Centennial Classic: Top Forwards
The bracket at the Centennial Classic last weekend read more like a 4A state tourney then a random June high school team camp bracket. As a result, we got a chance to see lots of top Iowa talent all under he same roof. We’ve already run through what guards were most impressive, now, we’ll take a look at the forwards.
Micah Johnson, 6’6 SF (Centennial) — 2020
He was scoring from all over the floor, and showcasing a confidence in his outside shot that a lot of guys his size don’t possess. Johnson is wiry, but will get after it in the paint and around the rim. He’s primed for breakout junior season.
Caleb Schlaak, 6’6 F (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) — 2021
Just a rising sophomore, Schlaak was all over the court during Kennedy’s narrow loss to Centennial early on at the event. He’s tall and long and knows how to use his length effectively to protect the rim. Offensively, he can extend his game out to the 3-point line, where he shot 44 percent last season with the varsity as a freshman.
Jack Wetzel, 6’4 G/F (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) — 2020
Ok, so Wetzel is definitely more of a guard than a forward, but the thing about him, is that he can play the one through the four effectively at the high school ranks. He handles it like a point guard, shoots it like a shooting guard, slashes like a small forward, and has the size to probably play some four if he has to. A top-20 prospect in his class, Wetzel could be a guy that sees some offers roll in sometime soon.
Trey Hutcheson, 6’5 G/F (Linn-Mar) — 2019
Linn-Mar got smoked by Hoover in the semifinals, and we’ve definitely seen Hutcheson shoot better than he did in that one, but he still came away with 11 points and all of them came from inside the arc. A rangy prospect who sports D1 offers from Air Force and North Dakota and a D2 offer from Truman State, he’ll be able to take it down low and make his presence felt there if his shot isn’t falling for whatever reason next season with the Lions.
Lathan Brandt, 6’4 F (Centennial) — 2019
Another Centennial guy who showed vast improvements since the regular season. Brandt is a big-bodied, bruising forward, but he has some surprisingly good lift and was handling the ball well and shooting it confidently from deep.
Tyler Andrews, 6’4 SF (Cedar Rapids Kennedy) — 2020
After transferring from Linn-Mar into Kennedy, Andrews is still trying to get acclimated to his new teammates, and after a summer playing team camps with the Cougars, he should be ready to make a huge impact with them right away next season. A tall and athletic wing, who violently swatted a shot or two in the game we saw. Great length and basketball instincts, he can hit a 3-ball, too.
Hayden Passmore, 6’4 SF (Linn-Mar) — 2019
It was a big day for this versatile Linn-Mar threat. An athletic combo-forward who showed a propensity for knocking down jumpers, and has the size and athletic ability to do some serious damage in the paint. Passmore is a stretch-four who can do whatever is asked of him on the floor.
Jared Loveless, 6’2 SF (Hoover) — 2021
Loveless got some run last season as a freshman with the Huskies’ varsity, and after the title game against Omaha Central, we saw why. His length is the best asset, though he was going up against much larger guys at time in the paint, he was able to snare boards first with the arm advantage. He scored eight points in the title game win, and should be a major contributor for a small but mighty Hoover team next winter.