Sam Mbingazo Sam Mbingazo 6'10" | C Bullard | 2025 CA-N has only been in Iowa City for one high-school season but he has already made a big impact on his Iowa City-City High program. Mbingazo is a rim protector. He does a lot of nice things on the floor to help his team but his best ability in my opinion is blocking or alternating shots that are closer to the rim. He is listed at around 6’8/6’9 accompanied with a lot of athleticism. I happen to be in attendance for a handful of his games this year and during each contest he got his hands on a number of blocks and deflections. An example I really like is when his team faced off against Iowa Commit, Pryce Sandfort Pryce Sandfort 6'7" | SF Waukee Northwest | 2023 State #123 Nation IA . Sandfort went up for two big dunks in transition over Samuel and each time it was denied, convincingly. Along with this you can imagine that his rebounding ability is next level. He does a fantastic job of knowing where the ball is going to land off of a missed shot and going to get it, no matter who is in his way. During this AAU season he will return to Cali to play for the Compton Magic, a highly ranked AAU program that has received national recognition multiple times throughout the years for having some of the best players in the country at the high-school level.

Mbingazo battled foul trouble the first time I saw him this season. He picked up a few cheapies in this game as well, but you could see the growth in him understanding how to defend without fouling. He moves his feet well and stays down better on head fakes. He’s also improving seeing the double team coming and moving it on before it arrives.

I enjoyed my first look at Mbingazo. I’m intrigued. He’s still somewhat raw but oozes potential. He picked up two quick fouls and sat for a good chunk of the first half. He showed maturity in playing under control and not fouling out when he returned. Mbingazo is long and athletic. He shows a soft touch near the basket and can hit mid-range jumpers. He rebounds well and understands help-side defense. He plays with excellent energy and runs the court well. He paced the Little Hawks with 13 points on this night. I’m looking forward to watching him progress. He has an interesting starter kit.

This is a placeholder spot until everyone actually gets eyes on Big Sam in a DeSales uniform this winter. He could be the best 2026 in Kentucky or he could be a project big man. We’ll know more about Mbingazo when we update rankings this winter. For now he starts at #5 based on potential and what little has been seen in highlight clips.