Coming in at our #1 spot and holding it “through the finish line” is Iowa State commit, Aili Tanke Aili Tanke 6'0" | SG Johnston | 2024 State IA of The Johnston Dragons. Tanke falls into this spot for a few reasons but the most important being her production within the team she is on, combined with her shooting ability. Every single time I sit down to watch Tanke compete, she has 20 points and is shooting like something around 40-60% from behind the three point line. Her game the past four years has been the definition of inventible and thats been the case while she has had a handful of D1 athletes on the same floor as her. Honestly, to me this has always been a tough debate between who should be the #1 player in this 2024 Class, Levin or Tanke. I think it comes down to what you want in your system. There is really no correct answer so looking forward, it’s going to all weigh on how they are used in their collegiate offense. If they are both set up for success, they could put together impressive college careers. No doubt about it.

Aili Tanke Aili Tanke 6'0" | SG Johnston | 2024 State IA is an Iowa State University commit who does what is needed to help put her team in a winning position. She finished the game with 19 points and 11 rebounds and shot 53% from the field. Aili got the Dragons off to a good start in the 3rd quarter scoring their first 8 points. She is 1 of the 5 players who will be graduating this year.

Coming in and holding onto the #1 spot for this 2024 Class in this Update is Aili Tanke Aili Tanke 6'0" | SG Johnston | 2024 State IA of Johnston High School. Tanke, like everyone else on this list, is the real deal. She is someone with great size and muscle mass, while having an elite shot from deep. Whenever she has space, you know she is going to let it go and she is usually going to make it. If her defender happens to overplay her, she does a great job of putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim. Not to mention that if she has a mismatch, she is smart enough to go directly to the post for a touch and easy finish. I have a feeling that Tanke is going to see the floor REAL early in her career at the next level. With her ability to shoot it, mixed with her size, she is going to be someone that can hold her own in all facets of the game. We are still a few months away from all that but she most definitely has a bright future on the hardwood.

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• 1/20/24 @ Millard West – 20 Points (8-12), 11 Rebounds, 1 Assist, 5 Steals, 1 TO

The Johnston Dragons went on the road and took on the #1 team out of Nebraska yesterday at the University of Creighton. In this contest, it was a back and forth battle in the first half with the Wildcats not going away. At halftime the count was 32-30 Dragons but that all changed in the second half. As you would expect, the Dragons took over and kept their pace while the Wildcats started to slow down. In the end, Johnson walked away with a 24 point victory behind the play of their Senior leader, Aili Tanke Aili Tanke 6'0" | SG Johnston | 2024 State IA . Tanke finished the game with 20 points (8-12), 11 Rebounds, and 5 Steals. If you know about Tanke and her game, this performance was more of the usual. You know what you are going to get each game when she laces up and that is why I am sort of shocked at this result in general. There were moments throughout this contest when Tanke was left wide open for a rebound at the rim or at the three point line for a shot and I am not sure how that happens against an Iowa State commit. If you want to beat a team like the Dragons, you can’t do that. All in all though, this was an all around great showing and learning experience for both sides moving forward.

Aili Tanke Aili Tanke 6'0" | SG Johnston | 2024 State IA needs no introduction. One of the state’s premier players and shooters over the past three seasons, has been highly ranked as the #1 player out of her 2024 Class for a few years now and for good reason. Tanke is an offensive juggernaut and someone that has EATEN on the high school floor. She is great at shooting the ball with her balanced and coordinated shooting stroke, she has size to take smaller mismatches into the post usually ending in a successful move going over either shoulder, and she can defend the 2-4 positions. I’ve had the chance to see Tanke compete a countless number of times and no matter the team she is on, the opponent she is playing, or situation she is playing the game in, she is going to produce. I’ve seen it both in high school and on the travel floor against some of the best competition in the country on the EYBL circuit. Out of the 4 players listed from the state of Iowa in this conversation, Tanke is the only player who has been recently ranked in the Top 100 by ESPNW at 97. I’m not sure if that is going to be enough to get her on the court in this one but it definitely doesn’t hurt her chances. No matter the fact, following this season Tanke is going to take her talents to the Cyclones program. Something I’m sure she is excited about.

