Prospect Spotlight: Rome Hellems (2020)
Rome Hellems was at the Downtown Des Moines YMCA working on his game when he took a five minute break to talk with us at PHIA.
The 6-foot-2 wing has been spending a lot of time in gyms since this spring and summer, and is eager to show his improvements this season as a junior with Des Moines Roosevelt.
“I’ve been working on my defense, taking better shots and being a smarter on and off the court,” said Hellems. “And knowing when to score and knowing when to pass, instead of forcing shots.”
Most of his time this offseason has been spent playing with Beyond Ball’s 16U squad. That team was all over the country, and Hellems enjoyed the new experiences.
“The experience was really good, we went to a lot of places and saw a lot of coaches. We got a lot of experience and got a lot better,” said Hellems.
“I think I played well, but I always think I could play better. I need to work on hitting my shot more consistently. Most of all, I got better at me defense, though.”’
In June, Hellems was running with the Roughriders in team camps. He says the team is looking guard-heavy, and fast.
“Summertime (with Roosevelt) has been going really good, we’re a really fast-paced team and we’ll be looking to push the break,” said Hellems. “We’ve been working together really well.”
As for recruitment, it’s still very early in the process for him. And he’s yet to really breakout.
“The only thing I’ve heard of so far is that North Dakota State had asked about me,” said Hellems.
Look for the athletic slasher to be one of the state’s primary breakout candidates over the next 12 months.
Rome Hellems is ranked by Prep Hoops as a top 60 prospect in his class. To see the full ranking of Iowa’s 2020 class, click here.