By Jess Westendorf
After Sunday’s impressive opener of the Prime Time League, most Hawkeye fans are ready to see some of their favorite players back in action.
This summer, Prime Time will hold three games at the SportsPlex in Waterloo with the rest in North Liberty.
So as Hawkeye fans travel to Waterloo for the second set of games, here is why freshman Jack Nunge is gathering attention.
It is safe to say that Iowa’s incoming freshmen Nunge and Luka Garza stole the show Sunday night.
Fans filled up the bleachers and some brought in their own chairs to get a first look at Iowa’s new guys.
Nunge and Garza combined for 76 points, showed great athleticism, and gave the game everything they had.
Going into the second night of games, it won’t be any different. Nunge, who plays for Vinton Merchants with Iowa junior Brady Ellingson, is likely to be a huge contributor on the floor.
The 6-11 forward from Newburg, Indiana, put up great numbers on Sunday, shooting 13-of-17 from the post with 35 points while leading with 13 rebounds and 2 assists.
“It feels like home,” Nunge said. “I know the area pretty well, and I’m used to it. I love the feeling I get when I’m here and everybody around. It’s just a good feeling.”
That was not the only good feeling; Vinton defeated Westport, 98-97.
Nunge dominated on defense and showed his ability to stretch his body to the max in making key plays, something that will set him apart from Iowa’s other forwards this fall.
It is no secret that the Hawkeyes have a lot of talent at forward with players such as Tyler Cook, Nicholas Baer, Ryan Kriener, Dom Uhl, Ahmad Wagner, and Cordell Pemsl.
Even though fans have gotten only a small look at Nunge’s abilities, it seems as though he could really spread the floor and stretch opponents out, something that could set him apart from the other forwards.
As if he needs something else to add to his résumé, Nunge seems really comfortable with the ball, and it appears he could do some damage on the perimeter.
“I work on ball handling pretty much every day,” he said. “I like to play the wing and shoot 3s as well.”
Nunge and his teammates have headed into Carver-Hawkeye for the summer with some old and familiar faces.
Former Hawkeye Aaron White made an appearance at practice to help out and shoot some hoops. But right now, the team is getting the feel for playing together.
“We’ve had two team workouts with everybody together,” Nunge said. “We all do the same drills; we’ve just been working on the ball movement. We haven’t really split up by positions yet.”
Through Prime Time, Nunge has dominated game-time minutes and he hopes that he will have the same outcome in Carver-Hawkeye, even if he has to move around positions. Until then, fans should get used to seeing him in the Prime Time.
“It’s whatever coach says,” Nunge said. “Any minutes I can get, I’m going to try my best. Whatever the team needs, that’s where I’m at.”