Intriguing Prospects: Waukee 52 vs Johnston 37
Johnston — The young, unranked guys from Johnston were going up against the state’s 3rd-ranked team, a very experienced Waukee squad, but the Dragons their own for a lot of the game. In the third quarter, though, Waukee started to…
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Continue ReadingJohnston — The young, unranked guys from Johnston were going up against the state’s 3rd-ranked team, a very experienced Waukee squad, but the Dragons their own for a lot of the game. In the third quarter, though, Waukee started to pull away. And a dominate fourth quarter by Warriors senior floor general Noah Hart buried the young Dragons squad.
Waukee started five seniors in this one, that experience shined brightly in the second half. Johnson, on the other hand, started a freshman, a sophomore, two juniors and just one senior. Still, the Dragons (1-2) will be a tough out this season, no doubt; and the future is certainly bright.
The Warriors move to 2-0 with the W, and look like a team that could content for a 4A state title once again.
Team Scoring
Waukee — 15 11 13 13 — 52
Johnston — 12 10 7 8 — 37
Individual Scoring
Waukee: Noah Hart 15, Dylan Jones 13. Dante Jenkins 8, Tucker DeVries 7, Michale Vicente 6, Andrew Curran 3.
Johnston: Reid Grant 10, Peyton Williams 8, Brees Proctor 7, Johnny Leth 5, Jacob Runyan 4, Max Roquet 3.
The Prospects
Noah Hart, 6’3 PG, 2019 (Waukee)
He didn’t truly assert himself until late in the game, and when he did, he was dominant. Hart did show some nice strength early by getting a couple tough buckets in the lane, one plus a foul. He also canned a 10-footer off the bounce, and a 3-ball in this one. In the second half he exploded for 13 points, nine of those in the fourth quarter. Maybe he took exception to the Johnston students chanting “airball” and “overrated” at him all game.
Dante Jenkins, 5’10 G, 2019 (Waukee)
Here’s a senior guard that we had not seen play before tonight, and he impressed. A fiery and aggressive guard with quickness and some length, he was able to get into the lane when he wanted and find open teammates when he got there. He’s not big, and he might not be a great shooter, but he gets it done on both sides of the ball, a glue guy for this ultra-talented Waukee squad.
Reid Grant, 6’2 G, 2021 (Johnston)
Just a sophomore, it looks as though Grant has been given the keys to the Dragons’ car this season. He scored a team-high 10 in this one, and did so while being very selective with his shot-taking. He’s a combo-guard, who is capable of running the offense if need be. He had a great summer with Kingdom Hoops, and as a result landed at No. 5 in our 2021 prospect rankings, he’s justifying that high ranking so far this season.
Jacob Runyan, 5’8 PG, 2022 (Johnston)
Here’s a guy we were really impressed with tonight. We had not seen Runyan play yet, we’ve seen very few of the 2022 guys play, but we’re glad we came to see him in this one. Just 5-foot-8 and a freshman, but he got the start at point guard tonight, and he looked very comfortable in that role. He’s in control and probed the defense well. He’s got some nice vision, and once he gets more acclimated to his teammates, that will turn into a slew of dimes. His handle is secure and his game is deliberate and fundamental. There’s a lot to like about this young floor general.
Tucker DeVries, 6’4 SG, 2021 (Waukee)
Perhaps nobody’s stock rose more tonight than this skilled and savvy sophomore guard’s. He’s 6-foot-4 and looks like he has some nice length. What we liked best was his apparent hoops IQ; when he got the ball, he knew in a moment what to do with it. When he got open looks from deep, he fired away, making two of them. When he missed, it was not by much, and he showed to have some serious range. A transfer in from Omaha (his dad was coaching at Creighton and is now head coach at Drake), DeVries is a magnificent get for the Warriors.
Brees Proctor, 6’3 G, 2020 (Johnston)
He started the game with a banked-in 3-ball, maybe his juices were flowing a bit much; but hey, it went in. And while shooting the deep ball may not be his strength, his length and athleticism certainly can be of major use to this Dragons team this season. Once the jumper and ball-handling sharpen, he could be a very dangerous guard, and an intriguing college prospect.
Johnny Leth, 6’4 G/F, 2020 (Johnston)
Another Johnston wing with some serious length, Leth is a guy that will disrupt plenty on the defensive end this season, and will grab a slew of boards on both ends aided by the long wing-span. Offensively, he canned a 3-ball and scored another at the rim. He’s not a top choice for the Dragons’ offense, but he’s a guy that will fill up the stat-sheet with blocks, steals, offensive rebounds etc.