Area Rankings: Top 10 2026 Prospects in Southwest Iowa

A quick, talented guard who can take over the game as a scorer, facilitator, and defender, Lovely put together a really good sophomore season for the Cardinals, averaging 10.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.5 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game. He's a good athlete with the bounce to compete on the glass or contest shots after rotating over, and he's really skilled as a playmaker, with great vision and handles. He shot nearly 41% from behind the arc, to boot.     Ballenger put together a nice sophomore year for the Falcons, leading the team in scoring at 13.5 points per game while shooting nearly 36% from behind the arc. He has a quick release off the catch, and has really improved over the last year as a shot creator, improving as a ball-handler and decision-maker with the ball in his hands.     Klement is a talented guard who sees the floor well and does a nice job getting his teammates involved and initiating the offense. He protects the ball, posting a 1.73 assist-to-turnover ratio, and is a solid on-ball defender. When he's looking to score, he's at his best playing downhill and using his handles and speed to attack the rim.     Heydon has been one of the most productive players in the 2026 class over his first two high school seasons, routinely stuffing the stat sheet on both ends of the floor. He has good size on the wing, providing versatility on the defensive end as well as the ability to create plays off the dribble for himself and his teammates. He averaged 20.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game as a sophomore while putting up impressive 54-41-67 shooting splits. He has the size to shoot over smaller defenders and the strength to bully them on the block, paired with the handles and quickness to get by bigger defenders.     McLaren is a young wing who could really take off over the next year. He has good size and length on the wing, is a versatile three-level scorer, and will have a ton of opportunity this winter following the graduation of a 27-point scorer. McLaren himself averaging 12.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.3 assists a game on 48% shooting as a sophomore.     Hogan impressed as a sophomore as a playmaker and facilitator, posting a 2.15 assist-to-turnover ratio. He's a quick guard who likes to play downhill and get the defense to collapse, and he uses his speed well on the defensive end as well, averaging 2.3 steals per game.     Ramsey is probably due for a little bump up the rankings in the next installment after getting to see a bit more tape on him from last season. He's a quick, smart guard who does a nice job using ball screens to create offense for himself and his teammates. He shoots it well from 3-point range off both the dribble and the catch, and contributes on the glass on the defensive end. He averaged 15.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.0 steals per game as a sophomore for the Wolves.     A mobile big man who is just starting to scratch the surface of his ability, Thien averaged 5.4 points and 4.0 rebounds on 51.5% shooting as a sophomore. He has good hands and footwork, and showed some potential as a rim protector as well.     Ewing is a strong guard who does a nice job attacking the rim off the dribble, using his strength to finish through contact, and he's really good on the glass for a guard. He's a solid defender who moves his feet well and he has the strength to hold his own against some bigger bodies on switches. He averaged 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.2 steals a game as a sophomore for the Warhawks.     Pryor is probably a bit undersized for his forward spot, but he's a good athlete with a non-stop motor that he uses to compete on the glass, score around the rim, and find open teammates out of his post spot. He averaged 8.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.8 steals a game as a sophomore for the Tigers.