Grassroots basketball teams from across Nebraska and Iowa competed in the annual OSA Crusaders River Cities Hoops Tournament over the weekend.
Here’s a run-down of the standout teams, players and performances I saw throughout the tournament.
17U
Oklahoma City Thunder (Top Division) Champion: The West
The West, a collection of kids from western and central Nebraska schools (Ogallala, Doniphan-Trumbull, Kearney, Gothenburg) had a terrific weekend, displaying an up-tempo, run-and-gun style of play while also showing the ability to grind out games in the clutch. They won their four games on their way to the championship by one, five, five and four.
In the championship game, the West rallied to beat Lincoln Supreme National 1 80-76. Ogallala senior guard Sawyer Smith sealed the game at the line, going 4-for-4 in the closing seconds. He finished with 17 points while shooting 3-for-7 from deep, grabbing five boards and dishing out five assists.
Smith, who returned from the ankle injury that cost him a chance to play in the state tournament in late June, turned some heads at the Midwest Basketball Showcase with Ogallala, announcing offers from Western Nebraska Community College and UNK after the weekend in Kansas City.
In Omaha, Smith led The West past a really good All Iowa Attack EYCL team in the semifinals with 24 points in a 68-63 win. He had 18 points on 7-13 shooting (2-3 from 3) and 2-of-3 from the foul line, seven assists and five rebounds in an 82-77 win over Nebraska Supreme PRO16 after opening the tournament with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists in an 81-80 win over Lincoln Supreme National 2. Whether he was shooting the ball well or not, Smith consistently made an impact, making the game easier for his teammates with his playmaking and crashing the glass.
As vital as Smith was, the focal point of The West’s run wasn’t from Nebraska. That was Logan Junkermeier, a 6-foot-10 center from Fairmont, Minnesota, who played with the West at River Cities for the second straight year. He scored The West’s first 14 points in the championship game and finished with a game-high 25 points. In the three games I tracked, Junkermeier averaged 21.7 points on 74.3% from the field, 7.7 rebounds and 1.0 block with two 3s and 11 free throws.
While Smith and Junkermeier were the stars, The West got great performances from others throughout the tournament as well.
Doniphan-Trumbull guard Jack Poppe opened the tournament with a bang, going off for 26 points on 9-of-10 shooting (4-of-5 from 3) and 4-of-7 from the line, six steals, four rebounds and three assists against Lincoln Supreme National 2.
Ogallala senior Rylan Gilmore had 15 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two steals while shooting 4-of-6 from deep against Lincoln Supreme National 2 and put up 11 points, eight assists, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks despite his shot not falling in the championship.
OKC Thunder Runner-Up: Lincoln Supreme National 1
Supreme came up just a bit short in the final, but the squad still had a strong showing this weekend. They went 2-0 in pool play (65-37 over Fremont D-League Mohs behind Wahoo wing Cody Hesser’s 21 points on 100% shooting with four 3s and 89-78 over All Iowa Attack National behind 26 points from Ashland-Greenwood guard Cal Kissinger) before delivering one of the best moments of the weekend.
In the semifinals against Kingdom Hoops EYCL, Supreme faced a double-digit deficit midway through the second half before the Norris duo of Macoy Folkerts and Chris Garner Jr. led a comeback that ended in a game-winning 3 from Nike Orgilbold (Elkhorn North).
Trailing by one in the final seconds, Supreme got the ball back thanks to a missed Kingdom free throw and had a chance to go for the win. Garner (8), Folkerts (12) and Orgilbold (32) all made big plays on the final possession (click the link to see it).
.@Supreme_Bball National 1 17U pulled off a double-digit comeback to beat Kingdom Hoops EYCL 70-68 on Nike Orgilbold’s game-winning 3 and advance to the championship. pic.twitter.com/JW9hZWs8if
— Jacob Padilla (@JacobPadilla_) July 6, 2025
Orgilbold missed the entire spring with a knee injury, making his debut for Lincoln Supreme at River Cities. He went 4-for-7 from deep for 12 points, grabbed six boards and dished out three assists in the semi. He also chipped in 10 points on 50% shooting with two more 3s in the final. His shot-making and size at the guard spot is a big boost for a team that was short-handed for much of the spring.
