Prime Time League draft: Where Hawkeyes, Panthers landed
IOWA CITY, Ia. – There was no hesitation once Randy Larson drew the No. 1 pick before Monday night's Prime Time League draft.
Jarrod Uthoff, expected to play the leading role in Iowa basketball's 2015-16 production, was quickly made the first selection overall in what could be one of the most intriguing summers in the PTL's 29-year history.
Iowa center Adam Woodbury was taken No. 2, and new PTL coach Jess Settles made UNI's Wes Washpun the third overall pick. UNI's Paul Jesperson, then Iowa guards Mike Gesell, Anthony Clemmons and Peter Jok ended the night as first-round picks.
In all, 14 Hawkeyes and 13 Panthers were evenly dispersed on the league's seven 10-man rosters, forming new teammates for a round-robin, six-game schedule that plays Thursdays and Sundays through July in North Liberty and Waterloo.
For Hawkeye fans, there's special interest this summer with five newcomers in the league — a sixth, wingman Isaiah Moss, isn't enrolled in summer school — plus nine returners off a team that recorded the school's first NCAA Tournament win since 2001.
A maximum of two teammates can play together in summer basketball leagues, per NCAA rules. One roster teamed up incoming Iowa forwards Dale Jones and Brandon Hutton.
The other Hawkeye newcomers found veteran partners: Shooting guard Andrew Fleming with another shooter, Brady Ellingson; athletic guard Christian Williams with Gesell; and forward Ahmad Wagner with Jok.
Nicholas Baer, a Bettendorf native who will be a redshirt freshman, was chosen before any of the five newcomers — a sign of the respect the 6-foot-8 walk-on is gathering.
"They're going to have to be the future of the Hawkeye basketball program," said Larson, an Iowa City attorney and also the league's longtime director. "There's so little that's known about them — there's not a top-50 kid in the bunch, but (Iowa coach) Fran McCaffery's got a knack for finding kids like Aaron White who wasn't offered (another) Big Ten scholarship and turning him into a first-team all-Big Ten player.
"So will he have to do that, or are these guys better than the recruiting experts rated them? That's what's fun about being able to find out for yourself."
Several ex-Hawkeyes were drafted and are expected to play, most notably Matt Gatens, Melsahn Basabe and Darius Stokes. Hawkeye freshmen-to-be walk-ons Steven and Michael Soukup of Danville do not count against the NCAA rule and were drafted in the first six rounds.
PRIME TIME LEAGUE ROSTERS
Games begin Thursday at 6 and 7;30 p.m. at the North Liberty Community Center; Sunday's games are at the Cedar Valley SportsPlex in Waterloo. One team per night will be on a bye.
Team 1: Westport Touchless Autowash/Beat the Bookstore
Coach Randy Larson
Jarrod Uthoff--Iowa
Aarias Austin--UNI
Dom Uhl--Iowa
David DiLeo--ex-IC West
Brennan Swayzer--ex-Kirkwood
Jake Gylton--Augustana College
Jake Timm--Coe College
Ross Westemeyer--ex-Regina HS
Kingsley Botchway--Iowa City Schools
Eli Gingerich--IMS HS
Team 2: Jill Armstrong Realty
Coach Dan Ahrens
Adam Woodbury--Iowa
Dondre Alexander--William Penn
Spencer Haldeman--UNI
Luke McDonnell--UNI
Kendall Jacks--Wayne St.
Okechukwu Ukah--Iowa
Miles Wentzien--Missouri Western
Grant Sylvester--Morningside College
Malik Williams--Mt. Mercy College
Team 3: Marion Iron Company
Coach Jess Settles
Wes Washpun--UNI
Matt Gatens--Turkish pro
Brady Ellingson--Iowa
Justin Dahl--UNI
Andrew Fleming--Iowa
Nick Lyon--Grandview
Michael Aldeman--William Penn
Christian Fahey--Coe College
Jamie Cousins--Iowa Central CC
Team 4: Blendcard/McCurrys
Coach Kevin Sanders
Paul Jesperson--UNI
Dale Jones--Iowa
Melsahn Besabe--ex-Iowa
Brandon Hutton--Iowa
Jason Price--ex-Iowa
Lincoln Conrey--UNI
Keegan Moore--SECC
Christian Swartzentruber--ex-IMS HS
Tevin Robbins--ex-Davenport Central HS
Derek Anding--Washington HS
Team 5: Culver's/Vinton Merchants
Coach Ron Nove
Anthony Clemmons--Iowa
Jeremy Morgan--UNI
Nicholas Baer--Iowa
Clay Cook--ex-Wartburg
Robert Knar--UNI
Tim Loan--ex-Briar Cliff
Matt Lassen--William Jewell Univ.
Nate Woeste--Wartburg College
Austin Walker--Iowa Wesleyan
Team 6: Comfort Care Medicare/LL Pelling
Coach Brendan Unkrich
Mike Gesell--Iowa
Matt Bohannon--UNI
Klint Carlson--UNI
Steven Soukup--Iowa
Darius Stokes--Fairleigh Dickinson
Christian Williams--Iowa
Tay Parker--ex-CR Jeff HS
John Nagel--Iowa Wesleyan
Tommy Hook--Mt. Vernon HS
Team 7 (Sponsor needed)
Coach Ray Swetalla
Peter Jok--Iowa
Wyatt Lohaus--UNI
Ahmad Wagner--Iowa
Ted Friedman--UNI
Billy Daniel--Truman State
Michael Soukup--Iowa
Kalund Brown--ex-Ellsworth CC
Kalehl Brown--ex-Ellsworth CC
Scott Wilson--ex-Iowa Central CC
Jaden Durr--Clarke College