Click here for a full list of Prime Time Leage draft picks.
The Prime Time League held its 25th-annual draft on Tuesday night.
The six teams divvied up a crop of Iowa, Northern Iowa, and other college and high-school players; The Daily Iowan breaks down the first-round picks.
1. Bryce Cartwright
The 6-1 point guard from Compton, Calif., was third in the Big Ten in assists and assists per game in 2010-11. He was also one of Iowa’s main scoring threats — he averaged 10.9 points per game for the Hawkeyes, third-best on the team.
The senior-to-be was a bit of a surprise at No. 1 overall — he beat out Big Ten All-Freshman honoree Melsahn Basabe, who averaged 36 points per game in the Prime Time League last summer. Basabe slipped out of the first round entirely, though, because he could miss at least a substantial portion of the league’s season if he makes the under-19 USA Basketball Team next week.
2. Matt Gatens
The Iowa City product and 6-5 shooting guard was the second overall pick. Gatens was almost a lock to be a top-three pick in the league this summer after he led the Hawkeyes in scoring, minutes, and free-throw percentage. He was also tied with Eric May as the team leader in steals per game.
3. Devon Archie
The surprise pick in the first round, hands-down, was No. 3 pick Devon Archie. The 6-9 senior-to-be from Indianapolis transferred to Iowa from Vincennes Community College two seasons ago and played the third-fewest minutes of anyone on the team last season. He averaged just eight minutes per contest.
The lack of big men in this year’s draft may be why Archie was selected so high — Basabe may or may not play in this year’s league, Andrew Brommer just had knee surgery and will likely miss the start of the summer season, and incoming freshman Gabe Olaseni hasn’t experienced Division-I competition yet.
4. Anthony Hubbard
It was also a bit of a surprise to see Hubbard go this high in the first round. The 6-5 incoming transfer from Frederick (Md.) Community College averaged 20.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game last season.
Jucorecruiting.com’s No. 14-ranked player chose Iowa over new Big Ten rival Nebraska this spring. His versatility and ability to break down defenders makes him one of the most intriguing players to watch.
5. Ali Farokhmanesh
The 3-point shooter from the Northern Iowa graduated in 2010. He gained a cult following after his heroics against the No. 1-seeded Kansas in the 2010 Sweet 16, when he knocked down a trey with just 30 seconds left to lead the Panthers past the Jayhawks.
6. Eric May
The superbly athletic Hawkeye guard/forward from Dubuque was fourth on the team in scoring in 2010-11 with 7.8 points per game. May had a fantastic start to the year but was sidelined by a nagging groin injury. He was never the same after the injury and was eventually benched in favor of Devyn Marble.
His athleticism and suffocating defense helped keep him in the rotation, though, and the 2010 DI Prime Time MVP should blossom once again in the league.
