Barnstormers' Spring Fling boasts immense state talent

NORTH LIBERTY - A new NCAA rule forced the Iowa Barnstormers to change locations and limit the number of teams competing in he AAU program's third annual Spring Fling boys' basketball event this week.

But fewer teams doesn't translate into depleted talent for the two-day tournament. At least 19 juniors or sophomores who were voted to an all-state roster by the Iowa Newspaper Association are slated to compete. That includes Iowa City West's first-team tandem of Dondre Alexander and Jeremy Morgan, both of which play for the 17-and-under Barnstormers, and eight other first-team all-state selections.

"It will be a nice event to get our guys warmed up and ready to go for the Division I live period that starts the following weekend," Barnstormers Director Jamie Johnson said.

The tournament moved from the University of Iowa Field House to the North Liberty Recreation Center (and North Liberty's Garner Elementary School) this spring. On April 28, 2011, NCAA Bylaw 13.11.1.8 forbid AAU or non-scholastic sporting events from being held on-campus. That ban includes clinics, camps, practices and competitions for groups like the Barnstormers.

"I think they're doing it to try to eliminate some of the seedy things going on, but I don't know, in all honesty, how this will prevent anything," Johnson said. "As long as the schools are doing the right thing and charging me the same price as they would the next guy, instead of giving it to me for free, I think everybody should be fine. But they banned it. These guys that are coming to play in North Liberty, if they want to go visit the University of Iowa, they're going to. This isn't going to prevent that from that happening.

"I had to turn away quite a few people this year."

The tournament grew from 24 to 38 teams from 2010 to 2011. This year there are 36 teams in three different age divisions: 15-and-under, 16-and-under and 17-and-under.

The Barnstormers have seven first-team all-state members on their 17U roster including Alexander, Morgan, Dubuque Senior's Josh Weeber, Waverly-Shell Rock's Klinton Carlson, Sioux City Heelan's Shane Graves, Storm Lake St. Mary's Luke Lenhart and Riverside-Oakland forward Ricky Williams.

The Iowa Pump-N-Run, which is operated by former Iowa players Duez Henderson and Jason Price, features Danville guards Steven and Michael Soukup, along with North Tama's Mitchell Boerm, Anamosa's Spencer Barnes and West Branch's Rylan Murry. The All-Iowa Attack includes Chance Miller of Iowa Mennonite and West Fork's Payton Plagge. The Iowa Mavericks boast Storm Lake St. Mary's forward Kennedy Drey, Algona Garrigan's John Burns and Lone Tree's Brian Forbes.

Two players with Iowa offers according to Rivals - junior forward Peter Jok of West Des Moines Valley and sophomore center Seth Bonifas of Dubuque Senior - have teams scheduled to play in the tournament.

The Barnstormers' 16U squad also boasts talent like Bonifas and Iowa City West's Wyatt Lohaus.

Pool play begins at 8 a.m. Saturday, and the championship round concludes Sunday afternoon. Cost for adults is $10 for the weekend or $7 each day. Students are charged $8 for the weekend or $5 each day.

College coaches not permitted to attend the event, which is held five days before the official evaluation period opens for basketball recruiting.

Click here for the full schedule and tournament rules.