Area Rankings: Top 10 2026 Prospects in the Des Moines Metro

Rice had a fantastic spring and summer that ultimately culminated with his commitment to Nebraska. A prototypical wing scorer with great size, length, and three-level scoring ability, he's a skilled shot maker, creator, and an extremely versatile defender. His IQ, size, and athleticism allow him to defend one through five at the high school level, and he should be able to defend a few different spots for Fred Hoiberg. He averaged 12.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game on 54-38-75 shooting spilts as a junior behind a pair of senior guards, and he'll have a chance to truly shine as a senior.     A modern big man who runs the floor, protects the paint, and can step out and space the floor, Davis is another Big Ten commit, heading to play for Brad Underwood at Illinois. His defensive ability and versatility is his calling card at this point in time, while his offensive game is still a work in progress. He has good footwork and touch around the rim and a smooth stroke out to the arc, so he should become a reliable offensive weapon as well. Like Rice, he was a later option in the pecking order last season, but he still averaged 10.1 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 3.6 blocks per game on 74% shooting.     Shabazz, formerly of Davenport Assumption, is playing his high school ball at United Prep in the Des Moines area now, landing him in this article. An athletic, slashing guard who can play with or without the ball in his hands, his ability to create plays off the dribble is rivaled by few players in the 2026 class within the state. He'll play his college ball at Murray State.     Jacobson is going to play football and basketball at Texas A&M, heading to College Station as one of the most coveted tight end prospects in the country. On the hardwood, he's a big, athletic, and skilled forward who can score around the rim or step out and space the floor. He's a really good rebounder and can protect the paint defensively. He averaged 18.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game as a junior.     Aguirre is a highly skilled, intelligent combo guard who can control games as both a scorer and a facilitator. He has a great feel for the game, knowing when to attack, when to create for his teammates, and how to get to his preferred spots. He's a really good shooter from the mid-range, and while his 3-point efficiency took a step back last season as the team's primary scoring option, he can be a 40+% shooter when he's able to get quality looks off the catch. He put up 20.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game last season and is the type of player who could help out a DII program very early in his career.     A dominant interior defender who is just starting to scratch the surface of his long-term potential, Crane is a high-upside, modern big man who runs the floor, can shoot it from 3, and is an elite rim protector. He has impeccable timing and instincts as a shot blocker, as well as the length, lateral movement, and IQ to switch on the perimeter defensively. He averaged 11.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per game as a junior, and will head to the Naval Academy to play his college ball.     Few players in the state make scoring look as easy as Lorensen does. A smooth lefty with a pure stroke from anywhere on the floor, he has a tremendous feel for the game, which he pairs with great off-ball movement to routinely put himself in positions to score. A true three-level scorer who is among the best in the state at operating without the ball in his hands, he averaged 24.3 points per game last season on 54-42-88 shooting splits. He will play at Division II Upper Iowa.     Daye is one of the best isolation scorers in the state, a great ball-handler with speed, footwork, and pace. He has the ability to break down any defender one-and-one, getting into the teeth of the defense, where he's a quality scorer or playmaker. He sees the floor well, handles it exceptionally well, and is working to extend his range out to the arc with consistency. He averaged 16.4 points and 2.7 assists per game on 49-31-71 shooting splits last season.     Gibson is one of the fastest players in the state with the ball in his hands, getting end-to-end in the blink of an eye. He's really good operating in ball screen actions, with the ability to turn the corner and get to the bucket, find the open roll or pop man, or knock down shots from the mid-range. He also uses his speed to his advantage defensively, moving side-to-side and pestering opposing ball-handlers. He averaged 15.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.3 steals per game last season.     White is a quick, tough guard who thrives using his speed and toughness to get to the rim off the dribble, where he does a great job finishing through contact. He has a great first step and does a nice job changing speeds to help get by defenders. He's not just a scoring guard, however, displaying great vision and a knack for finding open teammates with pin-point passes from anywhere on the floor. He put up 14.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game on 45-37-71 shooting splits as a junior.