Class 5A – Region 2: 2023’s to Watch

As we look for other ways to cover prospects we thought it would be beneficial to cover players in a way that allows us to cover those we don’t write much about. We will be using the region’s from last season as they were constructed. Obviously, these regions will change into next season but for these stories it was the easiest way to divide players and teams as equally as possible. We will be writing a series of three stories for each region in the state and the categories are as follows: 2023’s to put on Your Radar, 2022’s who can Breakout, and 2021’s Who Should be Valued by Colleges. We will continue to go through each region and aim to hit as many players as we can that we haven’t talked about previously. Here are five 2023’s who need to be on your radar. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="13959" first="Arianna" last="Jackson"] - Des Moines Roosevelt</strong> Des Moines Roosevelt used a young roster to claim the CIML Metro Conference regular season title, going a perfect 10-0. Now, the expectations around the program have grown. One of those key newcomers was Class of 2023’s [player_tooltip player_id="13959" first="Arianna" last="Jackson"], as she finished her debut season with the Roughriders as the leading rebounder. Jackson had 112 total boards, adding 270 points with 30 assists and 19 steals. Jackson shot over 45 percent from the field, knocking down 42 percent of her three-pointers. She led Roosevelt with 46 made triples and also sank 67 percent of her free throws. <strong>Janae Wynter - Des Moines Lincoln</strong> The only place for Des Moines Lincoln to go is up, and the Railsplitters have some intriguing young players to do that with. That includes Class of 2023’s Janae Wynter, as she led Lincoln with 78 points last year. Wynter made eight three-pointers and also recorded 61 rebounds with 16 steals, a team-high 13 blocks and six assists. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="63050" first="Julia" last="Moore"] - West Des Moines Dowling</strong> It was another strong season on the hardwood for West Des Moines Dowling, as they won 19 games before coming up short in the regional championship. The Maroons, though, graduate [player_tooltip player_id="13708" first="Caitlin" last="Clark"] and will need the returning players to pick up for her production. Seeing action in 22 games last year was Class of 2023’s [player_tooltip player_id="63050" first="Julia" last="Moore"]. Moore recorded 42 points with 41 rebounds, 22 steals and 21 assists. She knocked down seven three-pointers in all. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="63042" first="Ke’Ayla" last="Madiso"]n - Des Moines Roosevelt</strong> Another nice piece for Des Moines Roosevelt last year was [player_tooltip player_id="63042" first="Ke’Ayla" last="Madiso"]n. The Class of 2023 prospect started 18 games, scoring 169 points with 55 assists, 46 rebounds and 20 steals. Madison shot 41 percent from the field and was second on the team with 29 made three-pointers. She also was effective at the free throw line, draining 75 percent of her attempts. <strong>Marissa Albright - Des Moines Lincoln</strong> Newcomer Marissa Albright started 17 of the 19 games she played in last year for Des Moines Lincoln, tallying 73 points with 43 rebounds, 21 steals and 19 assists. With just one senior leaving the roster, the Railsplitters have a strong nucleus returning to build around.