Iowa Wolves Honored By NBA G League With Youth Basketball Award

NEW YORK – The NBA G League announced today that the Iowa Wolves won the NBA G League Youth Basketball award for the 2023-24 season. The youth basketball award is for the Iowa Wolves High School Hoops series on Jan. 16 that featured Perry High School and Saydel High School in a boys and girls varsity basketball doubleheader at Wells Fargo Arena.

For Perry, which were the home teams, the basketball games were the first return to competition for their sports teams after a tragic shooting at the high school on Jan. 4 that killed the school principal, Dan Murburger and middle school student, Ahmir Jolliff.

The Iowa Wolves organization after discussions with both schools, all agreed to continue with hosting the games as a way for the Perry community to help heal from the tragedy. In addition, the Wolves and Wells Fargo Arena announced the proceeds from the games would be donated to the Perry High School Booster Club.

The Wolves drew their largest crowd ever for a high school hoops series. Later at a Perry home game, Iowa Wolves president of business operations Drew Van Meeteren and director of ticket sales Alex Barker presented their booster club with a check for $17,305. The donation along with several others from other local high school booster clubs will allow the Perry booster club to complete future projects and needs.

The Iowa Wolves High School Hoops Series gives boys and girls high school basketball teams from across the state of Iowa the opportunity to play on the Wells Fargo Arena court. Games are hosted on off days for the Iowa Wolves or early afternoon on Wolves’ home gamedays. The series started in 2015 and allows high school basketball teams, that may not qualify for the state tournaments held at Wells Fargo Arena every March, the opportunity to play a regular season game at the downtown arena. A school elects to be the host school and agrees to move a home game to Wells Fargo Arena and is the designated home team.