Summer Rewind: 10 Wings from Summer Season; Class 4A
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. Here is the class 4A wing players that stood out to me.
Tucker DeVries Tucker DeVries 6'7" | SF Waukee | 2021 State #123 Nation IA , 2021 – 6’7 Wing – OSA Crusaders/Kingdom Hoops 17U & Waukee High School
One of the bigger risers from the State of Iowa this summer would have to be Tucker DeVries Tucker DeVries 6'7" | SF Waukee | 2021 State #123 Nation IA . The wing/guard player is a really good shooter from the arch, and just knows what to do with the basketball. He’s able to fill several roles on the court whether that be scorer, shooter, lead guard, or anything the team needs. He’s a versatile player who I saw this summer with both OSA Crusaders and Kingdom Hoops. When Tucker payed for OSA he was a jack-of-all-trades player who filled the stat sheet, and when he played for Kingdom Hoops he was able to be a facilitator and put points up. He’s got a natural flow and craftiness to his game that will translate wherever he ends up at in college. Going into the summer season DeVries had offers from Air Force, South Dakota State, Creighton and Drake where his Father is the head coach, and after playing the summer out he ended up picking up scholarship offers from Florida and Iowa State and who knows who else might still offer. Tucker is my #1 player in the state at the current moment on the assumed #1 team in class 4A and they will have high expectations this upcoming winter season.
Payton Sandfort Payton Sandfort 6'7" | SF Waukee | 2021 State #138 Nation IA , 2021 – 6’8 Wing – Kingdom Hoops 17U & Waukee High School
One of the best shooters, if not the best, in the state of Iowa and my #2 player in the state overall is Payton Sandfort Payton Sandfort 6'7" | SF Waukee | 2021 State #138 Nation IA . If there was a statewide three point shooting contest my money would be on Sandfort. On the catch he has an elite release that is quick, high and compact. Sandfort has been determined to show people watching and recruiting that he’s not strictly a shooter though and has grown and developed other parts of his game. His post game is good and growing. He has a nice step back face up move, right handed hook shot and a good spin move in the post where he can use his length to shoot over the defender or use that soft touch he has. His athleticism is the main emphasis point for Sandfort and he’s shown that off with quite a few streaking dunks this summer and that part of his game will continue to grow. He’s a solid defender with his length and side-to-side movement. Sandfort added a Stanford offer to his already good list of offers that consisted of Iowa, Drake, Utah, Loyola, Air Force, and Minnesota. Sandfort is not far off from DeVries in the best player in the state category, and both will put their skill-sets on display this winter for their final season with Waukee.
Landon Wolf Landon Wolf 6'5" | CG Cedar Falls | 2021 State IA , 2021 – 6’6 Wing – Iowa Barnstormers Gold 17U & Cedar Falls High School
Landon Wolf Landon Wolf 6'5" | CG Cedar Falls | 2021 State IA will be a name that High School basketball connoisseur’s should get acquainted with if they already haven’t because he’s quite literally blown up on the recruiting trail during this shortened summer season. Playing on a good Barnstormers team, Wolf knocked down outside shots at an elite rate, but showed a lot more than the stand still shooter everyone thought he was going into the summer. Wolf showed good athleticism on the break and on drives down the lane. His footwork and hands are good pre-shot and that alone will allow his shooting touch to translate to the next level wherever he may end up. There was something about Landon’s demeanor this summer that you just knew he was dialed in every time he hit the floor, a man on a mission to prove more a less. To say you are a highlighted player on a team that includes a power 5, Texas commit in Emarion Ellis Emarion Ellis 6'4" | SF Assumption | 2021 State #141 Nation IA (more on him later), is impressive to say the least. Coming into the summer Wolf did not hold an offer, but ending the season with offers from DII programs Truman State, Quincy, DI programs St. Thomas, Northern Iowa, Bryant, Western Illinois, South Dakota, UW-Milwaukee, and Toledo to go with interest from other Power 5 programs. He’ll be a big part of a loaded Cedar Falls team that will be looking to get to the final day of the season.
Trevion Labeaux Trevion Labeaux 6'3" | SF Ames | 2022 State IA , 2022 – 6’5 Wing – All Iowa Attack 16U & Waterloo East High School
Trevion Labeaux Trevion Labeaux 6'3" | SF Ames | 2022 State IA could have the most potential in the class of 2022. He is a really athletic wing who made waves with a fastbreak dunk over a defender at a tournament in Ames in early June. In light of that athleticism Labeaux is a plus defender who has the tools to be a lock down perimeter, on-ball defender. He can effect shots defensively with his shot blocking ability as well. With the quickness, and change of speed he possesses Trevion could be a nightmare matchup for an opposing defender. His jumpshot must improve to become a complete offensive player but he certainly has the groundwork laid to be a really good high school prospect by the time his time ends at Waterloo East. I will be looking to see the strides he takes on the offensive end this upcoming winter season and the level he takes his game to.