There is a lot that I can say about Aili Tanke Aili Tanke 6'0" | SG Johnston | 2024 State IA and how she plays on the basketball court. Ever since I have been watching her compete, she has been consistent shooting the ball. Doesn’t matter where from or the circumstances of the game, if she gets a clean look in open space, that ball is most likely going into the basket, more times then not. I’ve said this before but it seems to me that whenever I look at Tanke’s stat line, she is 6-10 or 7-10 from beyond the arc to lead whatever team she is playing for. I think that this speaks to the ability that she has at any given moment. To start off this season for the Dragons, Tanke is doing her usual and leading her team at an elite pace. Throughout their first 10 games, She is shooting 54% from deep and 55% from the field in general. These seem like high numbers if you aren’t used to Tanke’s game but they are not. She is going to produce like this all season long and I expect that to translate to her Freshman season next year at Iowa State. Her game is good enough, she just needs the opportunity and she is going to be able to show off what she can do.

Aili Tanke Aili Tanke 6'0" | SG Johnston | 2024 State IA has held onto the Top spot in this class for a few years now and that is not going to change moving into her Senior season at Johnston High School. Tanke, the Iowa State women’s basketball commit, is a flamethrower from deep with a dominate mixture of size, speed, and intelligence when it comes to the strategic part of the game. I have seen Tanke play several times this past spring/summer season just by chance and she was doing what she left off doing in the 5A State Title game last spring, making it RAIN. In each contest I was in attendance for, Tanke was either 6-9 from deep or 7-10. Not to mention all the other buckets she was scoring at the rim as well. Overall, she was competing like she always does and that was efficiently. As for this season, Johnston High School is going to be must watch basketball and I think everyone in the state will be doing just that.

Aili Tanke Aili Tanke 6'0" | SG Johnston | 2024 State IA had another consistent AAU season for her All Iowa Attack EYBL 17U team out of Des Moines. Tanke was herself. A consistent shooter from deep, a play-maker when it mattered the most, and a consistent producer on both sides of the floor. In the contests that I was there for live, she was a top three player on her EYBL team every game. I would be hard pressed to find another player with Tanke’s size and skill that can help their perspective team more then she did these past few months. This spring/summer she has solidified her #1 ranking in the 2024 class, in the state of Iowa before the high school year tips-off in my opinion. How is her game going to transfer to the college level? I’m not exactly sure yet but for now, she is going to keep up the hard work and focus on this upcoming high school season that lies ahead.

Aili Tanke Aili Tanke 6'0" | SG Johnston | 2024 State IA put together several nice performances in this tournament over the past few days and it should be recognized. Tanke was her normal self, knocking down deep shots from behind the arc and rebound the ball at a high rate. Whenever she had a mismatch she would be moved to the mid-post and go to work, if not she would take her opponent off of the dribble. Looking toward the future Tanke is going to be a nice piece for the Cyclones after her senior year of high school ball. She has every ability to be a great catch and shoot piece, if not more on a college floor. We will just have to wait and see.

Aili Tanke Aili Tanke 6'0" | SG Johnston | 2024 State IA stands on top of this list as the #1 player in the 2024 class out of Iowa. Tanke, the Iowa State women’s basketball commit, is going to produce at Iowa State. A player that can do basically anything asked of her right now on the floor at the high school level. She is fantastic at shooting the ball from all three levels, she can work from the mid-post from 15 FT and in, and she can score with her back to the basket consistently. Defensively, she is big yet athletic enough to stay in the post and guard a forward or switch on a guard in a pick-and-roll situation. I’m not sure what exact position she will play in college but whatever it is, she is going to be successful.