Iowa's best high school boys basketball players: Meet the state's top small forwards
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be taking a position-by-position look at some of the top players in Iowa high school boys basketball. This list focuses on the small forwards.
There are hundreds of standout boys basketball players in Iowa and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive. If you know of any other small forwards worthy of our attention, please email nate@scorebooklive.com.
Leo Aguirre, 6-3, Sr., Ankeny
A powerful wing who is at his best when playing downhill with the ball in his hands, Aguirre averaged 14.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists a game as a junior. He is the second-leading scorer on an 8-3 team this season, averaging 14.3 points to go along with 6.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 49.6 percent. Lio’s younger brother, Rio, contributes 11.4 points per game for the Hawks.
Ben Bockman, 6-5, Sr., Decorah
Bockman was a Class 3A second-team all-stater last season after pouring in 22.4 points a game to go along with 8.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists. He ranks 10th in 3A in scoring this season with a 20.3 average, playing on a talented Viking squad ranked fifth with an 8-1 mark. Bockman shoots 55.6 percent from the floor, including 51.8 from beyond the arc, where he has made 29 of 56 3-pointers.
Kareem Earl, 6-5, Sr., Iowa City West
The son of former University of Iowa standout Acie Earl, Kareem has battled injuries the last couple of seasons, but when he is healthy is as good a wing scorer as there is in the state. He averaged 10.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists as a junior, shooting 51.2 percent. His numbers are similar through nine games this season, 10.3 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists and the Trojans have an 8-1 record.
Lucas Frohwein, 6-3, Sr., Colo-Nesco
A lanky 6-3 wing, Frohwein averages 23.3 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. He ranks eighth in Class 1A scoring and is soon to become his school’s all-time leading rebounder.
Kayvion Hodges, 6-3, Jr., Davenport Assumption
Hodges is a key reserve for the 7-3 Knights, contributing 7.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. The best is yet to come for the explosive wing, who had 19 points in a game against Cedar Falls early this season.
Seaton Ingram, 6-5, Jr., Des Moines Christian
Ingram just returned to the floor after suffering a knee injury, but he’s a threat in both scoring and rebounding. Ingram averaged 11.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore for a state tournament team.
Jalen Kirkpatrick, 6-6, Jr., Grundy Center
Kirkpatrick is the leading scorer on a team that has won 10 of its first 12 games. He is averaging 12.4 points and 5.5 rebounds, shooting 44 percent from the floor. Kirkpatrick had a strong showing as a sophomore, averaging 16.5 points and 6.6 rebounds.
Trevan Krumrei, 6-5, Sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy
The Truman State University recruit is a solid performer for the top-ranked Class 4A team. Krumrei contributes 10.2 points per game while pulling down 3.8 rebounds. He was a key reserve for the Cougars last season after transferring from Linn-Mar.
Carson Lambert, 6-3, Jr., Monticello
The Panthers are a talented team, unbeaten (10-0) and ranked third in Class 2A. Lambert has thrown in 14.2 points and pulled down 6.2 rebounds per game midway through his junior season. A lefthander with a pure shooting stroke, Lambert has hit 55 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.
Julian Manson, 6-3, Soph., Iowa City West
“Ju Ju” was a freshman starter on a star-studded West team last season and has been a steady performer for the 8-1 and Class 4A eighth-ranked Hawks this season. Manson averages 11.2 points – third on the team – and is shooting 52 percent from the floor.
Jack McCaffery, 6-8, Jr., Iowa City West
The youngest son of University of Iowa basketball coach Fran McCaferry, Jack is one of the top juniors in the state. He is leading the Trojans with 16.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. Listed as the top junior prospect in the state by Prep Hoops, McCaffery also has 22 blocked shots. As a sophomore, he averaged 16.0 points and 7.4 rebounds.
Thomas Meyer, 6-4, Jr., Clear Lake
A highly sought-after recruit as a football tight end, Meyer is a mobile big man on the court, having averaged 14.6 points and 7.2 rebounds while shooting an eye-popping 72 percent as a sophomore. The Lions (10-0) are unbeaten and ranked No. 1 in Class 3A with Meyer contributing 1.7 points and 8.0 rebounds, shooting 59.4 percent.
Brooks Moore, 6-5, Sr., Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
Moore loves to attack in transition, looking to dunk on anyone that gets in his way. A Class 2A third-team all-state pick as a junior, he is currently seventh among 2A scorers statewide with a 24.0 points-per-game average while also pulling down 8.2 rebounds. He has already gone over 1,000 points for his career.
Payson Nietert, 6-6, Jr., Linn-Mar
Nietert has yet to find his touch from long range, but when he gets hot, he can throw in threes in bunches. He is averaging just over nine points per game with 36 3-pointers and grabs 5.5 rebounds an outing.
