Area Rankings: Top 10 2025 Prospects in the IC/CR Corridor

The future Butler wing is a matchup problem at this level because of his unique blend of size (6-8), length, ball-handling, passing and court vision, and the ability he has to stretch the floor with his jumper. He has a smooth stroke with range well beyond the high school line and he can shoot it at a high clip off both the dribble and the catch. He's a high-level passer who sees the floor extremely well, and defensively he does a great job protecting the rim, utilizing his length and IQ to put himself in the right spots. He averaged 16.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.9 blocks a game as a junior for the Trojans.     Kern might be the most skilled all-around offensive player in the state, a versatile 6-8/6-9 forward who can score inside and out with remarkable efficiency. The future South Dakota State forward averaged 22.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.3 blocks per game as a junior on 57-45-80 shooting splits. He has elite footwork and touch around the bucket when he's posting up and a silky smooth stroke that he can get to both off the dribble and the catch, allowing him to shoot over smaller defenders at a ridiculously high clip. He's a high IQ player who positions himself well on both ends of the floor, knowing how to get to his spots offensively, and rotating well defensively to come away with helpside blocks routinely.     One of the toughest guards in the state, McKowen makes a huge impact on the game on both ends of the floor with his speed and IQ. You can tell he's the son of a coach, and comes from a big-time basketball family, when you watch him play. He's another coach on the floor, directing his teammates through traffic on the defensive end, initiating the offense, and making things difficult on opposing teams with his ability to put pressure on the rim or knock down shots off the dribble and the catch. He averaged 13.3 points, 4.2 assists, and 2.7 steals a game on 51-39-75 splits as a junior.     A sharpshooting wing with great size at 6-6, Nietert can shoot it really well from distance off the catch, knocking down 37.3% of his 3-point attempts as a junior despite getting off to a really slow start to the year. With his size, he can shoot it over his defender, and he's also really good on the glass, pulling down 5.0 rebounds a game from his wing position. He'll play his college ball at Wayne State.     Another piece of a great 2025 class at Linn-Mar, Matson is the straw that stirs the drink for the Lions offensive attack. He's a quick guard who puts constant pressure on teams with his ability to attack the rim off the dribble. He's a really good, creative finisher around the rim, and he does a nice job keeping his eyes up and finding open teammates after he gets the defense to collapse. He averaged 9.3 points and 3.3 assists a game as a junior on 48.5% shooting with a 1.77 assist-to-turnover ratio.     Bechen is the best player in 1A basketball, a dominant two-way player who can take over the game in the blink of an eye on either end of the floor, as he showed during the Lynx's state title run in March. He's a fiery competitor who blends toughness, strength, speed, and finesse into a dynamic all-around weapon. He averaged 21.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 3.0 steals a game on 52-37-80 shooting splits as a junior. Despite how great he is on the hardwood, he'll play college baseball at D2 Northwest Missouri State.     Wright is a quick guard who loves to use his speed to put constant pressure on opposing teams on both ends of the floor. He's a good ball-handler and shot creator who can create quality looks for himself and his teammates, and while he's a capable 3-point shooter, he's at his best when he's playing downhill and attacking the bucket. He averaged 10.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 steals a game as a junior at City High and has transferred to play his senior year at Linn-Mar, where he'll give the Lions an athletic guard who can also be a really good on-ball defender.     Deiters is a tough forward who has been a great team player for the Cougars, buying into his role as a solid interior defender, rebounder, and occasional scoring threat in the paint. He has great hands, sets hard, physical screens, and is a really good teammate. He has dealt with injury issues throughout his high school career, but when he's healthy, he's an impact two-way player with the type of size and toughness that all teams need.     A 6-2 guard who can do a little bit of everything on the offensive end, Berry averaged 8.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.3 assists a game as a junior. He can play with or without the ball in his hands and is good when he's playing downhill and attacking the rim, either finishing for himself or setting up his teammates.     Hills is an intriguing young wing with good size and length at 6-3, and he uses his length effectively on both ends of the floor. He can knock down shots from 3 off the catch and does a nice job getting up into passing lanes. He wasn't a big-time producer as a junior, but the Bears were a team dominated by skilled seniors. He figures to step into a much more prominent role during his senior year.