UPDATED 2019 RANKINGS: Biggest Risers (Part II)
It’s been three years now since we began evaluating the class of 2019, and while some standouts are still yet to surface, others are just hitting their stride. After strong junior seasons, these eight guys have enjoyed a rise in this latest installment of rankings.
Beau Cornwell (West Branch)
44 to 34
After posting some big-time scoring numbers each of the last two seasons, Cornwell has started receiving plenty of college interest; some of the D2 variety. He’s a standout on the gridiron, too, and it’ll be interesting to see which sport he decides to pursue at the next level.
Conner Groves (Sergeant Bluff-Luton)
48 to 40
We saw glimpses of how good he might be last year at the state tourney, and this year, as the main-man for his team, Groves got the Warriors back to state. The 6-foot guard is an athletic, skilled shooter, who has a knack for making the right play.
Hosea Treadwell (Hoover)
52 to 42
For the second straight installment, Treadwell has made a jump in the rankings. He played significant minutes for the Huskies as a freshman, and that was one of the state’s best teams. Then he tore his ACL, and missed his entire sophomore season. He was back, stronger than ever this season, and proved to be one of the more dangerous shooters in the state.
Hunter Snyder (Pleasant Valley)
55 to 44
Pleasant Valley is mainstays in the Iowa high school 4A Top-10, and Hunter Synder put up some very nice numbers with the Spartans as a junior. We take kindly to non-seniors who post substantial numbers on elite teams. Snyder averaged 12.1 points and two assists per game; he made 40 3s this season.
Caden Bleeker (Sioux Center)
106 to 45
Another 2019 who put up big numbers on one of the state’s best teams. Bleeker makes a substantial jump, up 66 spots, after a tremendous junior season with the Warriors. Bleeker co-led the team in scoring with 15.3 points per game, and did so while shooting 54 percent from the floor. He’ll play with South Dakota Attack this spring and summer.
Jack Peterson (Sioux City East)
63 to 50
He made his debut in the last installment after we discovered him in a grassroots tourney last summer in Council Bluffs. He’s an athletic and skilled guard, and we’re not surprised he rose up to play a key role with 4A state tourney qualifiers Sioux City East. Peterson was the third-leading scorer on that team behind stars Van Rees and Aidan Vanderloo.
Harris Hoffman (Cascade)
64 to 51
A shoo-in to make a leap in the rankings, Hoffman was the best player on the 2A state title team this season. And he was utterly impressive at the state tourney in March en route to 2A all-tourney captain honors. The 6-foot-1 guard can play several positions and was a sensational shooter, canning 49 percent of his outside attempts this season.
Mach Nyaw (Storm Lake)
86 to 60
Up 26 spots from the last rankings, Nyaw was the catalyst for a Grand View Christian squad that won its second straight state title this season. He gets it done on both sides of the ball, and uses length and athleticism to make him especially menacing on the defensive end. Surprisingly, Nyaw recently announced he’ll be leaving Grand View Christian and heading to Storm Lake next season, to play with friends and family (he’s originally from Storm Lake).