Folkerts led the way against Kingdom with 18 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the field including 4-of-6 from deep, grabbing four boards and dishing out three assists, including one on the game-winner. He also did a good job defensively, slowing down Kingdom’s lead ball-handler after the southpaw had torched them early.
Garner scored eight of his 10 points in the semifinal in the second half then scored a team-high 18 points on 6-of-10 from the field (3-of-5 from 3) and 3-of-4 from the free-throw line in the final. He just has a knack for being in the right place at the right time as well as good touch around the basket.
Showcase Game: ETG Midwest 3SSB 85, Factory United UA Rise 68
Two of the top 17U teams in Nebraska faced off on Saturday afternoon with ETG using a flurry of 3s to race past Factory United. The Adidas squad shot 13-of-27 from 3 and won the possessions battle (more offensive rebounds, fewer turnovers) to overcome Factory shooting nearly 53% from the field.
Former Kearney standout Jacob Webber put on his own personal fireworks display, pouring in 23 points while shooting 6-of-8 from 3 and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe. He’ll spend his senior year at La Lumiere, the basketball powerhouse in La Porte, Indiana.
Creighton Prep senior point guard Torran Carter-Brown added to the onslaught for ETG, scoring 17 points on 6-of-10 from the field including 5-of-8 from 3. He dished out four assists as well, splitting lead guard duties with Scottsbluff senior Nate Kelley (nine points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals).
I was also impressed with Omaha Benson wing Goanar Bamach, showing off his two-way ability with 12 points on offense and three steals on defense off the bench. He shot 5-of-7 from the field, hitting a 3 and converting an and-one while also knocking down a couple of mid-range shots. Omaha Westside senior Emre Gedik delivered the highlight of the game with this dunk, two of his 10 points in the game.
For Factory, Lincoln High wing Brady Nick was the standout, finishing with a game-high 16 points on 50% shooting with a pair of triples, five boards, three assists and two steals. The twin towers of George Ziebell (Skutt Catholic) and William Preston (Omaha Westside) also combined for 22 points on 60% from the field, 11 rebounds and four blocks.
Other Standout Performances
— Nebraska Supreme PRO16: Supreme went 3-1 with its only loss coming to the eventual champion, The West, after losing one of its leading scorers in Elkhorn North forward Sutton Piatkowski to an ankle tweak in the first game of the tournament.
Ashland-Greenwood senior Derek Tonjes picked up the slack without Piatkowski, scoring 17 points on 6-of-8 from the field and 5-of-6 from the line while chipping in five boards and three steals in a 79-49 win against Lincoln Supreme National 2. He then led Supreme with 21 points in the loss to The West, shooting 8-of-13 from the field and 5-of-7 from the line while corralling eight rebounds. His touch around the basket and ability to score from difficult angles make him a really tough matchup.
Millard South wing Koby Meyers and Papillion-La Vista wing DeMarcus McCarty stood out as well in Supreme’s first game. Meyers finished with a game-high 18 points on 7-of-11 from the field (3-of-7 from 3) and 1-of-2 from the line, seven rebounds and three assists while throwing down multiple times. McCarty did much of his work from the perimeter, matching Tonjes with 17 points on 6-of-9 from the field including 5-of-7 from deep.
Lincoln Southwest point guard Makkiah Sanders was terrific in the loss to The West as well, finishing with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting (1-of-1 from 3) and 4-of-5 foul shooting, five steals and four assists.
— Lincoln Supreme National 2 Guard Easton Switzer (Lincoln North Star): Switzer is a volume scorer and put that on full display in the one-point loss to eventual champion The West. He went off for 26 points on 10-of-21 from the field (6-of-13 from 3) and 2-of-3 from the line with five assists and four steals. Supreme went 0-2 in a really tough pool but won both of its bracket games.
— Team Factory National forward Arnie Nash (Creighton Prep): The physical wing posted the highest scoring total I saw all weekend in the first game I watched, and it was his birthday to boot. He went off for 36 points on 16-of-24 from the field including 4-of-8 from deep while grabbing nine rebounds (five offensive) and five steals in a 77-71 win against Fremont D-League Black-Scheef on Friday morning. D-League didn’t have a defender who could stay in front of Nash on his drives to the basket, and he also shot well from the perimeter and wreaked havoc on the offensive glass.
