Prep Hoops Iowa Top 250 Expo: Top 40
With over 150 athletes coming out to the Prep Hoops Iowa Top 250 Expo and making it an awesome event, I’ve watched back every game of the event and want to highlight the top 40 players in four different article…
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Continue ReadingWith over 150 athletes coming out to the Prep Hoops Iowa Top 250 Expo and making it an awesome event, I’ve watched back every game of the event and want to highlight the top 40 players in four different article segments. When I was watching these games I was watching players in different ways such as a shooting, scoring, rebounding, defending, effort, and decision-making. Coming up with this list was hard, and there were a lot of players on the fringes, but ultimately these are the 40 players who I felt played the best on Saturday during the Expo:
(This list is in no particular order)
Wing/Forward Elijah Vos Elijah Vos 6'4" | SF Hoover | 2023 State IA – Des Moines Hoover High School
Prep Hoops Iowa Players Ranking: #5 in Class of 2023
This Fall I’ve seen Vos show more of his ability from the perimeter and he didn’t disappoint on Saturday either. Vos is taking and making more 3 point shots off the dribble and off the catch. His mid-range jumper continues to be one of the best I’ve seen in the state in all classes. He has a nice turnaround 15 foot jumper going this weekend even if it was heavily contested Elijah was still making with that unblockable shot of his. He also can catch down low and use a turnaround, fade away jumper, or get to the basket. His defensive prowess is is also good and he does a good job of showing verticality to defend shots to succession. I liked the way Vos was able to initiate offense at the Expo from the point and thought he did a nice job of taking care of the ball and finding an open man. Vos is a fundamental player who just seems to get better and better as time goes on.
Guard Steven Kramer Steven Kramer 6'5" | SG Johnston | 2022 State IA – Johnston High School
Prep Hoops Iowa Players Ranking: #5 in Class of 2022
At 6’5 and the skills he possesses with the ball, Kramer is really starting to grow into his own on the basketball court. He’s a versatile player because he can play and guard multiple positions. At the Expo he was on a team with quite a bit of talent and wasn’t counted on as much to score, but did well to run the point and distribute to shooters and other teammates. His ball handling was in good rhythm and is not someone who was easily dispossessed. He has plus athleticism and effects the rebounding category as well as blocking shots on the defensive end. What made Kramer a top performer was he wasn’t counted on heavily to score the ball, but when he needed to he showed the ability to create and make shots and be efficient with it. Should be primed for a breakout season in his third year for the Dragons.
Forward Justin Recker Justin Recker 6'6" | PF Monticello | 2021 State IA – Monticello High School
Prep Hoops Iowa Players Ranking: #39 in Class of 2021
Recker was a bright spot at the Expo with his inside presence. At 6’6 he’s able to do a little bit of everything on the court and is good at using his length to score the basketball and defending his position. He is also strong down low on the block defensively that even if there’s a taller opponent he’s able to push them off the block and use his quickness to defend well. Recker was good offensively inside the arch on Saturday with the way he caught it on the block and perform a low post move to score or provide a pass to a teammate. He showed an ability to step out to the 3 point line and shoot it with good shooting form. He runs the floor well that allows him to get good positioning or easy buckets on the break. What I liked the most about his game at the Expo was that he took what the defense gave him and didn’t force bad shots which can be tempting to do in that showcase type atmosphere.
Forward Zach Erwin Zach Erwin 6'6" | SF Camanche | 2022 State IA – Camanche High School
Prep Hoops Iowa Players Ranking: #22 in Class of 2022
One of the more impressive players at the Expo was Erwin. Every time I’ve seen him before he wasn’t as quick to be assertive as I saw him this past weekend. At 6’6 with some perimeter skills Erwin can be a matchup nightmare for defenders. He was able to take defenders off the dribble and get to the basket and finish with length over the defense. He also shoots it efficiently from the perimeter off the catch and proved that in all three games. What I liked the most was the way attacked the game, and mainly when he caught the ball and he saw a way either to score or provide offense for his team he did so. Erwin is also a good passer that didn’t turn the ball over many times on Saturday. The more aggressive Erwin the better player he will become to go with his high IQ on the floor.