Caleb Schlaak Caleb Schlaak 6'7" | SF Kennedy | 2021 State IA , 2021 – 6’7 Wing – Martin Brother 17U & Cedar Rapids Kennedy High School
Somebody who has made waves with DII offers this summer is Caleb Schlaak Caleb Schlaak 6'7" | SF Kennedy | 2021 State IA . Playing for a deep Martin Brothers team it’s hard to ignore the long, crafty Schlaak. He has the ability to handle the ball on the wing, but also use some quick moves in the post where he uses his length to get a good shot. He’s not necessarily an efficient shooter from the 3 point line, but has the ability to step out and hit an open 3 point shot. His length is what causes issues for opponent when it comes to Schlaak, as he can use it to get steals and take it on the break or block shots on the defensive end. He’s one of those players at the end of the game you look at the stat sheet and he scored 20 points and you didn’t realize it throughout the course of the game. He’s a quiet scorer but does a lot of things well on the court. If he can continue to develop his outside shot he could be a skilled shooter for a program at the next level. He picked up DII offers from Sioux Falls, Wayne State, Truman State, and Southwest Minnesota State to go along with an offer from Upper Iowa that he got following the high school season.
Carter Janssen Carter Janssen 6'5" | SF Cedar Falls | 2021 State IA , 2021 – 6’5 Wing – Martin Brothers 17U & Cedar Falls High School
The second Cedar Falls Tiger on this list is Carter Janssen Carter Janssen 6'5" | SF Cedar Falls | 2021 State IA . Janssen is a do-it-all type player where he can stuff the stat sheet for a team. His winter high school stats read 4.5 points per game, 3.5 rebounds per game, and 1.5 assists per game on 45% shooting from the 3 point line. I expect those numbers to move up quite a bit this year as Cedar Falls lost quite a few seniors on their team, and it seems with guys like Janssen and Wolf they will just reload. Janssen best attribute is his shooting ability and he’s a good shooter off the catch and shoot. He’s a smooth, unselfish player who should maybe be more dominant of the ball sometimes. With his 6’5 body frame, he’s able to defend on-ball well, and get out in transition. On a fairly loaded Cedar Falls team, Janssen will look to take that next step in his game and get his first offer after taking multiple DII visits this past year.
Matthew Riedl, 2021 – 6’5 Wing – Kingdom Hoops 17U & Dowling Catholic High School
May be fair to say Riedl is overshadowed by his teammates on Kingdom Hoops sometimes, but the athletic wing deserves some more attention from the summer he put together. Riedl was a glue guy for his team this summer and showed why he was important to the success of the team. He likes to get out in transition and run the lanes to either get an easy finish or finish through contact with either hand around the rim. He can also show off his athleticism on the break by finishing above the rim. Riedl likes to spin and twist when driving to the lane but never really seems to get out of control and knows where the defense isn’t. Using his athleticism on the defensive end to block shots and be a solid on-ball defender which translates into breakout chances. If he can add some more efficiency on his outside shot he’s putting together a nice profile for a program at the next level. Riedl is one to keep an eye out for a DII program out there somewhere going into the winter season with Dowling.
Jakari Bradley Jakari Bradley 6'1" | SF Roosevelt | 2021 State IA , 2021 – 6’4 Wing – Pure Prep 17U & Des Moines Roosevelt High School
To go along with the growing theme of the list, the next class of 2021 player that stood out to me this summer was Jakari Bradley Jakari Bradley 6'1" | SF Roosevelt | 2021 State IA . Playing for Pure Prep’s 17U team Bradley did everything the team needed him to do, which showed a good coachable attitude. To go along with that, Bradley showed good poise on the ball and the ability to take defenders off the dribble and get to the basket. He’s really good about sitting in a stance on defense and can really dial in on that side of the floor to be a good ball stopper. He has long arms and a good reach on his frame so that he’s able to effect passing lanes and shooting sights of opponent offensive players. Roosevelt will be looking for a new leading scorer and Jakari seems like a viable option for the Roughriders this upcoming winter.
Quincy Underwood Quincy Underwood 6'5" | SF Cedar Rapids Washington | 2021 State IA , 2021 – 6’4 Wing – Team Iowa 17U & Cedar Rapids Washington
Quincy Underwood Quincy Underwood 6'5" | SF Cedar Rapids Washington | 2021 State IA is solid prospect who’s under the radar in the state in this senior-to-be class. Underwood is a strong rebounding guard, who can score in several different ways on the court. He’s a strong driver with both hands and shoots it efficiently from the perimeter, as he shot it at a 39% clip for his High School team. He’s a good straight line driver and gets to the basket where he can finish through contact. He shows good timing in shot blocking and at 6’4 has potential to be a good perimeter defender at the next level. On the catch, Underwood is really good about facing up his defender and taking what they give him. Quincy should be a vital part of Washington’s team this winter, and could open some eyes.
Traijan Sain Traijan Sain 6'5" | SF Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023 State IA , 2023 – 6’3 Wing – Beyond Ball 15U & Cedar Rapids Washington
The lone 2023 class member on this list is Traijan Sain Traijan Sain 6'5" | SF Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023 State IA . Uber athletic with a developing game, Sain had a video that went around where he makes a nice spin move from the corner that gets him by his defender and he finishes with a poster dunk on a defender. He is refining his jump shot to be more efficient from deep, but if he can hone that in he will be a solid prospect to track for the next three years. With his length he is able to crash the boards on both ends of the floor and use it to shoot over the defense. With Sain’s ability to score and athleticism the potential is there for him to be a top prospect in the class by the end of the cycle.