New 2021 Rankings: Names to Watch 100-250
As Prep Hoops Iowa updated their 2021 rankings within the last week, there was a lot of movement and even some new names that came into the rankings. Here I want to highlight some names that I think could take…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingAs Prep Hoops Iowa updated their 2021 rankings within the last week, there was a lot of movement and even some new names that came into the rankings. Here I want to highlight some names that I think could take a step up this year and make a name for themselves over the course of the season. These players are slotted #100-250 in the rankings. Here are my players to watch from the new rankings:
Garrett Trapp Garrett Trapp 6'1" | CG River Valley | 2021 State IA – River Valley High School (1A), CG – #129 Player in Iowa
Trapp averaged 21 points per game this past season and shows a variety of ways of putting the ball in the basket. He has a good shooting motion and shows good shooting ability at the 3 point line. But where Trapp is at his best is when the game is sped up. He’s good at reading where the opponent offense is going and reacting to poke the ball free for easy buckets on the other end in the break. Trapp is good about fading off of screens when the defender jumps into passing lanes for a shot. He’s an opportunistic and scrappy player who seems to do anything he can to put his team in a winning position.
Jamuo Gatwech Jamuo Gatwech 5'11" | PG Storm Lake | 2021 State IA – Storm Lake High School (3A), Point Guard – #155 Player in Iowa
Gatwech is a very quick player on the floor and makes things happen defensively and offensively for his team because of that. He averaged 2 steals per game for his team to go along with scoring 10.5 points and dishing out 3.5 assists per game. Gatwech has quick hands to poke the ball free from opponents to take it on the break. He’s an efficient shooter off the catch out to the perimeter, good passer who can find an open teammate well, and can take it off the bounce to the hoop. He’s good in ball-screen situations as he knows how to set his defender up and either use the screen or not depending on what is more open. Storm Lake will look for winning ways this season and Gatwech will lead the charge for the Tornadoes.
AJ Wegener AJ Wegener 5'10" | PG Dike-New Hartford | 2021 State IA – Dike-New Hartford High School (2A), Point Guard – #174 Player in Iowa
AJ Wegener AJ Wegener 5'10" | PG Dike-New Hartford | 2021 State IA does a lot of production inside the 3 point line for his team. He is good at finding openings in the defense and exploiting them to get himself deep into lane and making a play for himself or others. He is a good finisher at the rim and has a good jumpshot from about 12-15 feet out. He doesn’t shoot the 3 point shot often, but if the defense leaves him open he is capable of making it. Wegener is good off the bounce and brings a nice ball-handling skill to his team that allows him to get to the hoop. Wegener will look to help lead his team to Wells Fargo as they fell one game short this past season.
Carter Henry Carter Henry 6'2" | PG Crestwood | 2021 State IA – Crestwood High School (2A), Point Guard – #208 Player in Iowa
Carter Henry Carter Henry 6'2" | PG Crestwood | 2021 State IA effects the game in many different ways, starting with his 7 assists per game. Henry is one of the best in the state at finding his teammates when they’re open and making a good pass when they are as he comes in at #5 in assists out of all classes. He also has been known to have somewhat of a clutch gene in him hitting big shots this past season to propel his team to a win. He has good size for the point guard position and is smart on how he uses that to his advantage. He has good basketball IQ and understands what to do with the ball. He is also a crafty finisher around the rim and can finish with both hands.
Kolby Kucera Kolby Kucera 6'4" | SF City | 2021 State IA – Iowa City High School (4A), Wing – #180 Player in Iowa
A strong 3 point shooter, Kucera shot nearly 40% from the arch this past season. Kucera is intelligent with his movement without the ball and finds open space for his teammates to pass to in order to get a good shot. He has a good frame to build upon going forward to be able to make a jump. Kucera has a quick release of the ball and is able to shoot the ball even when he is contested by the defense and make it. He shows good footwork pre-shot in order to grab the ball and go right up with it. Rounding out his game to take a step up in production will go a long ways for his team this season.
Matthew Voll Matthew Voll 6'3" | PF Ankeny Christian Academy | 2021 State IA – Ankeny Christian High School (1A), Wing – #247 Player in Iowa
The lowest player in our rankings on this list, but one, who’s game I am intrigued by. Though he wasn’t a major contributor this past season, I do think Voll can take a step up and be a positive production player for the Eagles. Voll is good about reading and reacting to the defense on his moves and takes what they give him. Voll is a solid rebounder and uses all of his frame to do so. He is a good shooter off the catch and runs the floor well in transition. He likes to finish at the hoop with his strong right hand, and has a good mid-range shot. Voll shows the ability to get his defender off balance with various ball and body fakes.
Grant DeKruyf Grant DeKruyf 6'3" | PG Urbandale | 2021 State IA – Urbandale High School (4A), Guard – #226 Player in Iowa
Playing on a young Urbandale team, DeKruyf is an efficient shooter from the perimeter and shot it at a 32% clip last year, but his release is good and could become quite a bit more efficient. He has a good floater in the lane and is smart with the ball. DeKruyf does well in other ways on the court as well, as he crashes the boards on both ends and shows good passing ability showed by his 3.5 assists per game. He’ll be looking to take his game to another level this season to help get Urbandale to winning ways.
Garrett Baumhover Garrett Baumhover 6'0" | PG Western Dubuque | 2021 State IA – Western Dubuque High School (4A), Point Guard – #148 Player in Iowa
Baumhover effects the game in different ways for the Bobcats as he posted a 12 points per game, almost 4 assists per game, 3.5 rebounds per game, and nearly 2 steals per game while shooting 33% from the 3 point line stat line. Baumhover is good off the catch and can come off of screens to get open and make open shots. He also has a knack for getting to the rim and finishing at the rim. He makes nice cuts off the ball in order to get the ball. Baumhover shoots well in the mid-range off of a ball screen or off a dribble pull-up. He shows good range when shooting it from distance. He has active hands on defense and comes up with steals to create more possessions for his team.
Luke Lambert Luke Lambert 6'3" | PG Monticello | 2021 State IA – Monticello High School (2A), Point Guard/CG – #110 Player in Iowa
Monticello has a lot of weapons on its offense and Luke Lambert Luke Lambert 6'3" | PG Monticello | 2021 State IA is one of them. He is good at running the offense from the point and can put the offense in motion with the way he can penetrate the defense. He is good at drawing the defense and making the right play for his team. He is a good finisher around the basket and can finish through contact. He attacks the basket in a downhill mentality where he puts quite a bit of pressure on the defense. He has a good mid-range jumper to go along with his 3 point stroke as well. Lambert has good IQ and makes quick moves when he catches the ball to get by the initial defender.
Creed Welch Creed Welch 6'4" | SF Waukon | 2021 State IA – Waukon High School (2A), Wing – #125 Player in Iowa
Creed Welch Creed Welch 6'4" | SF Waukon | 2021 State IA might be one of the most underrated prospects in the state by our rankings as he is long, athletic and can score the ball at a high level. Welch dunks everything that he can and provides a spark for his team. He loves to get into passing lanes, tipping the ball away and finishing at the other end for an easy bucket. When he isn’t leading the break he’s good about running the lanes and giving his teammates an option for a pass. He’s a tough defender as he uses his athleticism to on-ball defend at a high rate, block shots, and get steals. He’s also good in the half-court as he is able to take his man off the bounce but also can shoot it at an efficient rate of 43% from the field and 37% from 3. He can shoot it off the dribble or the catch and is tough for any opponent to defend against.