Forward Wyatt Helming – Lake Mills High School
Prep Hoops Iowa Players Ranking: Unranked in Class of 2022
A player who came from off-the-radar was Wyatt Helming. The junior forward from Lake Mills High School was a post presence who showed good ability inside and the ability to score the basketball inside the lane. He liked to go to a right handed fadeaway post move that he made several times throughout the day. He also showed that he could step out and hit a 3 point shot when open. On a team who didn’t really have a player who offered length and size inside, Helming provided that on defense and offense as he played good post defense and made himself big. Helming’s performance on Saturday opened my eyes to what he could bring to the table this winter season. He’s a big rebounder on both ends of the floor and can handle the ball a little bit, but it is a work in progress.
Forward Dallas Bear Dallas Bear 6'8" | SF Cedar Falls | 2023 State #276 Nation IA – Cedar Falls High School
Prep Hoops Iowa Players Ranking: #4 in Class of 2023
I really liked what Bear brought to the game in the three games he played this past Saturday as he was shooting the ball at a high rate with the exception of the last game. Standing at 6’8 already as a Sophomore, Bear shows really good inside-outside potential. He has the ability to shoot the 3 ball off the catch or in a pick-and-pop situation, and has good off-ball movement to get himself in good places. When he fills out his frame more and develops some more post moves to go with his right handed hook shot. He has a continuous evolving game and a big part of that will be his ability to take defenders off the dribble as he already has a few go-to moves, but expanding that even more will take his game to another level. Overall, Bear was a bright spot at the Expo, and showed why he will be a top prospect coming out of the state in the Class of 2023.
Forward/Center Jack Groeteke Jack Groeteke 6'9" | C Dowling Catholic | 2021 State IA – Dowling Cathlic High School
Prep Hoops Iowa Players Ranking: #41 in Class of 2021
Jack showed flashes at the Expo and even when it wasn’t clicking on all cylinders offensively he was finding ways to effect the game positively for his team. The biggest impact I thought Jack made was his defensive awareness and being in a position to block shots and use his length around the rim to make it hard on opponents to score. Once he adds more strength to his frame he could be a good low-post defender. Jack is best at spot-up shooting and being in pick-and-pop situations as he did on Saturday well. When he allows the defense to speed him up is when he was having problems, but when he lets the game come to him and takes what the defense gives him he’s at his best. He’s good at running in transition and finishing above the rim, and with added strength he will be able to finish even better around the hoop.
Center Cameron Fens Cameron Fens 7'0" | C Hempstead | 2022 State IA – Dubuque Hempstead High School
Prep Hoops Iowa Players Ranking: #41 in Class of 2022
Someone who is beginning to make a name for himself is big man Cameron Fens Cameron Fens 7'0" | C Hempstead | 2022 State IA . He is another player who hasn’t appeared for his varsity team yet, but at 6’10 he’s a big, strong bodied post player. Fens dominated the post on Saturday getting good positioning deep into the lane, and finishing both with and without contact. He’s also a solid defender on the block using his strength and length to effect opponent post players from getting into their spot and finishing at the rim. If he can expand his shooting touch a little bit then he could shoot up our state rankings in the next update. Fens has DI potential and just starting to tap into that and could be a solid end product with his two-way ability and the way he rebounds the basketball.
PG Trey Lewis Trey Lewis 5'10" | PG Johnston | 2022 State IA – Johnston High School
Prep Hoops Iowa Players Ranking: #9 in Class of 2022
A quick, twitchy point guard who defends well and shoots it well from perimeter is what Trey Lewis Trey Lewis 5'10" | PG Johnston | 2022 State IA can offer. When he was in the game on Saturday the offense ran through him and his ability to shoot the ball at a high rate and the way he can get into the lane and create shots for others. He showed a mid-range floater when he got into the teeth of the defense and needed to get it over a taller defender. A tough nosed on-ball defender who is good about keeping offensive players in front and is quick to poke the ball free. In the final game on Saturday Lewis’ offensive outburst really helped his team secure a win as he shot lights out from the perimeter. He did it in many ways as well as he came off of ball-screens, off the catch, and even 1-on-1.
Wing/Forward Bentor Neyail – Ankeny High School
Prep Hoops Iowa Players Ranking: Unranked in Class of 2021
The lanky lefty stood out on Saturday with his ability to shoot the ball from the outside, but also use his athleticism and length to convert inside around the hoop. In the final two games Neyail really came out of his shell. He likes to attack on his stronger left hand, but also showed he can do it with both hands. He even caught it on the low block a little bit and initiated offense that way. He showed he could help protect the basket by making shots difficult and even getting to a couple. I was really surprised by Neyail’s output but he looked like a candidate ready to produce for Ankeny this upcoming winter season.