Grand View Team Camp: Breakout Performers
It’s been an eventful month of June, with team camps providing plenty of summer hoops action to cover, last weekend in Des Moines at Grand View University added to that. As is always the case, there were plenty of standouts, both familiar ones and guys we were seeing for the first time. Below we’ll take a look at the guys who had breakout performances during Saturday’s action.
Josh Van Gorp, 6’9 C (Pella Christian) — 2021
His sheer size alone makes him an intriguing prospect. He can just stand there with his arms straight up and be a rim-protector. We’d like to see the big-man become more aggressive, if he develops that trait, he could be dominant at the high school level.
Andrew Gibb, 6’2 SG (St. Edmond) — 2019
Calling him a breakout player is a bit of a stretch, we’ve seen Gibb plenty, he had a monster junior season (and a really good sophomore one), and he’s the only player currently ranked — 37th in 2019 — on this list. But his 34 point performance against Pella Christian, we felt was a statement game. Gibb will be one of the more lethal scoring threats in all of Iowa next season.
Luke Rankin, 5’7 PG (Dallas Center-Grimes) — 2021
There’s a chance that this rising sophomore combo-guard could be really good. He’s got some great length, which helps to neutralize his lack of height, and some serious skill. His jumper is pure and precise, his handles are tight and his feel for the game is at another level.
Kong Neyail, 6’2 G (Grand View Christian) — 2019
We’ve known about Neyail for some time now, he was a reserve for Grand View Christian’s state title team last season. He was playing some big minutes during this camp, and when he rose up and smashed one home with two hands during a fast-break opportunity, it was certainly eye-catching.
Dan Jungling, 5’11 PG (Pella Christian) — 2020
the younger brother of former Pella Christian standout, and legend, Levi Jungling, Dan is a guy that will have a very prominent role for what could be a pretty good Pella Christian team the next two seasons. Dan is a smart player, who knows how to run an offense, and he’s a sniper from deep.
Jackson Kochendorfer, 6’2 SG (St. Edmond) — 2020
Well, he buried the first six 3-point attempts he tried, so people were talking about him. Kochendorfer ended up with seven made 3s during his team’s narrow loss to Pella Christian. He’s tall enough to get off clean looks, and his quick release helps. His handles are good enough where he can get to his spots. This is certainly an intriguing sharpshooter.
Nathan Blong, 6’1 G (Chariton) — 2019
One in a pair of Nathans that were standouts for the Chargers on Saturday. Blong is a well-built and physical guard who can score in a variety of ways. He poured in a game-high 18 points in a win over Grinnell, and did so while connecting on four 3-balls and scoring effectively at the rim.
Nathan Weaver, 6’3 F (Chariton) — 2019
Perhaps the best surprise of the day, Weaver is a guy who nearly averaged a double-double with points and rebounds last season for Chariton, so he’s been good for awhile now. But that’s why we love these team camps, it’s a chance to discover guys like this: small town guys who are good but don’t necessarily get the exposure during the high school season. Weaver’s best asset is his high motor, and his versatility on both sides of the ball makes him a very serious threat at the 3A level.