UPDATED 2018 Prospect Rankings: Highest Debuts
Lacey Watson, 6’4 G (Davenport North) — No. 49
We don’t know a ton about Watson, but here’s what we do know: he came from Ohio, had offers from Toledo and Kent State, played the second half of the season with moderate success at Davenport North (11.5 points, 4.5 rebounds per game), and he is headed to D2 JuCo Edison State next season back in Ohio.
Chaz Vasser, 6’5 SF (DMI Defenders) — No. 56
Another guy who we knew very little about until recently, Vasser played his high school ball at home school program DMI Defenders. He’s from Hiawatha (just outside Cedar Rapids) and has good size with some reported excellent athleticism.
Ben Krutzfeldt, 6’2 G (Solon) — No. 58
This Solon guard caught our eye when he recently committed to play college ball at NAIA Mount Mercy. We saw pretty quickly why; Krutzfeldt averaged 15 points per game this season for Solon, and what really caught our eye was his shooting clips 47/41/89.
Jaden Kleinhesselink, 6’1 G (Sheldon) — No. 61
Another guy, like Krutzfeld, who is without a doubt one of the best shooters in the state, Kleinhesselink’s ability was on full display at the state tournament earlier this month. It was clear to see how he was able to put up shooting clips of 45/43/89 this season for the Orabs.
Daniel Geistler, 6’6 SF (Norwalk) — No. 73
Norwalk was one of the more well-balanced teams in Iowa this season, and Geistler played the small-forward role to perfection. He’s big enough to score down low, skilled enough to knock down jumpers and athletic enough to slash to the hoop. He’s one of the more versatile threats in the state.
Gabe Shields, 5’9 G (South Tama) — No. 79
South Tama turned a lot of heads this season when they advanced all the way to a 3A Substate final, and it was Shields who led the charge (although teammate Sterling Tyon helped a lot and also made a top-100 debut). Shields averaged a team-best 14.3 points and three steals per game this season for the Trojans.
Treyshawn LaBeaux, 6’3 SF (Waterloo East) — No. 85
Consider this a re-debut. LaBeaux was once considered one of the class’s best prospects, that was two years ago when he a sophomore playing alongside AJ Green on Cedar Falls. He then disappeared for his junior season before re-surfacing with the Trojans this winter. He averaged 13.9 points and 6.9 rebounds this season.