Updated 2020 Rankings: Biggest Risers (Part I)
Junior year is when players tend to have their breakout season more than any other. That’s certainly the case with Iowa’s Class of 2020. Some guys, see Xavier Foster and Bowen Born, have long been established as Iowa high school…
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Continue ReadingJunior year is when players tend to have their breakout season more than any other. That’s certainly the case with Iowa’s Class of 2020. Some guys, see Xavier Foster and Bowen Born, have long been established as Iowa high school superstars. But they are now being joined by a wave of what was once potential talent; that’s now legitimate talent with the numbers to back it up. There’s been some major shakeup in this installment of rankings, and things are really starting to take shape in Iowa’s Class of 2020.
Below, we take a look at who made the most substantial rise in these prospect rankings.
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Jack Wetzel (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) — 11 to 5
Wetzel makes his move into the top-5 after a stellar showing at our Top 250 Expo in the fall followed by a dominant junior season with the Cougars so far. At 6-foot-4 he’s got great size for a guard, and he’s an absolutely sniper from deep. Through 14 games, Wetzel is averaging 18.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.
Tyler Andrews (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) — 21 to 8
Another Cedar Rapids Kennedy wing that makes a major jump. Andrews has enjoyed an exponential rise in the last two installments of 2020 prospect rankings. It’s his great size, length and athleticism, paired with some nice skill that makes him one of Iowa’s best juniors. In his first season with Kennedy, he’s averaging 13.4 points and 5.4 rebounds. The 6’5 wing is leading the Cougars in assists.
Jaleque Dunson (Sioux City East) — 25 to 11
One of the best players on one of the state’s best 4A teams. Dunson has now made big jumps in each of the last two rankings updates. He’s a lengthy 6’3 wing and has the ability to score off the bounce with a specialty in the mid-range department. He’s averaging 16.2 points for the 13-1 Black Raiders this season.
Cody McCullough (Ankeny Centennial) — 31 to 12
Something changed within McCullough over the course of a year, and the 6’7 combo-forward went from timid prospect with lots of potential to aggressive standout who’s officially arrived. He’s been the best rebounder in the CIML this season, going for 9.1 per game, that’s second-best in all of 4A. And he’s leading the Jaguars in scoring (13.0 ppg on 64 FG%) and blocks this season.
Caleb Delzell (Camanche) — 97 to 16
This is a major jump for the 6’7 wing. And the proof is in the numbers for Delzell. In addition to his tremendous size, the junior has been lighting it up in a slew of categories for one of Iowa’s best 2A teams. Delzell is averaging team-bests 5.1 assists, 8.9 rebounds and a block per game, to go along with 14.7 points and 1.9 steals.
Jake Schockemohel (Dubuque, Wahlert) — 22 to 19
After receiving a Division II offer from Truman State and emerging as one of the state’s best pure scorers, Schockemohel makes his jump into the top-20. There’s a high ceiling for the smooth and skilled 6’2 combo-guard, with some improved scoring efficiency he could see his stock continue to rise in the next installment.
Nick Reid (Central City) — 42 to 20
Another guy who picked up a D2 offer from Truman State this season, Reid was the talk of Iowa high school hoops early in the season, especially after he dropped 57 points in a game back in early December. He’s still the state’s best scorer this season (31.4 ppg). A 6’6 wing, he’s got the size and skill-set to have a breakout offseason on the recruiting trail with Iowa Barnstormers.
Josh Ollendieck (Cedar Falls) — 33 to 22
The skilled Cedar Falls guard just continues to methodically rise in the rankings. We don’t think there’s been an installment of 2020 prospect rankings that he hasn’t risen in, and that’s a testament to his continued growth as a player. From a young eight-grader with a sweet stroke at our Prep Hoops Expo three years ago, to a key guard for one of Iowa’s state title hopefuls, Ollendieck could soon become a hot prospect among recruiters in the Midwest.