Prospect Spotlight: Dylan Decklever (2020)
An impressive 6-foot-2 guard from Linn-Mar, Dylan Decklever is one of those guys that is waiting in the wings, but will eventually break out.
The Lions’ hoops program is one of the best in Iowa, and Decklever, a junior, is another talented piece in their machine.
A skilled scorer with an ability to score in a multitude of ways, Decklever could make his presence felt in a big way with the Lions as soon as this winter.
“Since I was younger I’ve always worked on scoring, I always viewed that as an important aspect of the game. I’m working on creating my own shot on offense, and trying to perfect moves so that I can get to the basket,” said Decklever.
“I’ve also been focusing on turning defense into offense, so I’ve worked on locking guys down as well as possible on the defensive end, so we can turn that into opportunities for my teammates.”
The athletic guard was on full display this spring and summer while playing with the Iowa Mavericks, also with Linn-Mar during summer ball. His role with those two squads was very different.
“I was really pleased with the Mavericks, I started off playing well and got better playing with all those guys and against all the tough competition. And then, of course, the workouts we had helped me improve as a player,” said Decklever.
“For Linn-Mar, it’s kind of a different role, we have a lot of talent, all the seniors. I would just try to play my game, just like I do for club, just with a little bit of a different role.”
Guys like Trey Hutcheson, Jaren Nelson, Hayden Passmore, Cam Nelson and Greg Hall will provide plenty of senior leadership, but the Lions’ junior class is eager to make themselves available for help.
“I’m looking forward to just going with what coach needs me to do. I’m hoping to just come off the bench and impact the game and help my teammates out as much as possible when I get in,” said Decklever.
“And hope on getting myself a bigger role on the team, and gaining some chemistry with the guys in my grade and below so we can come get ready for next season, when I know I’ll have to play a bigger role, being a senior.”
Over the course of the next 12 months, recruitment should start to increase for Decklever. Right now it’s slow, but it seems a matter of time before that changes.
“So far, I’ve just gotten a lot more local looks, stuff in the mail from Loras and Coe,” said Decklever. “I’m looking forward to having more schools on my radar, and I’m pretty open for options, but I would like to improve my recruitment and get some more schools talking to me.”
Dylan Decklever is ranked by Prep Hoops as a top 80 prospect in his class. To see the full ranking of Iowa’s 2020 class, click here.