Ty Pflughaupt, 6-4, Sr., North Linn
Pflughaupt will play at Division II Upper Iowa University, but first is hoping to help his team reach the state tournament for the ninth straight season. As a junior, he made 60 percent of his shots, averaging 15.8 points and 7.8 rebounds for the Class 1A state runners-up. This season, the Lynx are back on top of the 1A charts at 12-0, with Pflughaupt averaging 21.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.8 steals per game.
Kavon Phillips, 6-7, Sr., North Scott
Phillips is a long, athletic wing who can defend multiple positions, score inside and out and rebound at a high clip. The lanky lefthander averaged 14.5 points and 8.0 rebounds as a junior. The Lancers are ranked fourth in Class 4A and Phillips has put up solid numbers through nine games, averaging 10.3 points and 6.0 rebounds for an 8-1 squad.
Brennan Reid, 6-7, Sr., North Scott
Reid is one of the top rebounders in the state, averaging 8.8 a game to rank fifth in Class 4A. He has scored 9.6 points a game for the 9-1 and fourth-ranked Lancers.
Jalen Richardson, 6-4, Jr., Johnston
An athletic wing who shows versatility on defense with his combination of length and speed, he is second on the Dragons with an 11.1 scoring average while pulling down 5.3 rebounds a game. Richardson leads his team with 19 3-pointers and is shooting 42 percent from long range.
Preston Ries, 6-1, Sr., Monticello
One of the top athletes in the state, Ries has signed on to play football at the University of Iowa. He was a first team Class 2A all-state pick as a junior in basketball, averaging 23.1 points and 10.2 rebounds on a team that made the state tournament. Ries is averaging 22.8 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists for the third-ranked 2A team in the state.
Dylan Stecker, 6-4, Jr., Spirit Lake
Stecker is a scoring machine, averaging 25 points through 10 games this season. He is also averaging 8.0 rebounds and shooting 59.4 percent from the field. As a sophomore, Stecker was good for 16.8 points and 5.8 rebounds a game.
Preston Stensland, 6-3, Soph., Gilbert
Stensland came up to the varsity last season and has made big strides midway through his sophomore campaign. He is averaging 10.9 points on 45-percent shooting. Stensland was a member of a state championship soccer team last spring and during the fall ran on the Tigers’ Class 3A state championship cross country team.
Reece Vander Zee, 6-5, Sr., Central Lyon
A gifted athlete who will play football at the University of Iowa, Vander Zee is also a star for the Lions on the hardwood. A second-team all-stater for last year’s Class 2A state champions, he is third in the state with a 28.4 scoring average through 11 games this season. Vander Zee averages a double-double, adding 10 rebounds per contest.
Kaden Van Regenmorter, 6-3, Jr., Hull Western Christian
Van Regenmorter is another versatile performer who excels at many spots on the court. He is averaging 21.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists for a 9-1 Wolfpack squad that has lost only to two-time defending South Dakota Class A champion Dakota Valley. Van Regenmorter has launched 135 shots and made 73 for 54.1 percent. He scored over 14 a game for the Class 2A state runners-up last season.
Drew Wagner, 6-4, Sr., Waterloo Christian
A powerful performer, Wagner ranks second in the state in scoring, averaging 28.5 points, which is just behind Owen Larson of Estherville-Lincoln Central (28.7). Wagner has scored 44 points in a game twice this season and is on pace to break Waterloo Christian’s career scoring record of 1,677 points. And, Wagner also averages 12 rebounds a game, 10th in Class 1A.
Caden Wilkins, 6-7, Sr., Bettendorf
The top-ranked player in the state by Prep Hoops, Wilkins is an elite level scorer and rebounder. As a junior, he averaged a double-double of 19.9 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, earning second-team Class 4A all-state honors. At the halfway point of this season, his numbers are down a bit, to 16.6 points and 5.4 rebounds, but Wilkins can score from anywhere on the floor and is dishing out 3.3 assists a game and shooting just under 50 percent from the field. A number of major Division I schools are showing interest in the Bettendorf star.
Jonovan Wilkinson, 6-2, Sr., Roland-Story
The versatile Wilkinson could classify as either a guard or forward, but one thing is for sure, he knows how to score the basketball. He had 44 points and 16 rebounds in his team’s first game of the season and is fifth in the state in Class 2A with a 26.5 average, plus 9.1 rebounds. Wilkinson earned first team all-state accolades as a junior, averaging 16.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.2 steals.
(Photo of Caden Wilkins courtesy of 247Sports)
-- Barry Poe I @SBLIiveIA
