Class 4A Stars to Watch (Part 2)

Deng averaged 11.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 1.4 steals on a loaded Valley team last season, and should see his numbers increase a bit after the Tigers lost Curtis Stinson Jr and [player_tooltip player_id='1759897' first='Kyle' last='Cason'] to transfers. He's a long, athletic wing who impacts the game on both ends of the floor with his length and non-stop motor. He's good in the mid-range, but is at his best when he's playing downhill and attacking the rim.     The son of new Drake head coach Ben McCollum, Peyton is a high IQ, skilled guard who can score from all three levels as well as create quality looks for his teammates off the dribble. He has good vision and is a skilled ball-handler who limits mistakes. He shoots it really well from 3-point range off both the dribble and the catch, and he's an intelligent defender.     Richardson is one of the most versatile players in the state, on both ends of the floor. He has good size, length, and lateral quickness, and can defend one through five at this level. On the offensive end, he's good from all three levels as a scorer, posting up smaller defenders or taking bigger ones off the dribble. He shoot sit well from 3-point range and is a good passer. He averaged 10.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.0 blocks on 47-43-72 shooting splits.     Speaking of high-level defenders, Hodges was arguably the best defender in the state during Assumption's state tournament run back in March. He locked up a number of high-level scorers, and each of them got their points in different ways, allowing Hodges to showcase his versatility as a defender. He has great quickness, length, and strength, and he really takes pride in his work on that end of the floor. Offensively, he's skilled with the ball in his hands, attacking off the dribble and getting to the rim and the free-throw line routinely. He averaged 10.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game as a junior at Assumption, and has transferred back to Muscatine for his senior year.     A highly efficient forward with good footwork, soft touch, and a variety of different moves to go to on the block, Gerdes averaged a team-high 11.7 points on 70.3% shooting as a sophomore for the Tigers, and followed that up with a great spring and summer with [program_tooltip program_id='2246861' first='Murray' last='Elite']. He has picked up several Division I offers, and will be adding several more in the coming months.     Rice didn't get a ton of playing time as a sophomore for the Wolves, but figures to be a big part of their rotation as a junior. He had one of the best springs and summers of any player in the state, picking up a number of mid-major offers as a result. He has a unique blend of size, length, and three-level scoring ability from the wing. He shoots it really well off the catch and is a solid shot creator off the bounce.     Schultz was impressive as a sophomore for the Rams, showing why he's one of the highest ranked players in the state's 2026 class. He has great size and can score inside and out at an efficient clip. He averaged 14.5 points and 4.3 rebounds a game as a sophomore on 60-35-71 shooting splits.       Jacobson is one of the top basketball prospects in the state, but he's also one of the top tight end prospects in the country, holding a number of big-time football offers from programs like Ohio State, Florida State, and Penn State. He's a big, strong, mobile, and highly athletic forward on the hardwood who can protect the rim as a shot blocker, defend on the perimeter, and finish effectively around the rim with either hand. It would be interesting to see what his ceiling as a basketball prospect could be, but there's no denying the potential he has on the gridiron.