Editor’s note: The article has been updated to include news of Zion Griffin’s injury.

A lot of basketball teams nowadays are using a guard-heavy lineup, and MRG International is no different.

With only three forwards on its roster, MRG International will look to use its speed and playmaking ability to its advantage this year.

With their first pick, they selected one of the top 100 high school recruits in the country and future Iowa State Cyclone, Talen Horton-Tucker. Horton-Tucker, a 6-foot-5, 205-pound guard from Chicago, Illinois, averaged 24.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists a game. As a senior, he was named to the Chicago Tribune’s All-State Boys basketball team.

Another Cyclone that was supposed to be playing for MRG International is Zion Griffin. Griffin is a 6-foot-6, 208-pound small forward from Darien, Illinois, and is a top 100 recruit according to Rivals.com. Griffin averages 21.1 points and nine rebounds per contest his senior season of high school, and recently has worked on developing his 3-point shot. Unfortunately for the Cyclones, Griffin suffered a lateral meniscus tear in his left knee and will be out for 3-5 weeks. He will not participate in Cap City League action.

With its picks in the Drake round, MRG selected two grad transfers: Nick Norton, a grad transfer from UAB, and Brady Ellingson, a grad transfer from University of Iowa.

Norton averaged 7.6 points and five assists in 29.4 minutes per game last season at UAB. Ellingson appeared in 26 games last season for the Hawkeyes and averaged 2.8 points per game.

Following those picks, MRG picked Reed Mells, who played basketball professionally in Spain and Italy. Mells, who now runs a sports management company in Des Moines, averaged 15 points, five assists and four rebounds a game for Technoswitch Ruvo in Italy. Mells played college basketball at Missouri Western State and Truman State.

Carlo Marble, a former Kirkwood Eagle, will be able to spread the floor for MRG. Marble shot 41 percent from behind the 3-point line last season. Marble is the youngest son of Roy Marble, Iowa’s all-time scoring leader.

The two tallest players for MRG are Grant Kramer and Gatdoar Kueth, both standing at 6-foot-7.

Kramer is a redshirt freshman for Southwest Minnesota State. Kramer averaged 10 points and five rebounds. He was named to the All-Conference team in his senior season at Johnston.

Kueth averaged 9.7 points per game and shot 52.8 percent in his freshman season at Southwestern Community College. In his senior season at Des Moines Roosevelt, Kueth averaged 14.3 points per game while shooting a very efficient 58.1 percent from the field.

Rounding out the MRG International roster is former Mount Mercy guard Chris Ford, DMACC signee Rashon Ivory, and Iowa State grey squad player Spencer White.