Factory went 4-0 to win the Indiana Pacers (second division) title.
— Fremont D-League Black-Scheef forward Brady Gartner (Mead): Gartner gave Nash a run for his money in the game between the two on Friday, finishing with 27 points and 16 rebounds. He shot 11-of-17 from the field including 2-of-2 from deep and 3-of-6 from the line in the loss.
16U
OKC Thunder (Top Division) Runner-Up: Lincoln Supreme National 1
Supreme had a great weekend before running into a buzzsaw in the championship. Tate McCollum, the son of new Iowa Coach Ben McCollum, hit at least six 3-pointers to lead Kingdom Hoops EYCL to a 61-42 win.
However, Supreme went 3-0 in pool play and had to take down some good teams to reach the championship. They beat OSA Elite Salsman 71-54, Fremont D-League Scheef 67-37 and All Iowa Attack EYCL 77-69 before falling to Kingdom.
The semifinal was particularly impressive. Supreme got off to a fast start with EMF forward Grady Bresson leading the way. He scored 15 of his team-high 18 points in the first half and was active on the offensive glass with six of his eight boards coming on that end.
Grand Island Central Catholic point guard Braylon Wolfe was a key part of the win as well, finishing with 10 points, six steals and five assists while shooting 2-of-3 from deep and 4-of-4 from the line. Wolfe also led Supreme with 10 points in the final, shooting 4-of-8 overall including 2-of-5 from 3 while grabbing three steals and dishing out three assists. Supreme was missing one of its top guards on Sunday while another was limited, and Wolfe picked up the slack in a big way.
ETG Midwest 3SSB point guard Lee Robinson (Omaha Westside) picks up the ball in transition against Nebraska Supreme PRO16. Photo by Wyatt Carmichael.
Showcase Game: ETG Midwest 3SSB 79, Nebraska Supreme PRO16 74
(Note: I’m an assistant coach for Nebraska Supreme.)
Two of the top 16U teams in the state put on a show for the fans with a game that went down to the wire and saw ETG rally from a double-digit deficit to pull out the victory.
Supreme led most of the way, but Lee Robinson (Omaha Westside ‘28) and Tra Moore (Staley, Missouri) combined for 29 points in the second half (including 13 of the team’s final 17 points) as Supreme couldn’t find a way to stay in front of them or keep them off the charity stripe.
Robinson finished with a game-high 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists, shooting 8-of-11 from the foul line. Moore added 17 points, shooting 6-of-12 from the field and 5-of-6 from the line. A team-wide offensive rebounding emphasis wore down Supreme and made the difference as ETG corralled 16 offensive boards with all eight players contributing at least one.
Supreme had five players score in double figures. Bennington wing Blaize Jung led the way with 16 points on 5-of-9 from the field (4-of-7 from 3) and 2-of-2 from the line. Bellevue West point guard Bryce Johnson Jr. added 14 points and four steals while going 10-for-12 from the foul line. Norris guard Shane Holen did a good job of attacking mismatches to get to the rim, finishing with 12 points on 4-of-5 from the field and 4-of-6 from the line and three steals. Creighton Prep wing Sam Bohnet matched him with 12 points while Papillion-La Vista guard Sam Boudreau added 10 points, five boards and two steals.
Showcase Game: ETG Midwest 3SSB 98, All Iowa Attack EYCL 80
ETG went 2-0 on the day, racing past All Iowa Attack in a high-scoring affair. ETG shot nearly 55% from the field and 40% from 3 with six players in double figures.
Omaha Westside wing London Dada led the way with 18 points on 8-of-13 from the field (2-of-5 from 3), five rebounds and two steals. He showed off his diversifying offensive skill set with multiple dunks and some tough mid-range jumpers to go with his 3-point shooting.
