Prep Hoops Top 250: Top 2020/2021 Bigs
As part of a series of posts profiling some of this past weekend’s standouts from the Top 250 Expo in Des Moines, we take a look at five of the best big men from the 2020 and 2021 classes.
6-7 PF Micah Johnson (Ankeny Centennial/2020)
Johnson was the single most impressive player from the evening session, taking away our MVP honors from that group. A long and skilled power forward, what really stood out about Johnson was how consistent his effort was. He was playing just as hard in the final game as he was in the first minute of the first game. While many of the kids were starting to struggle, Johnson was running circles around them. He’s skilled around the rim, capable of scoring with either hand, and he runs the floor extremely well. The next portion of his game will be extending his range. He’s great around the rim already and he rebounds at a high level on both ends. A very strong showing from the young Centennial big man.
6-8 PF Zack Lasek (Highland, Riverside/2020)
One of the top players in the 2020 class in the state, Lasek showed some marked improvement in his offensive game. He’s now able to step out to about 15 feet and knock down jumpers routinely, and also able to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim from the perimeter. The issue with this, however, is that he seemed to fall in love with playing on the perimeter a bit, and he’s gone away from where he was great – with his back to the basket. His game on the block is advanced for a young big man, and I’d like to see him play more in there and use the perimeter skills as an answer to when teams decide to double him on the block. Regardless, he’s a gifted all-around player on both ends of the floor. He needs to put forth more consistent effort on both ends, because all of the tools are there to be a top-notch player.
6-5 F Alex McAleer (Central DeWitt/2020)
You could make an argument to include McAleer in the wings section, but in a session lacking in big men, I tabbed him here. He’s a long, athletic combo forward who is capable of scoring inside and out. He runs the floor extremely well, is capable of finishing above the rim and he rebounds at a high level. With his length, he can cause some issues on the defensive end, and offensively he’s capable of stepping out and hitting an occasional 3. His future is likely more as a “3”, but he showed some ability to play as a big man as well.
6-7 PF Cody McCullough (Ankeny Centennial/2020)
Another young Centennial big man, McCullough shined on the defensive end any time I saw him during game play. He has good length, and showed great defensive awareness, routinely rotating over for helpside blocks. His defense and rebounding is ahead of his offensive game right now, and he should pair well with Micah Johnson for the Jaguars. He can run the floor and score in transition, and he’s a willing passer out of the post. He just needs to continue working on developing some touch and moves on the block.
6-4 PF Grant Swanson (New London/2020)
This young New London big man has steadily improved over the course of the last year, gaining confidence each time I see him. He runs the floor well, has great hands and rebounds effectively on both ends of the floor. He finishes well around the rim, and is starting to extend his range out to about 12 feet. If he maintains this trajectory, he could become a major player for Tigers for the next three years.