Aaron White was selected as the first overall pick in the 2013 Prime Time League draft, despite the junior receiving the opportunity to represent his country pending a tryout for the 2013 USA Basketball Men’s World University Games in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Coach Ron Nove, who selected the forward for the third year in a row and won the league championship with the Strongsville, Ohio, native, selected White.

“I love the way he plays basketball,” Nove said. “I love the way he has an attitude. He does so many things so very well. He asked me three times this summer in the last two months if I was going to pick him. He was available, so I picked him.”

The second overall pick went to coach Dan Ahrens, who chose sophomore guard Mike Gesell, who was on his 2012 team. Ahrens praised Gesell’s intensity.

“He’s one of the better players I’ve coached in the league over the years,” Ahrens said. “He’s so intense, unselfish. He’s just a phenomenal player.”

Kevin Sanders took guard Devyn Marble third in the draft. Marble will also try out for the World University Games team with White next week.

Sanders said the senior was worth his pick for the strength of his game and his previous coaching experience with Marble.

“I wasn’t going to let him go,” Sanders said. “If he gets picked [for the World University Games] that’s great, but if he’s here, I have a feeling that he’s going to take us to the championship. He’s a complete player — his offensive skills have improved tremendously, and he’s a great defender.”

Rounding out the first round were picks from coaches Ray Swetalla, Commissioner Randy Larson, and Kevin Lehman, who chose center Adam Woodbury, Jarrod Uthoff, and Zach McCabe, respectively.

Larson chose Uthoff last summer with the first overall pick of the draft.

“He’s a great guy to set the tone on your team,” Larson said on June 12. “He’s always going to be pass-first. He’ll always play both ends. He can score every which way there is, but he’s still a pass-first guy.”

All but two of Iowa’s remaining players were chosen in the second round. Gabe Olaseni led off an extremely deep second round — selected by Lehman — followed by guard Anthony Clemmons, incoming freshman Peter Jok, and 3-point specialist Josh Oglesby.

Sanders is confident in the basketball IQ that Oglesby will bring to his team and isn’t worried about the struggles the junior had shooting from distance during the 2012-13 season.

“Players go through slumps — that happens,” Sanders said. “To me, he’s the best 3-point shooter on the team — I’m not going to pass him up. I think I got a steal with him.”

Former William Penn player Keith Steffeck and former Winona State player Kyle Schlaak rounded out the second round. Iowa redshirt freshman Kyle Meyer and bench player Kyle Denning were chosen in the third and sixth rounds, respectively. 

Prime Time League play will begin Thursday in the North Liberty Community Center, with games at 6 and 7:30 p.m.