2025 Midwest Showcase: Iowa Bigs to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>From June 20-22, 11 teams from Iowa will head down to Kansas City to compete in the 2025 Midwest Showcase, the June live period event for NCAA Division 1 coaches. In this series of articles, we take a look at some of the standout players who will be looking to grab the attention of those coaches.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 PF [player_tooltip player_id='1765553' first='William' last='Gerdes'] | Cedar Falls</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A crafty, skilled 6-8/6-9 big man coming off a great junior season, Gerdes is a versatile two-way player who can protect the rim defensively as well as step out and stretch the floor on the offensive end. A lefty who can finish through contact, he has good footwork and soft touch around the rim. He holds a handful of Division 1 offers and will be looking to continue to impress college coaches in the middle of June against some high-level competition. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 F [player_tooltip player_id='1765549' first='Leyton' last='Wolf'] | Cedar Falls</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wolf is one of the most intriguing players in the state's 2026 class, a tantalizing combination of size, strength, mobility, and length. He's still working on putting it all together, but he can provide some real versatility on the defensive end, and his frame is the type of frame that college coaches dream of. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 PF [player_tooltip player_id='2419840' first='Cayden' last='Larson'] | Prairie</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Larson is a talented offensive weapon with good footwork and size. He can step out and space the floor, but he's at his best when he's using his footwork and touch to score on the block. He's the type of passer that you can play through as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 PF [player_tooltip player_id='2617486' first='Charles' last='Crane'] | Dowling Catholic</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the highest upside players in the state's 2026 class, Crane is a fantastic athlete with size, length, and impeccable timing as a shot blocker. He runs the floor hard, beating his man routinely for easy buckets, and he can also score in the halfcourt. He has soft hands and is a tremendous rebounder on both ends of the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 C [player_tooltip player_id='1765524' first='Evan' last='Jacobson'] | Waukee</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jacobson's future is on the gridiron, but if he had a sudden change of heart and decided to pursue basketball, he'd have plenty of suitors. His play as a junior for the Warriors was sensational, routinely putting up huge games against the top competition in the state. He's a plus-athlete with a big, physical frame, quick feet, and good touch with either hand. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 PF [player_tooltip player_id='1643192' first='Landon' last='Davis'] | Waukee Northwest</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>One of the most impactful defenders in the state, Davis is an elite shot blocker whose ability to protect the paint alone would be enough to garner some significant Division 1 interest. His offensive game is still a bit of a work in progress, but he showed flashes throughout his junior year of some real talent on that end of the floor as well, with smooth footwork, soft touch, and an aggressiveness that comes out in spurts where he looks to dunk everything on everyone. As he continues to become a more comfortable offensive player, he could really see the offers come flooding in in a hurry.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->