance to react. Even though I would say his most impressive skill is his playmaking, he is no slouch as a scorer either. He has a beautiful stroke from outside that he can get off in short spaces due to his quick release, and he is very good at running off screens and hitting threes. He is also a very good scorer around the rim. He has touch with both hands and is very good at stretching out and finishing tough layups. Another area that I would say Nash is advanced in is his ability to draw fouls at a high rate. He is very smart with his body, and he knows how to initiate contact and force calls.

Nash Kooken Nash Kooken 6'2" | PG Waukee Northwest | 2028 State IA showcased his extraordinary guard skills throughout this game. His ball handling, skill, and footwork made him a constant threat to get a bucket. He displayed an amazing spin move that he used to get to the rim and get by opponents. He can change direction at high speeds and showed elite deceleration ability. This made him a problem to guard on the perimeter in this game. He lost defenders off the dribble routinely and was terrific at getting all the way to the rim and stretching out for tough finishes with both hands. He exhibited soft touch, and that played into his great shooting from behind the arc in this game as well. Nash was outstanding at pulling up from deep off screens. Defenders could not go under on him in this game, or he was likely to hit from distance. Even though he was elite at scoring off screens from deep, his real value in the pick and roll came as a passer. Nash processes the floor at a high speed and makes layered reads in seconds, producing wide-open shots for his team. He was amazing at probing out of the pick and roll and manipulating the defense into making mistakes, which he would instantly punish. He routinely found cutters in this game and produced many open shots with his great court vision. His balance really stood out; he was great at tightroping the baseline off drives and spraying out to shooters. Nash Kooken Nash Kooken 6'2" | PG Waukee Northwest | 2028 State IA is extremely skilled at his young age and has all the skills you want in your lead guard.

Kooken played sparingly on a loaded Northwest team last year, appearing in 13 games and averaging 2.8 points in his appearances. He had a sensational spring and summer with Iowa United , landing early Division I offers from Arizona State and Oregon. A sharpshooting guard with unlimited range and the ability to scorch the nets off both the dribble and the catch, he has an innate feel for the game, knowing when to pick his spots as a scorer or as a facilitator. He’ll play a complementary role this year as a sophomore on a team featuring a pair of Big Ten commits, and then will step into a starring role as a junior.

Kooken played sparingly as a freshman for the Wolves, averaging 2.8 points per game on 60-44 shooting splits. He followed that up with a massive summer with Iowa United , picking up early offers from Oregon and Arizona State. He’s a fantastic shooter and playmaker off the dribble who is oozing with confidence, and he should step into a much larger role this winter on a ridiculously talented Northwest roster.