PTL preview: 6/26/2014 games
Posted on 25. Jun, 2014 by admin in Iowa Basketball
By Brendan Stiles
HawkeyeDrive.com
Here’s a rundown of what Iowa basketball fans can expect Thursday evening with the three Prime Time League games taking place inside the Jones & Roberts Gyms at the North Liberty Community Center:
Culver’s/McCurry’s (1-0) vs. Vinton Merchants/Marion Iron Company (1-0)
6 p.m., Roberts Gym
Although this is the lone contest featuring a pair of teams that were victorious last week, this match-up won’t have the same luster.
That’s because Culver’s/McCurry’s will be without the services Thursday of senior forward Aaron White, who is participating at the Kevin Durant Nike Skills Academy in Washington, D.C., this weekend. White posted a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds for Culver’s/McCurry’s in its 95-89 win over Autowash/Homes. Culver’s/McCurry’s will also remain without incoming sophomore guard Trey Dickerson, who is expected to make his PTL debut next week following his arrival on UI’s campus.
Meanwhile, Merchants/Iron should remain at full strength again this week after beating BlendCard 102-95 in its opener thanks in large part to a 40-point performance from UNI’s Nate Buss. Making his PTL debut for Merchants/Iron last week was incoming freshman forward Dominique Uhl, who had 18 points, four rebounds and five assists in the victory. Dickerson’s absence prevents the point guard battle between him and junior Mike Gesell, who is coming off a 15-point, 6-assist performance for Merchants/Iron last week.
Westport Touchless Autowash/IAHomesForSale (0-1) vs. L.L. Pelling/Comfort Care Medicare (0-1)
6 p.m., Jones Gym
If there’s any major storyline in PTL action this week, it will likely come from this game between teams looking to avoid 0-2 starts to the summer. That’s because this match-up pits the battle of Hawkeye centers with junior Adam Woodbury leading Autowash/Homes against a Pelling/Comfort Care squad featuring senior Gabe Olaseni, the top pick in this year’s PTL draft.
Despite falling 95-89 to Culver’s/McCurry’s, Autowash/Homes received a strong showing last week from Woodbury, who shot 12-of-24 from the floor and finished with 27 points and nine rebounds. Autowash/Homes was also without the services of junior guard Anthony Clemmons, who is still back in his home state of Michigan and won’t be suiting up again Thursday (Clemmons is expected to return in July, however).
As for Pelling/Comfort Care, it will be seeking stronger performances from both Olaseni and senior guard Josh Oglesby. The Hawkeye duo shot a combined 9-of-36 from the floor in Pelling/Comfort Care’s 83-69 loss to Armstrong last week. However, both players finished with 15 points each and Olaseni also tallied 17 boards in defeat.
Jill Armstrong of Skogman Realty (1-0) vs. BlendCard (0-1)
7:30 p.m., Roberts Gym
The intrigue in Thursday’s nightcap will be centered around a pair of Hawkeyes who were reserves last season and could potentially be vying for starting spots in 2014-15. Junior forward Jarrod Uthoff and his Armstrong squad look to move to 2-0 while sophomore guard Peter Jok and BlendCard look to avoid starting 0-2.
Uthoff — who was the second pick in this year’s draft — put up a showing in Armstrong’s 83-69 win over Pelling/Comfort Care last week that has become typical of him in the PTL, finishing with 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists. His 22 points came on 9-of-18 shooting, all of which occurred inside the 3-point arc. As it was last week, Armstrong will likely remain without incoming freshman guard Brady Ellingson for Thursday’s game.
On the flip side, BlendCard will seek a bigger performance Thursday from last summer’s leading scorer after Jok finished with just 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting last week in its 102-95 loss to Merchants/Iron. In addition to Jok, the name to watch for BlendCard is UNI’s Seth Tuttle, who had 27 points last week and will likely be guarding Uthoff inside the majority of the night.
*Be sure to visit HawkeyeDrive.com following Thursday’s action at the North Liberty Community Center for ongoing coverage of the Prime Time League this summer.*
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