2024 Rankings: A Look at the Top 10

#1 Aili Tanke Aili Tanke 6'0" | SG Johnston | 2024 State IA – 5’10 SG – Johnston – All Iowa Attack – Iowa State commit

Tanke had a great summer and really started to take off after her performances in July. She’s a very strong off-ball guard who can shoot the ball at a very high rate as evidenced by her outrageous 51.3% shooting from behind the arc on close to four attempts a game. She’s a perfect compliment for Johnston with their talent and she should see a much bigger role this year in their offense. What really pushes Tanke to the top spot in the 2024 class is her versatility. She’s a well-built guard who can play multiple spots on the floor and has the ability to go inside and post up and score the ball. You can expect her to have a breakout season this year as she will be able to take on a much bigger scoring role and improve on her 248 points from a year ago.

#2 Callie Levin Callie Levin 5'10" | PG Solon | 2024 State IA – 5’9 PG – Solon – All Iowa Attack – Iowa commit

If Tanke is #1, then Levin is 1B. It is pretty clear that Levin is one of the top on-ball guards in the state, regardless of class. She proved that in her freshman year at Solon scoring 19.0 points a game and filling up the rebound, assist, and steal column every night. Levin is both very quick and fast which allows her to get the ball downhill very quickly. She is also a special quick twitch athlete with her ability to create separation from her defender at a high level. Levin has the potential to hit the 1,000 point mark this year if Solon makes a deep run into the tournament. This summer I saw a lot of improvement in her 3-point shot, if she can get her percentage up to 38-40 percent from deep, she instantly turns into almost an unstoppable offensive force.

#3 Kendall McDaniel Kendall McDaniel 6'0" | C Valley | 2024 State IA – 6’0 PF – Indianola – Lady Pure Prep

I first saw McDaniel back in 2019 at our Top 250 showcase as an eighth grader and I was instantly intrigued. At that time she showed really solid footwork for someone her size and age and now she is starting to creep into the realm of being an elite post player. She has the ability to step out and knock down shots behind the arc and the mid-range. I think she’s going to become a really solid low-to-mid post type player who can step out and knock down the occasional 3-pointer. McDaniel is one of the top rebounders in the state with how she carves out space and attacks the ball at the high point. Her development will be key over the next year to year and a half. I think she has a really high potential to become a really sought after high major prospect.

#4 - Addy Johnson Addy Johnson 6'0" | C Westwood | 2024 State IA – 6’0 PF – Westwood – South Dakota Attack

Johnson is probably the least known of any player on the Top 10 list and in part because she goes to high school at a 1A school about two and a half hours northwest of Des Moines and she plays for South Dakota Attack. However, she is a very legit prospect and is very deserving to be inside the top five. Last year she scored 17.8 points a game and grabbed 11.9 rebounds a game. Couple that with a highly efficient scoring ability and you have one of the top posts in the state of Iowa. She played excellently on a loaded 2024 South Dakota Attack team this summer and showed a lot of next level potential. The first thing that will jump out at you is her athleticism and I have no problem saying that I think she’s one of the most athletic players in the state. She could eventually swing out to the wing but I really like her as a mismatch stretch-4 that will almost certainly be soon drawing the interest of DI schools.

#5 – Vanessa Bickford Vanessa Bickford 5'9" | PG Dallas Center-Grimes | 2024 State IA – 5’9 PG – Dallas Center-Grimes – Lady Pure Prep

Bickford is a tough player to nail down positionally what she is as she can play a variety of spots on the floor. However, she is just so good with the ball in her hands that I would have a tough time in moving her off the ball. She is a very efficient ball handler who makes those around her better when she is on the floor. Solid defender who was able to grab just under two steals a game. She can shoot the 3-pointer and get to the rim but I think she’s going to be best suited as a floor general who makes the offense run as a well oiled machine. Bickford has shown tremendous growth over the last year and as she continues to improve has the ability to creep up in the rankings.

#6 – Elise Jaeger Elise Jaeger 6'1" | PF Valley | 2024 State IA – 6’0 PF – Valley – All Iowa Attack

I am probably higher on Jaeger than most but she’s shown me some really nice flashes with her play in the past. I think she could be really good as a high post stretch-4 as she has a great feel for the game. Her ability to face up and knock down shots as well as pass out of the high post cannot be understated. While she didn’t have a freshman season that was in any means flashy I think really highly of her ability to be a very solid player. One thing that will surprise you with her is the ability to put the ball on the floor so she truly is a high post threat as she can get to the basket as well. She’s one of those players that her upside is going to really come from how hard she works on her game and if she reaches her highest potential I think it will be pushing towards a Top 3 spot.

#7 – Alexandra Flattery Alexandra Flattery 5'10" | SG Sioux City East | 2024 State IA – 5’10 SG – Sioux City East – South Dakota Attack

Flattery is a tall guard who has the ability to slide between both guard spots on the floor. I think she has the potential to hold quite a bit of strength at the next level without losing any of her athleticism. This summer I thought that she processed the game extremely well and showed the ability to make quick decisions with the ball in her hands. She is a very active and athletic guard who has versatility on the floor. She plays on a very senior laden Sioux City East squad so at times she tends to blend in, however, she has the highest ceiling of anyone on the floor. The one thing that I really want to see her improve on is her ability to shoot the ball from the outside. I think showing that aspect of her game a little more would cement her into the Top 10 for the rest of her high school career.

#8 – Brooklyn Stanley Brooklyn Stanley 5'8" | PG Bishop Heelan | 2024 State IA – 5’7 PG – Bishop Heelan – South Dakota Attack

Stanley is a very physical guard who possesses a fairly athletic frame with strength. When I watch her play she always seems to just do everything on the floor really solidly. She limits mistakes, moves the ball, plays solid defense, and can knock down shots. I look at Stanley and see a really high floor with everything that she does well. Another part of that South Dakota Attack squad from Iowa she was able to take over some games at times this past summer. Her sister is currently playing DI basketball at St. Thomas and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Brooklyn be playing DI basketball some day as well. I would like to see her become a more efficient scorer this winter as then I think she could start to rise up the ranks.

#9 – Aaliyah Riley Aaliyah Riley 5'7" | PG Johnston | 2024 State IA – 5’6 PG – Johnston – CY Select

Riley is a tough player to pin down for multiple reasons but there is no denying that she is an impactful player when she’s on the floor. This past AAU season opposing coaches had to game plan against her to slow down her team. Riley is a quick guard who gets to the basket really well and showed a much shot from beyond the arc. Defensively she has great hands and led Johnston in steals last season despite coming off the bench for all but one game. I like her ability to get to the rim and score the ball but want to see how she handles bigger guards in a larger setting as she dominates guards who are the same size as her. I am really intrigued to see how she is over the next two years.

#10 – Mallory Leerar Mallory Leerar 5'9" | SF West Hancock | 2024 State IA – 5’9 SF – West Hancock – All Iowa Attack

Leerar exploded onto the scene as a freshman and showed really good poise as coming right in as a contributor for a very good program. One of. the first things that stand out about Mallory is her overall length at 5’9. That length is a big reason why she averaged over three steals a game. Leerar is really good at getting to the rim where she can finish at the basket with both hands. I like her ability to affect the game on both ends of the floor. This upcoming season will be a big season for her as she looks to gain a much bigger role on the offensive end of the floor. She has a really high potential as she improves her game, especially on the offensive end of the floor.