First Team 2021: Des Moines TOC

After the Nike Tournament of Champions was split into sessions around various spots in the country, Des Moines was the beneficiary and gained three sessions. Over the course of July, I was able to see over 100 games that included well over 1,000 different players from 14 different states. There was a lot of talent on display ranging from top players in the country to players who will be going to college for other sports. Over the course of this week and into next, I will be recapping all of the action that I saw at the three sessions. First, I will be going through and mentioning the top 20 performers in each grade level broken up into "four teams". Players will be named for how well they performed, not what their talent level is. I tried to see as many teams as possible but even with that, I was not able to watch every team. Some players that are not mentioned here possibly had a better month but they will not be listed simply due to the fact that I wasn’t able to watch them play. After I go through the top 20 performers in each grade level, I will then start to post my mass evaluations from the sessions that will run through next week. Below are the top five 2021 performers from the month of July at the TOC. <hr /> <strong>Maryam Dauda - 6’5 C - Bentonville HS (AR) - Missouri Phenom EYBL</strong> Dauda was easily one of the top performers in the event regardless of class. She’s a very mobile forward prospect who is able to stretch it out to the 3-point line and hurt you. Her length was a trouble spot for offenses all July long as she is a very good shot blocker. Her ability to play the four or the five makes her a matchup nightmare. Dauda is ranked as our #31 overall prospect in the 2021 class and after her consistency with her performance this July she will likely be sliding up our rankings. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="6972" first="Sydney" last="Affolter"] - 5’11 SF/SG - Marist HS (IL) - All Iowa Attack EYBL</strong> Being from Iowa, I have the chance to see the All Iowa Attack teams play pretty much every weekend. In July, I only watched the top 17U team two times, however. Each time I saw them Affolter was on her game. She’s a very versatile wing who can play spots 1-3 with ease and can even slide down to the four spot at times. She was able to get to the rim better than anyone this month and she’ll continue to do that the next four years at Iowa. Affolter is ranked #75 in our national rankings. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="4132" first="Damiya" last="Hagemann"] - 5’9 PG - Detroit Edison HS (MI) - Michigan Crossover EYBL</strong> This was my first time seeing Hagemann and she did not disappoint. She plays with a swagger that other players just don’t have when she has the ball in her hands. Hagemann has a tremendous feel for the game and her passing ability is next-level good. She was one of the most athletic guards at the three sessions and staying in front of her is no easy task. We have her ranked as the #35 player in the country and she certainly played like it. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="94392" first="Allison" last="Weidner"] - 5’10 PG - St. Francis Humphrey HS (NE) - Nebraska Attack UAA</strong> Weidner is about as crafty as they come at the point guard spot. She plays both on and off the ball well and is a tremendous facilitator. Weidner gets to the rim and finishes well with either hand. With Nebraska Attack needs a bucket, Weidner is usually the person that can go and get it. She’s really exploded onto the scene in the last year or so and she’s just continuing to get better. Weidner is our #97 ranked player in the 2021 class and she will be attending Nebraska following her senior season. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="94394" first="Alexis" last="Markowski"] - 6’3 PF - Pius X HS (NE) - Nebraska Lasers</strong> Markowski played very consistently throughout the month of July against some of the top post players in the nation. She’s a kid who can stretch it out to beyond the 3-point line but can also score the ball at a high level on the inside. She is aggressive with the ball and is very crafty around the rim. She was certainly a stock riser on the national scene this July and while not ranked in our national rankings now, she will be in our August update. She’ll be heading to South Dakota State for her four years of college ball.