Champion of Primetime

Last summer, Eli Gingerich was watching some of Division I basketball?s top athletes compete in North Liberty on TV.

This year, he joined them and became a champion.

Gingerich, who will be a senior at Iowa Mennonite this fall, has been honing his skills at the Primetime League, a summer league designed to allow the state?s top basketball players to stay active during the offseason.

?It?s crazy,? Gingerich said. ?Last year I was sitting in my basement just watching them on my TV, and my dad brought up the idea of playing. I (wasn?t sure), but it happened and it?s awesome.?

Eli?s dad, Dwight, who also doubles as his high school coach, helped encourage his son to go out for the prestigious summer league that features big names such as Adam Woodbury and Jarrod Uthoff.

?I had never done anything like this,? Eli said. ?Obviously, it was probably the best competition I had ever played with. Iowa, UNI guys and all these college guys, it was so fun. Just being able to watch and learn from these players is awesome.?

With those big names, it?s someone else that Eli was looking to emulate during the Primetime League games.

?Jake Timm (from Coe College) is an awesome guy to watch and play with,? Eli said. ?He?s always going hard no matter what, and is a great guy to play with. My dad and I always talk about what we can take from him.?

Dwight echoed his son?s sentiments about Timm, who averaged 11.2 points and 4.4 assists per game for Coe last year, and said that while Eli might not have had as much playing time as others, he was able to learn a lot of valuable lessons this summer.

?Along with playing here, he?s been pretty active with his AAU team throughout the summer,? Dwight said. ?It?s been good for him to be able to bounce into this and just being around guys like Jake Timm, who is a very good point guard from Coe College. (Timm) kind of gives glue to this team, and hearing conversations between Uthoff and Dom Uhl, you see that leadership. That?s a lot of intangibles.?

Eli is coming off a stellar season for IMS as a junior, averaging 14.8 points and 5.2 assists per game, earning him Southeast Iowa Super Conference Player of the Year honors.

?Early on, I don?t think he was quite sure how it would be (at the Primetime League), but he feels accepted by the guys,? Dwight said. ?It?s given him an appreciation for the people they are and it?s fun to see him be a part of it. I?m happy for him that he had that opportunity.?

After spending his summer playing basketball, the IMS senior is hoping to bring what he?s learned back to his teammates and help them make a push toward a North Division title.

?Playing together and getting the ball into everyone?s hands,? Eli said. ?Looking for the highest percentage shot and taking it, but you have to wait until you get that shot.?

As the reigning conference player of the year, Eli knows there might be a target on his back, but he is just looking forward to getting back to the court with his team.

?Maybe there is,? Eli said. ?We are just going to have fun.?