Prime Time League draft: Where Hawkeyes, Panthers landed

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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