Moss is knocking down shots at an astonishing rate this summer, and he hopes the success he’s seen so far translates to the regular season, while sophomore Tyler Cook hasn’t missed a beat.
By Jordan Zuniga
MOSS
Iowa fans packed into the Cedar Valley SportsPlex in Waterloo on June 22 to watch some good old summer basketball.
The featured game was a 7:30 matchup between Brady Ellingson’s and Jack Nunge’s Vinton Merchants against Nicholas Baer’s and Isaiah Moss’ Culver team.
The game was never close; Culver won handily, 130-92.
Sophomore Isaiah Moss stood above the crowd, putting up a game-high 25 points.
The first half for Moss was a shower of 3s and mid-range jumpers. It felt as though any shot he took went in.
“It felt great [to be out there],” he said. “I’ve been working on my shot over the summer so, it’s great to come out here and knock ’em down.”
The second half didn’t see Moss’ scoring slow down, but instead of jump shots, he put a dunk on display for his encore.
Moss had three to four dunks in that second half. While the defense is famously lax in summer leagues, it’s still good to see a guy such as Moss showing off some dunks.
If he were to receive an award for his performance on June 22, it would be “Most Explosive Player.”
Moss showcased his ability to put up points like he did on occasion last season.
It was a very inconsistent first year for the 6-5 guard from Chicago.
Moss could go off for 19 points, as he did against Minnesota, but other nights, he only scored 2 points on 6 shots.
“I want to keep improving on my jump shot, my range and ballhandling skills this summer,” Moss said. “I’m also trying to get stronger.”
With Peter Jok now in the NBA, the Hawkeyes are going to need to replace his 20 points per game, and Moss seems like a perfect candidate to fill some of that void.
“When he [Moss] gets going like that, it’s fun to watch,” Nicholas Baer said. “He’s also really tough to guard when he’s on like that.”
The race for starting shooting guard is a tight one between Moss and Ellingson, both of whom showcased their deadly shooting throughout last season. It seems that the early edge in the race is going to Moss.
By Jess westendorf
COOK
It seems as if much of the sports conversations revolve around Iowa’s own playing in Prime Time.
But for the players, it is about stepping outside the comfort zone a bit.
This is the chance for fans to see their favorite Hawkeyes in a more relaxed environment, but sophomore forward Tyler Cook is still as explosive as ever.
After being held out of the games in Waterloo on June 22, Cook came back fired up and ready to go on Sunday.
Cook and teammate Dom Uhl play for the Marion Iron Works, which went up against the Vinton Merchants, featuring incoming freshman Jack Nunge and junior Brady Ellingson.
Cook and his team came out on top, but it didn’t come easily.
After Klint Carlson of Northern Iowa put through a clean lay-up, the game was tied at 100, taking the teams into overtime.
During the extra 5 minutes of the game, Cook and his teammates kept the pace and powered through to win in overtime.
Most of the time, Cook was paired against Nunge, who is an astounding 6-11, but that doesn’t bother Cook at all, and it certainly showed Sunday.
“His [Nunge] skill set gets me used to guarding different kinds of players,” Cook said. “He shot the hell out of the ball today. He can shoot, put it on the floor, and he can post up, so this is really going to help me develop defensively on the ball.”
After a successful season last year, Cook has become a key playmaker on the team, but he wanted to take this time during the off-season to develop the parts of his game that were not up to par.
“I’m working on my smaller ball from all three levels,” Cook said. “Whether it is at the basket, from range, or from the 3. I have put in 100 shots every day to make sure that I am getting ready for the season.”
Cook tallied 15 points and went 7-of-13 from the field with 10 rebounds and 3 assists.
The biggest thing he focuses in on is how he takes care of his body mentally and physically.
Little things drive him forward, from cutting out all pure sugar to getting a decent amount of sleep each night.
“It’s a lot easier now that I’m in an apartment, and it was harder in the dorms, because you are limited on your food options,” Cook said. “Now, we don’t bring any pure sugar foods into the house.”
Cook even gave up soda, he said, “I can’t even tell you the last time I had a soda.”
All of this has not only made him feel more energized but confident in what he can do this upcoming season. His goal is to be better than last year.
If he keeps up like this, he won’t have a problem meeting that.
“I think a lot of that came along with the process, making sure that I am confident in myself and that I am prepared mentally,” Cook said. “This off-season, I have been watching a ton of film, making sure that I am diligent in what I am supposed to be doing.”