UPDATED 2019 Rankings: Biggest Risers Part I
It wasn’t too long ago that these super sophomores were just coming up, trying to make their way at the high school level. Now, two years into their careers, many of our top-125 prospects are established and starring with their respective high school teams. This spring and summer will be telling, as the class of 2019 embarks on an important 16U campaign; college coaches will rampant, and exposure will be heightened. Below, we list the the guys who shined during their sophomore seasons, and rocketed up the rankings because of it.
UPDATED 2019 PROSPECT RANKINGS
Derek Krogmann (West Delaware) — 6 to 4
It wasn’t a big rise in terms of actual spots leaped, but the two spots Krogmann jumped were substantial ones. He now finds himself among the state’s elite in the top-5, and it was a very solid sophomore campaign, leading 3A’s only remaining unbeaten that did it for him. The lengthy 6-foot-6 power forward is averaging 15.9 points per game on 57 percent shooting, and 11.3 rebounds per game as he heads into the state tournament. An Iowa Barnstormer product, Krogmann currently sports one offer from D1 North Dakota, this summer will be an especially big one for him.
Cole Henry (Oskaloosa) — 15 to 11
A 6-foot-8 combo-forward, Henry, like Krogmann, also sports a North Dakota offer, and could see several more more come in before his summer is done. Henry is a Martin Brothers guy, and will be all over the country this spring showcasing his versatile offensive skillset; he’s able to score in the paint or step-out to hit a 3. With one of the state’s most talented group of youngsters on Oskaloosa, Henry averaged 11.7 points on 52 percent shooting, and 8.8 rebounds per game. Most impressive for the Indians big-man: he led the team in assists, dishing out 3.0 per game.
Lino Malual (Des Moines North) — 25 to 17
When he’s not causing practice stoppages with his electrifying dunks, he raining in triples. And when he’s not doing that, he’s D’ing up. Malual can do a little bit of everything for the Polar Bears, and though his pogo sticks athleticism is captivating, he’s able to beat you with some skill too. So when Jal Bijiek is off doing his thing next season wherever that may be, Malual will be filling in with nightly high-flying jams. In the meantime, the 6-foot-2 guard will be trying to help his team win a 4A state title down the street from North High school at Wells Fargo Arena.
Tyrese Nickelson (Waterloo East) — 39 to 18
After transferring from Waterloo West to Waterloo East, and consequently sitting out the first half of this season, Nickelson burst onto the scene and put up shockingly good numbers in the latter half of the season. A 6-foot point guard, he averaged 24.2 points on some pretty decent shooting, and was able to snare 4.4 rebounds for good measure. He says he’ll play with both All-Iowa Attack and the Iowa Barnstormers this summer, and should see his currently non-existent recruitment start to take-off.
Peyton Williams (Johnston) — 99 to 23
He’s a bit undersized for a college post at 6-foot-5, but his strong build and extraordinary bounciness more than makeup for that. Williams skies over opponents for boards, and soars through the air for blocks. His offensive skill-set does not go far beyond the rim right now, but he can work on that. He’s got the same same type build and athleticism as No. 7-ranked 2017, James Betz — a rare combo of big and bouncy. We expect Williams to have a big junior season with the Dragons. This offseason he’ll focus on baseball though; he batted a team-best .365 for the Dragons last summer as a freshman.