Week One: Top 2024 Players Tony Saw
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Landon Craven IA #114 SG #30 HEIGHT 6'1" POS SG CLASS 2024 View Player Boost Profile Download Image Landon Craven Class 2024 Position SG Height 6'1" HS Des Moines Christian | IA Week One: Top 2024 Players Tony Saw…
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Continue ReadingCraven (cover photo) was sensational in the Lions’ season-opening overtime win over Carlisle, going for 27 points (10-20 FG, 7-11 FT), 5 rebounds, 6 steals, and an assist. He was especially dominant in the second half and overtime, where he scored 23 of his 27 points. Craven was more of an off-ball role player last season for the Lions, but has stepped into a primary scoring role and thrived early in the season for DMC. He showed increased confidence in his ball-handling and shot creation, routinely putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim for creative finishes either through or around the contact. He’s a bouncy athlete who loves to jump passing lanes and he’ll contribute on the glass.
Highlights
Tate Osterhaus
Tate Osterhaus
On the other side of the Craven game was Osterhaus, a 5-11 sharpshooter who also finished with 27 points on the night, going 9-17 from the floor including 6-9 from behind the arc. Osterhaus has a quick release off the catch and moves really well without the ball in his hands. He showed some ability to put the ball on the floor and create his own looks, including a strong mid-range game that he used when attacking hard closeouts, putting the ball on the floor with one or two hard dribbles and elevating into a 15-footer that he routinely knocked down. He’s a pure shooter with great form and a quick release who looks primed to have a breakout junior season for the Wildcats.
Wilkins would probably be the first to tell you that he didn’t play his best game when I saw the Bulldogs play against Linn-Mar last week, scoring 19 points on 6-24 shooting (3-13 3P) with 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. Obviously the efficiency wasn’t great, but he still showed all of the talent and shotmaking that makes him the #1 player in the state’s 2024 class. He has a smooth offensive game with the ability to score from all three levels, and has continued to improve his ball-handling and ability to create shots for himself and others. He showed some ability on the defensive end as a versatile defender who can contest shots and turn defense into offense, and he’s always strong on the glass on both ends of the floor, with the ability to pull down a defensive rebound and lead the break. He’s also a high IQ player who understands the game at a high level, being one of the only players to successfully pull off a late-quarter 2-for-1 that I saw in the opening week of the season.
Another one of the state’s top prospects in this class, Noll had 13 points and 13 rebounds in the Crusaders’ win over Treynor. The 6-6 wing did a tremendous job using his length and athleticism to dominate the glass on both ends of the floor. He showed improved ball-handling, which will only continue to make him a more dangerous offensive weapon. He already has a smooth stroke off the catch and the ability to move without the ball in his hands, and if he’s able to add a consistent ability to put the ball on the floor and finish through contact around the rim, the sky is the limit.
Tams was absolutely on fire early on in the Cardinals loss to Heelan, dropping 19 points in the first quarter and gaining more and more confidence with each shot. He has an incredibly quick release off the catch and showed an improved ability to create his own shot and get into his shots off the bounce. He did a great job taking advantage of aggressive closeouts and getting to the rim, where he showed tremendous body control and the ability to finish through contact. He finished with 32 points (12-25 FG, 5-14 3P) and 7 rebounds in their loss.