Film Room: Coaches, Check Out These 24s – Part I
In this article:
IOWA CITY, Iowa – I attempt to see as much live basketball from around the state as I can each year. However, there are too many good teams and players around here to see in a season. With that in…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingIOWA CITY, Iowa – I attempt to see as much live basketball from around the state as I can each year. However, there are too many good teams and players around here to see in a season.
With that in mind, I’ll spend some time this spring and summer watching highlight tapes and writing up reports. Remember, highlight tapes are good, so if you’re a prospect don’t only rely on media outlets who produce mixes. Please include defensive clips, too.
Here’s the first installment of the series:
Caden Wilkins Caden Wilkins 6'7" | SF Bettendorf | 2024 State #196 Nation IA , SG, Bettendorf
The 6-foot-7 Bulldog and Iowa Barnstormer wing is PrepHoops.com’s No. 1 player in the class. He’s coming off a junior season that saw him average 19.9 points 45.1 percent shooting from the floor, including 33.9 from behind the 3-point arc. He added 10.5 points and 3.2 assists a contest. He reports scholarship offers from Indiana State and Bryant, and has visited Iowa on multiple occasions.
Wilkins gets into his shooting motion quickly with a smooth release and nice form. He moves well without the ball, and gets to his spots on the perimeter and in the post. He’s strong around the rim, allowing him to finish through contact. he plays with good body control.
Watch some of Wilkins’s junior highlights HERE.
Cade Courbat Cade Courbat 6'8" | PF Cedar Falls | 2024 State IA , PF, Cedar Falls
No. 2 in the PrepHoops.com ’24 rankings, I wrote about Courbat (6-8) after watching him play in January and again for a feature last week. He averaged 12.6 points and 6.3 rebounds as a junior.
Courbat is a versatile forward capable of drilling shots from deep, protecting the paint, defending or throwing it down in transition. While viewing Hudl clips, you see a player that runs the floor well. His long arms allow him to accomplish what taller guys do. He doesn’t report any scholarship offers and his 247Sports profile doesn’t show him with any interest. That should change this spring when he’s balling out for Martin Brothers.
I would expect Courbat to take a step forward statistically as a senior. Check out his double-double against Linn-Mar from ’22-23 HERE.
Kareem Earl Kareem Earl 6'5" | SF Iowa City West | 2024 State IA , SF, Iowa City West
Earl’s junior season was limited to 15 games because of injury. Prep Hoop’s No. 3 player in Iowa for ’24 averaged 10.5 points and 4.7 rebounds when available. I’ve watched Earl play in person for three seasons. He’s steadily improved, and it was unfortunate he didn’t get a full junior year.
The son of former Iowa Hawkeye and NBA first-round pick Acie Earl, Kareem (6-5) boasts a well-rounded game. That should stand out this spring and summer with the Iowa Barnstormers.
Kareem posted a new highlight package to his Hudl page recently. It showed a guy with a really fluid game. He ran the floor very well, handle it well, got to the basket off of penetration and finished, and released the ball quickly from deep, where he shot 50.0 percent on treys this season.
Owen Larson Owen Larson 6'1" | PG Estherville Lincoln Central | 2024 State IA , PG, Estherville Lincoln Central
Averaging 27.2 points per game at any level is impressive, and that’s exactly what Larson did in ’22-23. He committed to South Dakota State last May, when he also reported an offer from Truman State.
Larson (6-1) posted his junior year highlights on Hudl Friday. His picture-prefect shooting form and quick release from behind the 3-point arc stand out. He also impressed me with his range, which stretches well behind the line. All of that plus a good handle make him very hard to defend.
Matthew Noll Matthew Noll 6'7" | PF Bishop Heelan | 2024 State IA , F, Bishop Heelan
Noll produced at a high level during the Crusaders’ run to the state tournament this winter. The 6-foot-7, 200-pound forward averaged 18.1 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists as a junior. He shot 49.8 percent on field goals and 77.6 on free throws.
The Heelan standout recently posted his second-half highlights from this past season. Watch them to see a skilled player with explosiveness. He attacks the rim off of the dribble, and shoots with solid form and range from deep with a mid-range game that also stresses defenses. He can bring it up the court and sees the floor well. It could be a big spring and summer with Martin Brothers.
Joseph Bean Joseph Bean 6'3" | PG Kennedy | 2024 State IA , PG, Xavier
I saw Bean and the Saints at Iowa City West in early January. He impressed me with a well-rounded game that helped Xavier reach the Class 3A State Championship game earlier this month.
Bean (6-3) keeps us on the theme of skilled players comprising this list. When you add that to a guy who understands the game, sees the court well and competes with good energy, you have one of the top performers in the state. The 14.5 points. 5.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists a game in ’22-23 tell some of his story but he has a game you appreciate watching.
His recruitment could pick up this spring and summer with Team Iowa. Check out his highlights from the game at Iowa City West this winter.
Redek Born Redek Born 6'3" | PG Norwalk | 2024 State IA , CG, Norwalk
Bowen’s younger brother has game, too. He’s also being under-recruited like big bro but does shoot right-handed, opposite of Bowen.
He’s listed at 6-3 with long arms. A skilled performer, you’ll enjoy watching his clips from this past campaign, when he averaged 18.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists. He’s an old-school scoring point.
The younger Born displays excellent form on his shot with a quick release. He’s got good handles and creates through a broad array of shots and moves. He runs the floor really well and is active in the half-court with movement off of the ball. He should receive more attention on the circuit this spring and summer while running with Martin Brothers on the circuit.