Commentary: All-Prime Time League team
Another Prime Time League season has come and gone, and now, The Daily Iowan recognizes six players for its All-Prime Time League team.
MVP: Eric May (Iowa), Pelling/Goodfellow
May can take over games better than anyone else in the state.
He averaged 21.8 points per game and shot 56 percent from the field. He can dunk in traffic, which he did several times in his 20-point second-half explosion in Pelling/Goodfellow's semifinal.
The Dubuque native makes his presence known even when he has a lousy game, as he did in Tuesday's championship. He disappeared on offense in the first half, but made two clutch free throws in the final 20 seconds to put away Vinton/Hawkeye.
May's offense is spectacular, but his defense is the biggest reason he earned the MVP honor. His length allows him to guard players much bigger than his 6-5 frame, and he shut down fellow all-Prime Time members Melsahn Basabe and Chip Rank in consecutive playoff games.
Melsahn Basabe (Iowa), Etre/Culver's
With the benefit of hindsight, Basabe probably should have been the league's No. 1 draft pick (eat your heart out, Brennan Cougill).
Basabe has been Fran McCaffery's greatest gift to the Hawkeyes thus far. The freshman followed McCaffery from Siena and led the league in scoring (30.6 points per game), rebounds (12.1), and 2-point percentage (64 percent).
He's just a freshman, of course, and his game is far from perfect. He needs to play consistent defense — although, to be honest, nobody plays defense in Prime Time — and he turns the ball over too often. That being said, he has the potential to be Big Ten Freshman of the Year when he partners with Jarryd Cole in the post.
Cully Payne (Iowa), McCurry's/Gatens
Payne is the rarest of basketball commodities, a team-first point guard who can and will score anytime he wants.
The sophomore averaged almost nine assists per game — three more than his closest competitor — and six of his teammates averaged more than eight points as a result.
Payne was also an offensive force when he needed to be, which was fairly often. McCurry's/Gatens seemed to have a chronic case of short-handedness, but Payne picked up the slack by averaging 19.7 points per game and carried his team into the semifinals with a 33-point performance in the first round.
Matt Gatens (Iowa), Armstrong
Gatens was the best player on one of the league's strongest overall teams.
Armstrong suffered an early exit from the playoffs, but it was no fault of Gatens. The junior averaged 27.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game. He also finished with some of the league's highest percentages in 2-point, 3-point, and free-throw shooting.
Gatens' multi-faceted play makes his teammates better, and seeing Payne and Gatens in the same backcourt will be one of the winter's most interesting talking points.
Chip Rank (Northern Iowa), Vinton/Hawkeye
Where to begin?
Rank is simply unbelievable. He can score (20.3 points per game) and rebound (8.1), and he's a team player (2.7 assists). He reached the free-throw line more times than anyone but Basabe and led the league by shooting 94 percent.
His most impressive ability is his absolutely absurd 3-point shooting. He connected on 60 percent of his shots from beyond the arc, adding a dimension to his game that makes him almost impossible to guard.
Despite all his skills, Rank's greatest asset is his youth. He's still just a kid, but he plays beyond his years, and it will be fascinating to watch him develop.
Is it too late for him to sign with the Hawkeyes?
Honorable Mention: Zach McCabe (Iowa), Pelling/Goodfellow
Nobody improved more over the course of the summer than McCabe, who admitted he was out of shape and unprepared at the beginning of the season. He finished with the sixth-most points of anyone in the league — including a 31-point explosion in the final — and averaged 17.9 points per game.
Not bad for a freshman.
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