The Prime Time League draft was held Monday night, setting the rosters for the summer league’s 29th season.
Jarrod Uthoff, taken first overall, will play for league commissioner Randy Larson for the third-consecutive summer. Sophomore Dom Uhl will join him, as well as Northern Iowa transfer guard Aarias Austin.
Hawkeye senior Adam Woodbury — who rivaled Uthoff last summer as the most dominant player — will play for Dan Ahrens alongside Okey Ukah, William Penn’s Dondre Alexander, as well as guard Spencer Haldeman and center Luke McDonnell of Northern Iowa.
Former Hawkeye Jess Settles will be a coach this summer, and he assembled what appears to be a particularly potent team offensively. Northern Iowa’s Wes Washpun will play alongside Hawkeyes Brady Ellingson and Andrew Fleming, as well as former Hawkeye Matt Gatens.
On paper, it appears that Settles’ team will be one of the better squads. Perhaps none, however, project to be more of a force than Kevin Sanders’ squad.
Incoming Iowa transfer Dale Jones, coming in at 6-8 and 220 pounds, will be joined by 6-6 incoming freshman Brandon Hutton to give Sanders length and athleticism on the wing. Northern Iowa forward Paul Jesperson will join the two and former Hawkeye forward Melsahn Basabe and point guard Jason Price.
This blend of size, shooting, and athleticism will be difficult to match.
Anthony Clemmons and Nicholas Baer will play for Ron Nove and will rely heavily on 6-7 Iowa City native Jeremy Morgan of Northern Iowa.
Coach Brendan Unkrich will wield a deadly two-edged sword with guards Mike Gesell of Iowa and Matt Bohannon of Northern Iowa.
He will also enjoy 6-5 incoming Iowa freshman Christian Williams.
The final team, drafted by Ray Swetalla, will feature combo guards Peter Jok of Iowa and Wyatt Lohaus of Northern Iowa. Panther sophomore Ted Friedman and Iowa freshman Ahmad Wagner round out a respectable core for Swetalla.
The Game Time League draft began with a showcase of team-building prowess that hasn’t been seen since Will Ferrell served as a player/owner/coach/halftime MC for his Tropics in Semi-Pro.
The freshly graduated Hawkeye alumna and new French Pro League player Bethany Doolittle will not only be the youngest coach on the sidelines this summer but her own star player. Doolittle selected herself with the first overall pick in the 2015 Game Time League Draft.
She will be joined by current Hawkeye Hailey Schneden, a 6-2 junior-to-be, and Tagyn Larson, a 6-2 incoming freshman from South Dakota. Brette Logic, the younger sister of Sam Logic, will also play for Doolittle.
Iowa guard Whitney Jennings was selected with the second pick and will be joined by Claire Till on Larson’s team.
Coach Brian Joens selected junior guard Alexa Kastanek with his first-round pick and also drafted senior center Nicole Smith. His most interesting pick, however, was Ashley Joens of City High — his daughter.
An early choice to rival Doolittle for league supremacy could be the team assembled by Unkrich. Kali Peschel will provide a well-rounded game in the post to go along with incoming freshman forward Hannah Stewart, a do-it-all four-star recruit by ESPN. Cedar Rapids Kennedy graduate Courtney Strait will also provide a consistent scoring punch.
Chase Coley could very well end up being the breakout player of the summer for coach Joe Johnston, and fellow sophomore Carly Mohns will be one of the best rebounders in the league.
Despite its youth, Johnston’s team could emerge as the most physically imposing.
Coach Kay DiLeo took a very high-risk, high-reward approach to the draft, selecting five-star point guard recruit Tania Davis in the first round, followed by Megan Gustafson, a four-star post player. Joined by Hannah Bluder, the daughter of you know who, DiLeo’s team comes with uncertainty but could be a very pleasant surprise.
