Area Rankings: Top 10 2024 Prospects in Northeast Iowa

Courbat is an excellent athlete who provides a ton of versatility on the defensive end of the floor for the Tigers, blocking 2.3 shots a game as a sophomore and showing that he can switch onto smaller defenders and hold his own. His offensive game is still a work in progress, but he looked much more comfortable handling the ball throughout the summer with Martin Brothers, showing the ability to catch on the wing, take a few hard dribbles and get to the rim, where he’ll look to dunk it on you. He’s oozing with potential.

The son of A-P’s head coach Aaron Thomas, Gavin is a high IQ combo guard who can play at an extremely high level both with and without the ball in his hands. He’s a gifted three-level scorer who can put up points in bunches, but does so at an efficient clip, averaging 13.5 points on 48-39-83 shooting splits as a sophomore. He shoots it really well both off the dribble and the catch and has very good court vision and passing instincts that he uses to get others involved.

A quick-twitch athlete with a great first step, McCain was extremely productive as the starting point guard for the Vikings last year, averaging 12.1 points and 4.7 assists a game. Unfortunately, he tore his ACL during the spring with the Barnstormers and will likely miss his entire junior season for Decorah. Nonetheless, he’s a high IQ guard with outstanding court vision and the ability to score from all three levels.

A big-bodied wing with a physical frame that he uses to help finish through contact, Marsh had a strong summer with Martin Brothers, showing the ability to create his own shot, make plays for his teammates, and shoot it off the catch when moving off ball. He averaged 14.4 points and 4.7 rebounds for the Go-Hawks as a sophomore, leading the team in scoring and rebounding.

Ries has committed to play college football at Iowa, but he would be a solid small-school prospect had he chosen the basketball route with his ability to score inside and out, control the glass, and defend multiple positions. He averaged 18.1 points and 7.0 rebounds a game last season for the Panthers, and his combination of strength, athleticism, and talent make him a major matchup problem at the 2A level.

Bockman will be the primary beneficiary of the unfortunate McCain injury news, freeing up a ton of shots for him this year. In addition to the McCain injury, six major contributors graduated, meaning seven of the top eight scorers from last year’s team are gone. Bockman is an elite shooter, burying 42% of his 3-point attempts last year while averaging 11.7 points and 4.8 rebounds. He carried that strong shooting into the summer with the Iowa Mavericks, where he was dynamite. He’s a highly efficient scorer who will be asked to do it all for the Vikings as a junior, which will be good for his development.

Ricketts was a quality role player last year for the Cyclones, averaging 8.1 points and shooting 45.5% from behind the arc. He’ll have a chance to have a major breakout year as a junior following the graduation of three of the top four scorers from last year’s team, who combined to average over 45 points a game and over 36 shot attempts. Ricketts was really good over the summer with the Barnstormers Black team, showing the ability to score from all three levels and get others involved. Look for him to emerge as one of the most explosive scorers in 2A this season.

Peters played sparingly as a sophomore for the Tigers, appearing in 18 games and averaging 2.8 points and 2.1 rebounds a game in limited minutes. But he’s an intriguing young big man to keep an eye on. He has really good hands and a big, physical frame that he uses to carve out space on the interior and control the glass on both ends of the floor. He shot 69% from the floor in his limited time and figures to have a bigger role as a junior.

A long, bouncy 6-4/6-5 big man, Williams shot nearly 59% from the floor while averaging a team-high 10.5 points and 4.8 rebounds for the Rams. He has really good hands and touch around the rim, and his footwork is improving. He showed that he can step out and knock down the occasional jumper (42.1% from 3 on nearly 40 attempts), and he’ll provide some versatility and rim protection on the defensive end.

A fearless guard who doesn’t shy away from the big shots, Miller showed everyone what he’s capable of in the J-Hawks substate final win over Aplington-Parkersburg last year, dropping 24 points in the upset win to send Jesup to the state tournament. He has a pure stroke from the arc and gets the ball into his shooting pocket incredibly fast off the dribble. He’s a good ball-handler who can create space to get his shot off with his handle and footwork, and he really doesn’t need much space to bueams from anywhere. He averaged 14.9 points and 3.0 assists on 46-39-72 splits and will have the team entirely to himself as a junior.