Top 250 Expo: 2023 Wings and Bigs Early Entrant Preview
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Ian Bettis IA #151 PF #31 HEIGHT 6'5" POS PF CLASS 2023 View Profile Ian Bettis Twitter State: Iowa School: Linn-Mar Club: Iowa Prep A long, lanky forward who runs the floor and crashes the glass hard on both ends…
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Continue ReadingA long, lanky forward who runs the floor and crashes the glass hard on both ends of the floor, Bettis has the mobility, size, and instincts to be an impact defender. He has good footwork and touch around the bucket with either hand, and showed a bit of a face-up game during the spring and summer with Iowa Prep.
Blatchford really jumped out on film when we watched the Spartans, and we’re looking forward to getting a live look at him and seeing how he competes against players from bigger schools. He was a walking double-double as a junior, averaging 18.6 points and 11.3 rebounds a game while shooting 49% from the floor and 38% from the arc.
One of the top remaining uncommitted players in the state, Yamilkoski will have a chance to impress in front of college coaches on the 17th. He’s always been a strong offensive player with the ability to create his own shot and score from all three levels, but he really impressed during the spring as a defender. He moves his feet well and has the length to make life difficult for opposing ball-handlers while also showing a willingness and the requisite strength to battle against bigger bodies in the paint.
One of the most uniquely talented players in 1A, Smith has great size at 6-6/6-7 and has the ability to do a little bit of everything on the floor. He averaged 19.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.3 steals a game with impressive 53-39-69 shooting splits. He can get to the rim, using his handles and long strides to get by defenders. He can knock down 3s off the catch, and he can get others involved at a high clip. Like Blatchford, we’re looking forward to seeing how he competes against the bigger school players who are generally more athletic than who he is accustomed to playing against.
Highlights
A 6-5 forward who dominates on the glass on both ends of the floor, Patton uses his physical frame to control the painted area as a rebounder and defender. He averaged 10.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks a game as a junior, helping lead the Norsemen to the 2A state tournament.
An intriguing big man prospect, Mindrup plays hard on every possession and is a strong rebounder on both ends of the floor. Like his high school and grassroots teammate Bettis, he has good footwork and touch around the bucket, and he’s the type of player who is going to get on the floor for any loose ball.
A 6-4 wing who can play a bit of point guard, King is a interesting prospect who does a good job playing with pace and using his bigger frame to bully smaller defenders. He sees the floor well and is working to improve his jumper.
Highlights
A big, physical 6-3 wing, Jones had a breakout junior year for the Trojans, averaging a team-high 17.4 points with 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.2 steals a game. He’s a good perimeter shooter (37.4%) with a quick release off the catch, and he’s also willing to take smaller defenders down onto the block for buckets.
Hargens is coming off a dominant statistical season in which he averaged 25.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks a game. A 6-3 playmaking wing, he can score from all three levels, defend multiple positions, and get others involved.
One of the state’s most explosive athletes, Fisher looks to dunk everything on everyone’s head. He’s sure to provide some highlight reel plays on the 17th, especially when he’s able to get out in transition. But he’s more than just a great athlete; he’s worked hard to improve his jumper, starting with becoming a really strong mid-range player last year and working to extend his range out to the arc. His ability to get to the rim is his greatest asset, but the rest of the skill set is catching up rapidly.
Evans helped lead the Hawkeyes to the state tournament for the first time in school history last season, averaging 14.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals a game. He’s a better shooter from deep than he showed last year (29.8%), and with his size (6-6/6-7) he can get his shot off pretty much whenever he wants.
Cantrall had a really good spring and summer with Pure Prep, showing that he’s one of the state’s elite shooting threats. When he pairs his shooting with his fantastic size and length at 6-7/6-8, he immediately becomes a college prospect worth keeping an eye on. He moves really well without the ball in his hands and has a lightning-quick release off the catch.