2020 Rankings: Top 10 Breakdown
1 Xavier Foster, 6’9 F (Oskaloosa)
Before he even suited up for a high school game, this Oskaloosa phenom had offers from Iowa, Iowa State and Creighton. Which makes him easily the most heralded young prospect we’ve covered since our inception in 2014. His length is a clear strength, his wing-span goes on and on, and he blocks shots from angles we have never seen at the high school ranks. He’s got a good stroke too, and could develop into a true small forward before too long.
2 Zack Lasek, 6’7 PF (Highland, Riverside)
We first got a look at him during our Top 250 Expo last fall, and he was the best rising frosh at the event. He followed that with a sensational frosh campaign with the Huskies, averaging 15.3 points per game on 61 percent shooting, with 7.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game to boot. We got another look at him this spring while he playing with Martin Brothers, and he was dominant. Big and bouncy with a nice jumper, we project him as a Division I prospect.
3 Bowen Born, 5’10 PG (Norwalk)
The son of former Iowa State Cyclones guard, Michael Born, Bowen definitely got the basketball gene. He stared all last season for the Warriors and averaged 13 points per game while doing so, and also led the team in assist and steals. With some of the best handles in the state, Bowen is able to create for himself and others. He’s small, but can get to the rim, where he finishes well. And his strength is his ability to shoot the ball from anywhere, and off the bounce. We call him ‘Lil Steph.
4 Even Brauns, 6’8 C (Regina)
This Iowa Barnstormers post is bouncy and long, and is certainly an above-the-rim player. He’s good for several slams and tip-ins during any given game, and certainly projects as a D1 talent. He had a nice frosh season for the Regals, averaging 10.4 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Brauns should become a dominant post this winter.
5 Will Berg, 6’8 F (Valley)
The only top 10 player we’ve yet to see in person, but Berg’s reputation precedes him. We’ve seen video of the tall and versatile forward, and it looks like he’ll block a ton of shots and score in a variety of ways when granted the opportunity at Valley. In the meantime, you can catch him playing with an upstart Beyond Ball program this summer.
6 Braxton Bayless, 5’11 (Valley)
Another son of a former Iowa State Cyclones guard, we saw this young Valley point guard play once this spring, and he was marvelous. We had been hearing some things about him leading up to that weekend in Ames at the Kings of the Court, and he certainly lived up to the hype. He plays in a crowded program of top-notch Valley players. But when it’s his time to shine at Valley, he’ll turn a lot heads.
7 Cameron Soenkson, 6′ PG (Camanche)
It was the state tournament this past March when we got a good look at this electric Camanche point guard. He was skying for rebounds on both ends of the floor, and has a pliable feel to his game. He can contort himself in ways that make it difficult to stop him. His best strength is using his quickness and athleticism to get to the hoop, and could be a rim-wrecker before too long.
8 Alex McAleer, 6’4 SF (Dewitt Central)
Another Iowa Barnstormers to crack the top 10 of our initial 2020 rankings, it’s size and potential which make this lengthy Jarrod Uthoff lookalike a top prospect (he literally looks like Uthoff). He averaged 9.6 points and 3.7 rebounds as a frosh with the Sabers, and projects to be their main man next winter.
9 AJ Coons, 6’5 SF (Solon)
With a versatile skill-set similar to McCaleer, Coons — like most other guys on this list — has a very high ceiling. It seems he’s just scratching the surface of how good he could become. He netted 7.9 points per game last season for Solon. And it won’t be long before Division I coaches are courting this do-it-all wing.
10 Easton Darling, 6′ G (Winterset)
A Martin Brothers product, Darling’s game is comparable to our No.7 2020, Cameron Soenksen. The Winterset youngster is on the smaller side, but very bouncy, and at just around 6′ is reportedly able to get up and jam. We’ve seen him sky in games for boards and finish up near the rim, so we believe it. Darling is also a sharpshooter and handles it adeptly — certainly one we’ll keep a close eye on the next few seasons.