Lee Robinson had another strong showing with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting (1-of-2 from 3) and 3-of-6 from the foul line plus three assists. Norris guard Evan Greenfield stuffed the stat sheet with 12 points, seven assists, five rebounds and two steals. Adams Central forward Hunter Nepple matched him with 12 points on 4-of-6 from the field (1-of-2 from 3) and 3-of-3 from the line plus five boards and two blocks, showing off a versatile skill set at 6-foot-9.
Jackson Smith (Staley, Missouri) added 11 points and four rebounds while Kellen Murphy (Elkhorn North) chipped in 11 points and three assists while shooting 3-for-5 from deep.
Showcase Game: Nebraska Supreme PRO16 66, Kingdom Hoops EYCL 47
Supreme bounced back in a big way by smacking the 16U bracket champion with a running clock for much of the second half.
All seven scorers scored six or more points for the balanced squad with Blaize Jung leading the way again. He finished with 16 points on 6-of-7 from the field (2-of-3 from deep) and three assists.
Shane Holen added 11 points on 3-of-5 from the field (1-of-2 from 3) and 4-of-5 from the line, four rebounds and three assists. Sam Bohnet flirted with a double-double, finishing with nine points on 4-of-8 shooting (1-of-2 from 3) and nine rebounds. Gretna East guard Drayke Brown chipped in nine points off the bench while Lincoln Southwest guard Dakari Wilson contributed seven points on 3-of-5 shooting (1-of-3 from 3), five assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block.
Other Standout Performances
— Lincoln Supreme National 2: Lincoln Supreme was the Indiana Pacers (second division) champion. York forward Dax Peterson led a group of five Supreme players in double figures in a 79-71 win over All Iowa Attack National to clinch the 4-0 record. The high-flying Peterson opened the game with a two-handed slam off the jump ball and finished with a team-high 17 points on 8-12 from the field and 1-of-2 from the line and seven rebounds.
— Team Factory National guards Reegon Hollingsworth (Omaha Westview) and Antonio Deleon (Omaha Central): Team Factory and MVP Elite was the final boys game of the tournament, with Factory winning a shootout behind a ridiculously efficient 30-point outing from Hollingsworth. He shot 12-for-14 from the field including 4-for-6 from 3 and 2-for-4 from the line with four rebounds, three assists and two steals in an 86-74 win. The 5-foot-10 guard got to the rim and will and finished every time in addition to lighting it up from deep.
Hollingsworth scored 19 of his 30 in the first half, while his backcourt partner Deleon went off for 16 in the second half to finish with 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting (1-of-2 from 3) and 6-for-8 free-throw shooting, seven steals and five rebounds. He showed good anticipation, taking the ball away from his man multiple times in addition to jumping passing lanes.
Factory went 3-1 with its only loss to Pacers champion Lincoln Supreme National 2.
— MVP Elite guard Jax Newman (Papillion-La Vista): Factory got the win, but Newman went bucket for bucket with Hollingsworth, finishing with 30 himself. He shot 9-of-14 from the field including 5-of-6 from deep and a perfect 7-for-7 at the line while adding four rebounds, four assists and four steals. Between the Monarchs in June and MVP Elite on Sunday, Newman has been incredibly efficient every time I’ve seen him play this summer.
— MVP Elite wing Amillio Coppage-Wheeler (Omaha North): Coppage-Wheeler is an explosive athlete who dominated the game in a 79-57 win against All Iowa Attack National. He finished with 25 points on 11-of-20 from the field (1-of-2 from deep) and 2-of-2 from the line, seven rebounds including six on the offensive end, four assists and three steals. The high-flyer threw down multiple dunks, was all over the offensive glass and made plays for his teammates as well.
— The West: The collection of Western Nebraska talent went 4-0 with a plus-95 point differential in the third division and easily could have held its own in the second division if not higher based on what I saw in its 78-54 win against Grand Island D-League Buettner.
The biggest standout was 6-foot-6 Ogallala junior Tanner DeCastro, who appears to be improving rapidly. He handled the ball fluidly at his size with a couple strong takes to the rim while also going to work on the block and protecting the rim defensively. He finished with 18 points on 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-4 from the line, five rebounds, three assists and two blocks.
