Summer Rewind: 10 Utility Players from Summer Season; Class 1A-3A
Though the summer season was not what anyone expected heading into the year 2020, high school basketball players still got to participate in a summer season. I wanted to give a rundown of players from the state of Iowa that…
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Continue ReadingThough the summer season was not what anyone expected heading into the year 2020, high school basketball players still got to participate in a summer season. I wanted to give a rundown of players from the state of Iowa that got to play this summer and showed well. To kind of explain what a “utility player” means to me in this way, is someone who is positionally flexible, and can play/projects to maybe 2-3 positions on the court. Here is the class 4A utility players that stood out to me.
Kade Benjamin Kade Benjamin 6'6" | PF New London | 2023 State IA , 2023 – 6’6 Wing/Forward – Iowa Barnstormers Gold 15U & New London High School (1A)
The last 15U Iowa Barnstormers player I want to highlight is Kade Benjamin Kade Benjamin 6'6" | PF New London | 2023 State IA . In the long term, I’m not entirely sure where Benjamin will project to positionally, but something I can tell you is the kid always gives full effort. Benjamin was impressive with the way he held down the middle of the lane this summer with his rebounding efforts and put backs. He is good at establishing position early by using his strength, and that allows him to rebound well offensively and defensively. He was most effective at the elbow from about 15 feet out where he has shown he can hit a jumpshot from there or he uses a quick, long first step to get by his would be defender. If Benjamin can show an efficient, expanded game this upcoming winter he will certainly start to move his game up on college coaches radars. New London will be a good team in class 1A.
Majok Majouk Majok Majouk 6'7" | SF Sergeant-Bluff Luton | 2021 State IA , 2021 – 6’7 Forward/Center – South Dakota Attack 17U & Sergent Bluff-Luton High School (3A)
Majok Majouk Majok Majouk 6'7" | SF Sergeant-Bluff Luton | 2021 State IA broke out a little bit this summer receiving two DII offers from Sioux Falls and Southwest Minnesota State, where he eventually committed back in July. Majouk is a force on the defensive end as he’s a mobile, lanky body who can block all kind of shots with his added athleticism. He can get into passing lanes and when he turns the other team over he can really get out and run the floor to get a dunk or fastbreak layup at the other end. He has shown the ability to step out and shot it from the 3 point line at a 33% clip this past winter season. He has the ability to handle the ball, and looks for open teammates. There’s really no telling what Majok’s ceiling could be at the DII level, but I’m excited to find out.
Jake Layman Jake Layman 6'7" | SF Sergeant-Bluff Luton | 2021 State IA , 2021 – 6’7 Wing/Forward – South Dakota Attack 17U & Sergent Bluff-Luton High School (3A)
The other Sergent-Bluff Luton player in this category is Jake Layman Jake Layman 6'7" | SF Sergeant-Bluff Luton | 2021 State IA , who happens to be a Southwest Minnesota State commit as well. Layman is a scorer who likes to get inside the 3 point arch and score the ball. He’s most effective around the hoop and has a nice post game that he uses either hand to go to. Layman is more of a slasher from the perimeter with straight line drives, cutting and being screened for. He uses his length to shoot over his defender and has shown the willingness to shoot it from the 3 point stripe, but I’ll be looking for efficiency when it comes to that area of Layman’s game. The Mustangs got a good duo in Majouk and Layman and it will be good to see them play together in their final high school season this upcoming winter.
Angelo Winkel Angelo Winkel 6'9" | C Bishop Garrigan | 2021 State IA , 2021 – 6’9 Wing/Forward/Center – All Iowa Attack 17U & Bishop Garrigan High School (1A)
Angelo Winkel Angelo Winkel 6'9" | C Bishop Garrigan | 2021 State IA is one of my favorite prospects in the 2021 class in Iowa. He averaged a double-double in this past winter’s high school season with 19 points per game and 10 boards a game for the Golden Bears. I like Winkel’s game because he’s able to play different spots on the floor with his skillset. The, transition-DI, Augustana Commit has a good shooting motion but will be looking to have more efficiency with it his senior season. What Winkel does best is his ability to get to the basket even with smaller, quicker defenders on him and the way he can finish around the rim uses all kinds of angles, length, and his athletic ability. If he can refine some points in his game he has a high upside to him, though his game is still catching up to his size and athletic ability Winkel could be a steal in this class for the Vikings.
Connor Drew Connor Drew 6'6" | PF Ballard | 2021 State IA , 2021 – 6’6 Wing/Forward – All Iowa Attack 17U & Ballard High School (3A)
Another class of 2021 DII commit is Connor Drew Connor Drew 6'6" | PF Ballard | 2021 State IA , who is committed to Winona State University. Drew impacts the game in many ways, starting with the way he can score the ball. He’s a good 3 point shooter at nearly 40% shooting rate with a quick release, but also pairs that with a nice inside game where he can score on the block. When he makes a move towards the basket he likes to come at defenders downhill and finish above the rim. In his high school season he can be a zone breaker as he shoots it well, but most importantly he has set plays to get him over the top of the zone on an alley-oop. He shows nice skills with the ball and is pretty crafty using ball fakes, shot fakes, spin moves, and quick jab steps to create separation from defenders. The Warriors are getting a good one in Drew, and he will be looking to take the Bombers back to Wells Fargo this upcoming season.
