PTL preview: 7/7/2013 games

By Brendan Stiles

HawkeyeDrive.com

Here’s a rundown of what Iowa basketball fans can expect Sunday afternoon with the three Prime Time League games taking place inside the Jones & Roberts Gyms at the North Liberty Community Center:

BlendCard (4-0) vs. L.L. Pelling/Hawkeye Report (4-0)

3 p.m., Roberts Gym

If the first two weeks of the PTL are any indicator, this first contest on Sunday is likely a preview of the PTL title game later this month as BlendCard and Pelling/Report both enter with unbeaten 4-0 records.

Both squads are led by Hawkeye duos that have shown consistency and this game features arguably the two most impressive Iowa players this entire summer in sophomore guard Anthony Clemmons and junior center Gabe Olaseni.

In four PTL games, Clemmons has shot 30-of-55 from the floor, including 18-of-31 from behind the 3-point arc. He has also tallied summer totals thus far of 27 assists and 24 rebounds. In addition to Clemmons, BlendCard also features sophomore forward Jarrod Uthoff, who has also shot over 50 percent this summer including 30-of-48 from inside the arc. These two players are also a combined 28-of-29 from the free-throw line this summer, another reason for their team’s success to this point.

Meanwhile, Olaseni has compiled totals of 90 points and 45 rebounds through four games and has shot 39-of-63 from the floor. In Pelling/Report’s most recent contest against Armstrong, Olaseni came away with 29 points on 13-of-23 shooting and 15 boards. Pelling/Report has also received major contributions from senior forward Zach McCabe, who has produced double-doubles in all four games played and has summer totals that parallel Olaseni’s production thus far.

Assuming McCabe and Uthoff cancel each other out, this game will likely be decided either by Clemmons or Olaseni having a monster performance for his respective team.

Culver’s/McCurry’s (0-4) vs. Greater Iowa Financial Group/Vinton Merchants (0-4)

4:30 p.m., Roberts Gym

While the first game features the two teams at the top, this one pits the two teams who have been at the bottom this summer. Both these squads have been short-handed the majority of the summer, but one of them can find solace in knowing it’ll pick up its first win on Sunday.

Culver’s/McCurry’s comes off a 101-88 loss to Comfort Care/Gatens last week where it battled throughout, but didn’t have enough. It’ll remain without junior forward Aaron White as he competes in the World University Games over in Russia and will still likely be without junior Darius Stokes as he continues to recover from an ankle injury.

The outlook appears more optimistic for Financial/Merchants after senior guard Devyn Marble returned to the lineup last week in its 103-83 loss to BlendCard. In just his second PTL game of the summer, Marble shot 11-of-28 and finished with 33 points, along with eight rebounds and seven assists. There’s also the possibility that junior guard Josh Oglesby returns Sunday after missing the first four games with a finger injury, which would have Financial/Merchants at full strength for the first time all summer.

Comfort Care Medicare/Mike Gatens Real Estate (2-2) vs. Jill Armstrong of Skogman Realty (2-2)

4:30 p.m., Jones Gym

Finally, there are the two teams in the middle with identical 2-2 marks battling wits Sunday when Comfort Care/Gatens takes on Armstrong. Interestingly enough, both teams have been in win-loss patterns the entire summer, but in opposite directions.

Comfort Care/Gatens is coming off a 101-88 win over Culver’s/McCurry’s last week that saw all three of its Hawkeye players perform well. Freshman guard Peter Jok shot 10-0f-15 from the floor and finished with 32 points, while both sophomore center Adam Woodbury and redshirt freshman forward Kyle Meyer had stat lines of 20 points and nine rebounds.

Meanwhile, Armstrong looks to bounce back from a 118-99 loss to Pelling/Report last week where its bright spot was guard Mike Gesell. The Iowa sophomore took 35 shots and nearly compiled a triple-double, as he finished with 35 points, nine assists and eight rebounds. Armstrong also received a double-double of 16 points and 12 boards in defeat from sophomore walk-on Okey Ukah.

Among Iowa players, Jok, Gesell and Woodbury rank 1, 2, 3 among point-producers, so expect plenty of scoring in this affair.

*Be sure to visit HawkeyeDrive.com following Sunday’s action at the North Liberty Community Center for ongoing coverage of the Prime Time League this summer.*