UPDATED 2018 Rankings: Top 10 Breakdown
When it comes to Iowa’s class of 2018, we pretty much know what we’ve got. For three years now, we have studied the prospects, both in their regular seasons and grassroots, and we’ve left no stone unturned. And while some players moved up in this latest installment of rankings, the top 10 stayed exactly the same. There could be some minor shifts in the current top-10 when the final installment is released next spring, but expect these guys to be in or near the to- 10 when all the dust has settled on their high school careers.
1 Joe Wieskamp, 6’6 G/F Muscatine
There’s a lot to be excited about for Muscatine and Hawkeyes fans alike. The Muskies will vie for a state tourney berth this season, and they have the state’s best player to marvel at while doing so. In 2018, Iowa will have one of the nation’s top high school recruits coming in; a big, athletic and versatile wing, who will attack the hoop, rebound well, and could light it up from deep on any given day.
2 AJ Green, 6’2 PG, Cedar Falls
In most other years, a kid with big-time offers from Clemson, Virginia, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa State and Northern Iowa would have been a shoo-in for the top spot in Iowa; regardless, Green is not only one of Iowa’s best, but certainly one of the Midwest’s top prospects. He makes the game look easy, sometimes even against the nation’s best, and features a silky-smooth pull-up game that will be virtually unstoppable this winter. The preternatural lead guard will play at UNI next season, where his dad is an assistant coach.
3 Blake Brinkmeyer, 6’8 PF, Valley
The Tigers have arguably more depth than any other program in the state right now, so unlike other guys on this list, Brinkmeyer hasn’t been lighting up high school defenses for three seasons already. Look for him to anchor the paint for one of the five best teams in 4A this winter, before heading to the Missouri Valley Conference to play with Indiana State next season.
4 Sam Ingoli, 6’4 PG, Dowling
With quintessential size, tremendous poise, and a high basketball IQ, it’s absolutely puzzling to us that Ingoli went his entire 17U summer without picking up an offer. He had one offer from North Dakota coming in, and still, it’s the point guard’s only existing offer. Currently, he’s having a monster season on the gridiron as a wide-receiver for the Maroons. Low to mid-major hoops programs are procrastinating with the tremendous talent, and as a result, football programs may come in and steal a prospect.
5 Hunter Strait, 6’2 PG, Ankeny Centennial
As smooth as any other prospect in the state, Strait predicates his game on super tight handles and exquisite vision. His teammates at Centennial are always ready for a slick pass in traffic from the top point guard, and he’s poised to post some big-time scoring and assist numbers this season for the Jags. Divison II schools Sioux Falls, Maryville, Truman State and Minnesota State-Mankato have offered, more could be coming as his senior season wears on.
6 Elijah Hazekamp, 6’6 SF, Bishop Heelan
A tough and versatile forward, Hazekamp is very close to jumping into that top five, and with another tremendous senior season, he may get in there. North Dakota offered him two summers ago, and Hazekamp committed to the Fighting Hawks just after his 17U summer. They’ll be getting a guy who will bang for boards, step out and connect from deep, and defend multiple positions.
7 Nathan Johnson, 6’6 SF, Waukee
More than anyone else in the top 10, this bouncy Waukee wing has been stymied by minor, nagging injuries over the past 12 months. Johnson’s a top-5 caliber talent, and now, back at 100 percent, he should prove that this season as he headlines a Waukee team that is certainly a top team in the state. Look for him to shoot a high percentage from deep, routinely throw down monster dunks, and rebound at a high clip this winter. He’s got a slew of Division I programs interested; among them are Cornell, UTEP and Texas State. Air Force had offered him, but that scholarship was filled. It will be interesting to see how this athletic forward’s recruitment materializes over the course of the winter.
8 Garrett Sturtz, 6’3 PG, Newton
Maybe the state’s most intriguing prospect, Sturtz heads into his senior season without an official offer. And does so despite thriving at every level he’s played. With Newton, he posted as good of numbers as any 4A player in Iowa last season, and did so while leading them to a state tourney appearance. With Iowa Intensity, he routinely dropped 30-plus points while making their 17U squad one of Iowa’s best. And on the adidas Gauntlet, with the Iowa Barnstormers, he proved to be more-than-serviceable as a role player with one of the nation’s best grassroots teams. We project him as a low-major Division I player; D1s and D2s are very interested, it’s a matter of which ones will pull the trigger and offer.
9 Matthew Mims, 6′ PG, Cedar Rapids Xavier
As quick as any other point guard in Iowa, Mims brings a certain swagger and toughness to his teams. He’ll play for TJ Otzelberger at South Dakota State the next four seasons, and could be very successful in the Summit League. But first, he’ll bring that swagger and leadership to a Saints squad that looks to win a third straight state title under Mims’ leadership.
10 Luke Vaske, 6′ G, Norwalk
This veteran guard heads into his senior season as already one of the greatest players to walk the halls of Norwalk High School. He’s a prolific scorer, who makes it rain from deep, and handles both point guard and shooting guard duties adeptly. He’ll try and lead the Warriors to a state tourney berth this season, that’s one thing left that Vaske has yet to do. And maybe some low-major D1 and D2 programs will take notice.