Dylan Johnson Dylan Johnson 6'6" | SF Western Dubuque | 2021 State IA , 2021 – 6’5 Wing/Forward – Martin Brothers 17U & Western Dubuque High School (4A)
Though, I should’ve flipped him and Emarion Ellis Emarion Ellis 6'4" | SF Assumption | 2021 State #141 Nation IA in the positional category for class reasons, Dylan Johnson Dylan Johnson 6'6" | SF Western Dubuque | 2021 State IA deserves to be on a list. Johnson is a shot maker who can extend out to the 3 point line, shooting it at a 35% clip. I was really impressed this summer with the way Johnson came off the bench for the Martin Brothers and felt like the glue guy on the floor. He was good inside 15 feet using some nice touch, and using his body to get good positions in the paint. Johnson rebounds the ball well with strength, and can bring it up the floor in transition. He can take his defender off the dribble from the wing and uses counter moves when his straight line drives are stopped. The Morningside College commit will be looking to lead his Bobcat team this year to some better overall success.
Marcus Kelderman Marcus Kelderman 6'1" | SG Boyden-Hull | 2021 State IA , 2021 – 6’1 CG/Wing – Showtime Hoopers 17U & Boyden-Hull High School (2A)
The left handed play-making prospect, Marcus Kelderman Marcus Kelderman 6'1" | SG Boyden-Hull | 2021 State IA , is a rising senior this year looking to repeat as a state champion. This summer he was impressive with the way he was able to play any position 1-3, and sometimes playing a small 4 man. He’s a positional flexible competitor. He rebounds well for a perimeter based player at 6’1, and then he looks to push the pace going the other way. He has a nice finesse to his finishes with his left hand and looks to attack with his strong left hand on the break after a rebound or turnover. Kelderman could also grow to be a lead guard at the next level as he’s fully capable of bringing the ball up and running the offense as a score-first PG. He has a good basketball IQ and reads his defender well to know how to attack the defense. Kelderman is a sleeper in this upcoming class, and should probably be getting some looks from coaches.
Jevin Sullivan Jevin Sullivan 6'5" | SG North Polk | 2022 State IA , 2022 – 6’4 CG/Wing – Beyond Ball 16U/17U & North Polk High School (3A)
Jevin Sullivan Jevin Sullivan 6'5" | SG North Polk | 2022 State IA is a prospect I keep watching and like his game more and more every time. I’m surprised that he hasn’t gotten the attention his game has shown he should be getting yet, but it’ll come if he keeps performing the way he did this summer. Sullivan is a strong perimeter player who can take his man off the dribble with either hand and has a good feel for the game. In one game I watched he completely took over the game in the last ten minutes and kept his team in it until the very end. In that span he showed a plethora of dribble drives that got him to the basket where he either finished or converted from the free throw line. He shot almost 7 threes per game this past high school season, and made 38% of his attempts, which shows efficiency. He’s a real smooth operator and lets the game come to him but knows when it’s go time and he needs to be a little more selfish with the ball which is a good trait to have. I’ll say it again, coaches should be on Sullivan after the summer he’s had. He will look to lead the Comets this winter and look to build on the NAIA offer from William Penn he already has.
Kaleb Booth Kaleb Booth 6'1" | SG Carroll | 2022 State IA , 2022 – 5’11 CG – All Iowa Attack 16U & Carroll High School (3A)
I like Kaleb Booth Kaleb Booth 6'1" | SG Carroll | 2022 State IA ’s game from what I’ve seen as I see that he competes and can play any position 1-3 on the perimeter. His stature may be a little smaller, but for Booth that doesn’t really matter as his skillset can adapt to that. Booth is calm on the ball and uses the dribble to get to good shooting spots on the floor. He can pull from 15 feet off the dribble, or shoot it at a high clip off the catch from the arch. His efficiency from the floor is impressive as he shot 53% from 3, and 53% from the field. Booth is a nifty passer and if his teammates are open he’s going to find a way to get them the ball in a good shooting position. With Carroll’s leading scorer exhausting his eligibility, Booth will have to step up in the scoring department to have a successful season.
Carson Toebe Carson Toebe 6'3" | PG Clear Lake | 2022 State IA , 2022 – 6’3 CG/Wing – Martin Brothers 16U & Clear Lake High School (3A)
Toebe is a do-it-all player who averaged 15 points per game, 4.5 assists per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, and 2.5 steals per game for Clear Lake this past winter. Well he carried that momentum into summer season with the Martin Brothers and showed why he should have a stake in the 2022 class perimeter players. What Toebe could project at the next level as is a tall PG, as he’s good at running the team and finding his open teammates. He shows a nice looking shot that I’d like to see him offer some more efficiency with, but is smooth and has potential as he shot 36% from the perimeter this past winter. He has a number of dribble moves that get him into a good shooting spot whether that be a step back, one dribble pull-up, or using a ball screen effectively. He’s a good cerebral player who reacts to his defender’s positioning and doesn’t let the speed of the game get him going too quick. There are a lot of class 3A players on this list and others, but Toebe showed me why his name belongs here this summer.