IT’S TIME for, uh, PRIME TIME

The Prime Time League remains one of the best things about basketball in the state of Iowa.

Each year, the Iowa and Northern Iowa basketball teams, along with a variety of small college and former high school players get to show their stuff to fans eager for a chance to see them do awesome stuff with the ball before the season starts. It is an absolute treat. Basketball runs deep in this state and having a league like this only furthers it. Seriously, if you have a chance to catch some of their games in North Liberty or Waterloo... do it. The games are usually nuts, players are having fun and it’s really a good time for everyone involved.

To the nitty gritty. Tyler Cook was drafted first overall to the Marion Iron Company (not actually though, I’m sure he has better things in the summer to do than work there) because duh. Personally, I’m curious to see what he’s worked on over the summer. Last year he came out firing from everywhere on the court and wowed us all with his impressive variety of dunks. This is to say he looked good.

One thing on Tyler — will he come out firing from behind the arc again? He took 31 treys in PTL last year (making 10) which is far more than 8 total triples he took as a freshman during Iowa’s regular season last year. This is the part of his game that’s going to separate him from the rest of the pack, or, at the very least it will give him an edge. Anyways, expect some THUNDERDUNKS and a whole lot of fun. He’ll be joined by Dom Uhl so there’s going to be a whole lot of height on that team.

In one of the more — well, at least to me — picks of the PTL draft, Nicholas Baer went next. Personally, I’d choose Jordan Bohannon and his cannon, but the Culver’s team (not sure if the restaurant or the lawn care/landscaping/the place where you buy flowers business) went with the lanky junior out of Bettendorf.

You know exactly what Baer is going to give you — an incredible basketball IQ, a couple 3’s, probably a dunk or four and great defense — and is a solid addition to any squad. This very well could be the year he takes his game to the next level. He certainly is going to be an elder voice for Iowa in the locker room this season He’s joined on that team by Isaiah Moss. Good luck shutting that down.

Bohannon was next off the board and will again be one of the most entertaining players to watch in PTL. He averaged 20.2 points per game last year and shot 66 treys, hitting 34.8-percent of them. This really was where Bohannon introduced himself to fans last year and it was pretty clear from the beginning that Fran was bringing the former Linn-Mar prep in to do more than just sit on the bench.

Ryan Kriener will be on his team as well, setting up yet another interesting team.

Panther guard Wyatt Lohaus was the first Panther off the board, going to Team Westport Touchless Autowash, where he’ll join Maishe Dailey and incoming Hawkeye freshman Luke Garza. This will be a team to watch simply to show what exactly Garza can do. The fact incoming freshman can play in the league is a huge boon and it’s great Iowa gets to take advantage of. Don’t sleep on Dailey either. He works hard and it’ll be great to see what the offseason has done to his game.

Jack Nunge was the only Iowa freshman to be picked first by a team and he’ll join Brady Ellingson on the Vinton Merchants squad. There’s going to be some firepower there.

Lastly, Christian Williams and Ahmad Wagner will form a headband super-group on the Jill Armstrong Skogman Realty team. What both of these players have done in the offseason is super interesting. Williams looked great in PTL action before ultimately failing to impress during the season. Iowa really could use another steady ballhandler and it would be a ton of Williams looks even a bit more confident and comfortable with his shot. Personally, I’d like to see Wagner shoot a bunch in this as well. It’s one part of the junior’s game he really needs to work on. PTL is the perfect place for that.

Well, there you have it. The 2017 PTL draft is in the books. The full rosters are posted below. Thoughts? Favorites? Impressions?

Team #1: Marion Iron Company

Tyler Cook, Iowa

Dom Uhl, Iowa

Juwan McCloud, Northern Iowa

Hunter Rhodes, Northern Iowa

Niko Gosnell, Lone TreeHS/Kirkwood CC

Tra’von Fagan, Cedar Falls HS/Tyler CC

Trevon Montgomery, former-Pleasant Valley HS

Aaron Lyons, former-Buena Vista

Matt Coiner, former-Bettendorf HS

Team #2 Culver's (Coach: Ron Nove)

Nicholas Baer, Iowa

Isaiah Moss, Iowa

Bennett Koch, Northern Iowa

Tywhon Pickford, Northern Iowa

A.J. Green, Cedar Falls HS

Joshua Carter, Dubuque Wahlert HS/Highland CC

Tim Loan, former-Briar Cliff

Dadrian Hoambrecker, Iowa City West HS

Team #3 L.L. Pelling

Jordan Bohannon, Iowa

Isaiah Brown, Northern Iowa

Ryan Kriener, Iowa

Ted Friedman, Northern Iowa

Seybian Sims, Iowa City West HS

Jake Hughes, former-Upper Iowa

Harley Shear, former-Anoka Ramsey CC

Jonny Dahl, former-John Wood CC

Team #4 Westport Touchless Autowash

Wyatt Lohaus, Northern Iowa

Maishe Dailey, Iowa

Luka Garza, Iowa

Luke McDonnell, Northern Iowa

Matt Mims, Cedar Rapids Xavier HS

Bryan Forbes, former-Briar Cliff

Michael Baer, former-Bettendorf HS

Jason Capper, St. Ambrose

Team #5 Vinton Merchants

Jack Nunge, Iowa

Klint Carlson Northern Iowa

Brady Ellingson, Iowa

Adam McDermott, Northern Iowa

Jake Timm, former-Coe

Kingsley Botchway, former-D.W. Daniel HS, South Carolina

Ross Westemeyer, former-Regina HS

Brant DeMeulenaere, Kirkwood

Team #6 The Jill Armstrong Team Skogman Realty

Ahmad Wagner, Iowa

Christian Williams, Iowa

Spencer Haldeman, Northern Iowa

Kendall Jacks, Wayne State

Jordan Ashton, former-Northern Iowa

Tanner Lohaus, Northern Iowa

Zach Schlabaugh, Coe

Amel Kuljuhovik, Lakeland CC

P.S., here’s the schedule: