Area Rankings: Top 10 2025 Prospects in the Des Moines Metro

The Northern Iowa commit is a fantastic two-way player in the paint, using his size and athleticism to protect the rim well. He's a switchable defender who moves his feet well and can play in drop coverage, and he has great timing as a shot blocker. On the offensive end, he has a little bit of ability to step out and stretch the floor, but his best attribute on the offensive end may be his passing. At 6-9/6-10, he sees the floor extremely well, and having grown up as a guard before a huge growth spurt, he understands how to lead his teammate into a bucket and he does a great job setting his teammates up.     A future Iowa State receiver, Robinson could have been a Division I basketball player as well had he chosen to go that route. He's a freaky athlete on the perimeter who finishes above the rim with authority, pounds the glass on both ends of the floor, and when he's engaged, he's one of the best perimeter defenders in the state. He does a great job attacking the rim off the dribble and getting to his spots in the mid-range, where he's excellent. He averaged 14.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 steals a game as a junior, and following the transfer of Curtis Stinson Jr, he'll have a chance to put up huge offensive numbers for the two-time defending champs.     Barrantes put up video game numbers as a junior for the Thunder, then followed that up with a great spring and summer that saw him pick up a handful of low-to-mid-major offers. The improvement that he has made over the last 18 months is tremendous, turning himself from a player with potential into a player who has really started to put everything together. He has great size, good hands and touch around the rim, and has added the threat of a 3-point shot to his arsenal, which at 6-9/6-10 makes him a deadly offensive weapon. He averaged 27.4 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game as a junior and currently holds offers from Illinois-Chicago, Chattanooga, South Dakota, Florida Gulf Coast, and Fairfield.     One of the best pure scorers in the state, Goodman averaged 20.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.0 steals a game at Southeast Polk as a junior, and has now transferred to play his senior year for Brett Watson at Waukee Northwest. He's a streaky shooter from 3-point range, but is electric in the mid-range, can put the ball on the floor and attack the rim and finish through contact, and he's a talented playmaker who sees the floor well. He's a good athlete who moves his feet well on the defensive end, and he should have a great senior year playing alongside the most talent he's played with as a high schooler.     Deng is a long, athletic wing who can score from all three levels. He's better operating without the ball in his hands, moving and finding open spaces in the defense to spot up and knock down 3s, but he has improved as a ball-handler and playmaker over the last year. His length and athleticism allow him to defend multiple positions on the defensive end, and he's a really dynamic defender when he's engaged. He averaged 11.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.4 steals as a junior.     A talented combo guard with a high IQ, McCollum is a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands, and an electric shooting threat without it. The son of new Drake head coach Ben McCollum, Peyton has a great understanding of the game and floor spacing. His dad is considered one of the great Xs and Os coaches in college basketball, and that intelligence has certainly rubbed off on his son. He can beat you in a variety of ways on the offensive end, and he's a strong on-ball defender who will get up into opposing players and really make them work.     Richardson has been one of my favorite players in the state to watch over the last few years. He's a Swiss Army knife who does a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor, and he can take over a game on either side of the ball for stretches. For four minutes, he may be the best, most versatile defender in the state. The next four minutes, he may be scoring in bunches, getting to the rim, knocking down shots from the mid-range or deep. Later, he may be the team's primary facilitator and playmaker. He does it all, he's a tough, high IQ wing, and he makes his team better. He averaged 10.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.0 blocks as a junior on 47-43-72 splits.     Cason was the glue guy for two-time state champion Valley and has transferred to DCG in part to play a bigger role as a senior. He's a long, rangy wing who can defend multiple positions, knock down shots off the catch, and if his play throughout the summer with the Mustangs is any indication, he can also provide some playmaking with the ball in his hands.     Taylor is a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands, a blur who gets up-and-down the floor just about as quickly as anyone in the state with the ball. He's a talented guard in ball screen actions, able to turn the corner tight and get to the rim, pop behind and knock down a jumper, or find the roll man with a nice drop-off for easy buckets. Defensively he has quick feet and hands, moving well on that end of the floor.     Loney is still pretty raw as a basketball player, but there is no denying the size (listed at 6-11) and the potential that comes with that type of raw size. He's a fairly mobile big man who runs the floor, can protect the rim, and finish around the bucket with either hand. He's a project, but he could make a college coach look really smart.