Prep Hoops Top 250: The New Names
The annual Prep Hoops Top 250 took place in Des Moines on Saturday afternoon. Throughout the week, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best players in the gym, in a series of articles breaking down the top…
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Continue ReadingThe annual Prep Hoops Top 250 took place in Des Moines on Saturday afternoon. Throughout the week, we’ll be taking a look at some of the best players in the gym, in a series of articles breaking down the top scorers, defenders, passers, etc. In this article, we take a look at a few new names that we learned about on Saturday.
2021 CJ Ragins (Pleasant Valley)
At 6-4 and with broad shoulders, Ragins certainly looks the part. And he played well on Saturday as well. An explosive athlete who can be a terror filling the wing in transition, he was on the receiving end of multiple attempted alley-oops, and if the passes had been a bit better, he would’ve provided some real highlights in that regard. He’s a physical player who does a great job making contact on his box outs and rebounds at a high level on both ends of the floor. With his strength, physicality and athleticism, he’s capable of defending multiple positions, and he played effectively as the roll man in the pick-and-roll. As he continues to develop his game, the next step will be to add range to his jumper. With a 3.8 GPA, he’s a player who should be on everyone’s radar at the NAIA/DIII level.
2021 Shuntavis Wortham (Waterloo West)
Wortham was playing in the first game we sat down to watch on Saturday, and he immediately jumped out because of his talking on the defensive end of the floor. He was constantly communicating with his teammates, coaching them through screens, fighting through screens and switching onto ball handlers, where he showed some defensive aptitude. On the offensive end of the floor, he showcased a smooth jumper from deep and the ability to routinely knock down 3s off the catch. At 6-2 and with a big, physical frame, he can defend multiple spots, knock down shots, and he showed that he’s a great teammate, constantly encouraging and cheering on his teammates, even though they were largely kids that he had just met 10 minutes prior to tip-off.
2021 Pearson Martin (Linn-Mar)
The 5-10 lead guard will have a chance to get a significant amount of time with the Lions this season following a lot of losses to graduation. He’s a strong ball handler and an excellent passer with good court vision. The son of Coe coach Bryan Martin, he has a high IQ and understands spacing, positioning and how to make the right plays. He does a nice job passing to his teammate’s shooting pocket when he’s making his passes, and he’s an above average athlete with good quickness.
2021 Brian Keene (Waterloo East)
Keene popped in the warm-ups before the event got started, showcasing some elite athleticism with the ability to dunk easily at just 5-11. Then he brought some of that explosive athleticism into game play, where he showed the ability to creatively finish around the rim with either hand. He needs to add some strength to his frame, but he has some serious hops and quickness.
2021 Ben Loverude (Des Moines Christian)
Loverude is a 6-6 lefty stretch-4 who showed a nice stroke from the arc, with a smooth, repeatable release and good rotation on his jumper. He has good length, moves fairly well and rebounds effectively on both ends of the floor, but it’s his ability to stretch the defense with his size and shooting ability that should intrigue programs.