Film Study: Five Under-The-Radar Fabricators

Over the next few months leading up to the season we will be participating in several film study sessions to look in depth into some of the conferences across Iowa and their top players to see what they might be able to accomplish this upcoming season.    Below we highlight a few players that college recruiters should keep on their radar as we move into this Winter.   (Make sure to check out The 2026 PGH Iowa Expo Showcase taking place in Des Moines on October 3rd from 10AM-2PM. Compete against some of the best prospects in the state and get in front of our scouts before the 2026-2027 High School season begins. More info is available at <a href="https://events.prepgirlshoops.com/e/2428/register/the-expo-iowa">https://events.prepgirlshoops.com/e/2428/register/the-expo-iowa</a>. Use code Jeremy26PGH25OFF for a discount at checkout!)   Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!    [player_tooltip player_id='1224382' first='Calista' last='Frankenstein'] played some convincing ball last Winter as a Freshman on the Varsity level for Spencer High School. The 6'0 CG/SF moved all over the court as needed and produced. She was a solid scoring threat on both sides of the hoop, she defended the middle of the lane at a steady rate, she rebounded relentlessly, she worked through some tough situations, and she gave it her all each time she laced up her kicks. She was her team's leader in PPG and RPG. Something we should see more of this Winter for her Sophomore season as a whole. She should return even more polished than last year. If that is the case, everyone within the Lakes Conference better watch out!     Diagonal High School led their conference throughout the 2025-2026 season with a 7-1 record (14-7 Overall). One of the biggest reasons for their success was the play they received from Sophomore, Cadence Shiflett. Shiflett plays at the PF position at 6'0 and she loves to work inside the lane in anyway possible. Offensively, she is not the type to step out to the three point line and shoot the deep shot. Instead, she wants to bury you under the basket and make the easy attempt with her combination of height and touch on the ball. Defensively, she is tall and agile enough that you have to worry about where she is at all times. If you just ignore it and think she isn't there, that's when the possession ends in a nasty block by Shiflett and the defense. All in all, this is a player to watch moving into this Winter. If she produces at high rates once again, I'm sure she will have some college interest as we walk into the Spring.     [player_tooltip player_id='1869637' first='Liv' last='Klootwyk'] is looking to return this Winter as the West Central Conferences leading scorer for another season at Pleasantville High School. 301 Points. That's what Klootwyk scored within 23 contests, averaging out to right around 12.5 Points Per Game for her squad on 35% shooting. I think it's also important to add that she dished out 2.5 APG throughout the year as well, demonstrating that she is a willing passer when the opportunities present themselves in real time. The reality is that this is a prospect with a better feel for the game of Basketball than her high school competition level. She has had an impactful start to her high school career and I can't wait to see her build off of that moving forward. She has settle foundation in place to build something productive if she plays her cards correctly.     SE Polk has not lived up to their expectations as a whole the last few seasons but I think they are going to turn a corner this Winter with the new staff that they have brought in. This is a roster with several talented prospects at multiple positions. Debatably, one of their best, who could really show the rest of the state something over the next 24 months is [player_tooltip player_id='880927' first='Brooklyn' last='Ruddy']. Ruddy has that natural feel for the game when she competes. She makes a lot of reactionary moves on both sides of the ball, which somewhat demonstrates her feel for things in general. She can make open shots when she is left alone, she can finish at the bucket in multiple ways, and she isn't a slouch on defense either from what we have seen the last couple of seasons. If this team gets things to click and everyone shares the rock the right way when they play, they might surprise some well-established programs around the DSM area before their season comes to a close. It's not going to be easy but they have the type of players where it is possible.     Devin Ludwig is an under-the-radar type player as a whole. That's because she isn't the first or second offensive option on her Varsity team but that doesn't mean she isn't a producer in multiple ways because when you look at her past numbers/film - she is! Ludwig averaged just under 10 PPG as a Junior while being a top Assist leader inside the WaMaC Conference. When the season finished she was tied for 7th or 8th for total Assists on the season, which makes a lot of sense. This is a hooper than understands how to get those around her open. She makes quick moves against her individual matchups into open space and that space leads to a lot of success as a whole. This program returns ALL of their main contributors from a year ago when they went 16-8. That should set them up for a ton of success, both individually and as a team as we continue into this season but we will have to wait to see how it all plays out.

Over the next few months leading up to the season we will be participating in several film study sessions to look in depth into some of the conferences across Iowa and their top players to see what they might be able to accomplish this upcoming season.