North Platte St. Patrick’s guard Ben Heirigs matched DeCastro with 18 points on 8-of-12 shooting (2-of-4 from 3), four boards and three assists. Ogallala guard Rhys Gilmore brought great energy off the bench as well, finishing with 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting (2-of-2 from 3), seven rebounds, five assists and three steals.
15U
OKC Thunder (Top Division) Champion: Nebraska Supreme PRO16
Supreme swept through the tournament, facing its toughest test in its first game against Dream Chasers (62-54). Supreme smacked Norfolk D-League Nixon by 50 to go 2-0 in pool play, beat All Iowa Attack EYCL 67-54 in the semifinals then pulled away from Factory United UA Rise in the second half for an 80-69 win in the championship.
Lincoln Southeast point guard Jameson Shea had a productive weekend, leading the team in scoring in each of the three games I tracked. He scored 20 points on 8-of-14 from the field (3-of-6 from 3) and grabbed five rebounds against D-League. He totaled 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting (1-of-2 from 3), four rebounds and two assists in the semifinals. In the championship, Shea took over in the second half with 19 of his game-high 22 points, shooting 9-of-18 from the field and 4-of-6 from the line with four rebounds and three assists.
Shea could have had an even bigger weekend if not for some struggles at the foul line as he consistently got into the paint and created contact, one of his strengths.
The championship between Supreme and Factory was tied up at 38-all at halftime, but Supreme opened the second half with an 18-3 run — including 10 points from Shea — and maintained the lead the rest of the way.
The other standout from the weekend was Auburn guard Ryan Guenther. The 6-foot-3 sophomore finished with 15 points on 70% shooting, six rebounds and three steals in the championship. He had a double-double in the semis with 13 points on 5-of-7 from the field and 3-of-5 from the line, 11 rebounds, three assists, three steals and two blocks. Against D-League, he totaled 12 points on 5-of-8 from the field and 2-of-2 from the line, seven rebounds, five steals and four assists. He consistently stuffed the stat sheet, using his length and athleticism to make plays on both ends of the floor.
Lincoln High guard Kingston Cruse was a big spark in the championship with an efficient 12 points, six rebounds, two steals and two assists while Lincoln Southwest guard Landen Byleen scored in double figures in all three games I tracked, shooting 8-of-15 from 3.
OKC Thunder Runner-Up: Factory United UA Rise
Factory United dropped its second pool game to Balloon Elite E32 but advanced to the championship bracket thanks to point differential in a three-way tie, and they took down a good Sanford Sports Academy Black team in the semifinals to meet Supreme in the final.
Central valley forward Zevan Wolf was a load inside, leading the team with 18 points and seven rebounds in the championship. He shot 4-for-7 from the field and 10-for-12 at the charity stripe, scoring 15 of his points in the second half to keep Factory afloat as Supreme threatened to blow the game open.
Wolf also played well in Factory’s opener with 20 points on 7-of-8 from the field and 6-of-6 from the line, seven rebounds and two blocks in a 70-63 win against All Iowa Attack National.
Omaha Westview incoming freshman EJ Swindle was the best player on the floor against All Iowa Attack, exploding for 29 points on 10-of-16 from the field (2-of-4 from 3) and 7-of-12 from the foul line, seven rebounds and three steals. He added 15 points, four boards and three assists in the championship game and will be an instant-impact player for Westview in the winter.
Showcase Game: ETG Midwest 3SSB 76, All Iowa Attack EYCL 73
The ETG 15s went 2-0 on Saturday, more than doubling up Kingdom Hoops EYCL before pulling off a furious comeback late against All Iowa Attack.
ETG faced a double-digit deficit in the second half of the second game, but Braylon Jackson (Elkhorn North ‘29) and Yasir Grixby (Omaha Central) led the rally.
Jackson scored all 16 of his team-high points in the second half, shooting 7-for-11 overall including 1-of-2 from deep and converting his only free-throw attempt. He showed a diverse offensive skill set, scoring at all three levels.
Grixby scored 11 of his 13 after halftime, shooting 5-of-10 from the field and hitting all three of his foul shots. Creighton Prep forward Ivan Bamaze was solid as well, notching a double-double with 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, 10 rebounds, two steals and a block.
