HIGH SCHOOL

Dallas Center-Grimes star Luke Rankin following in father's footsteps as a star point guard

Tommy Birch
Des Moines Register

GRIMES, Ia. — Dallas Center-Grimes boys’ basketball coach Joel Rankin likes to tell the story about the first time his son Luke helped him win a basketball game.

Luke was 4 years old and at a Dallas Center-Grimes junior varsity game. The way Joel recalls it, the Mustangs were in the midst of a close game in the fourth quarter when the opposing team, Nodaway Valley, tossed up a potential-game winning shot.

As the ball was in the air, the lights went out. 

Luke accidentally turned them off.

“They just had to shoot it over again,” Joel recalled. “I think that we might have won it, because it was awkward for me.”

The two are now teaming up again to produce one of the best basketball teams in the state. Joel and Luke Rankin have guided the sixth-ranked Mustangs to a 9-1 record entering Friday's game at Oskaloosa. And they may be on the cusp of some school history. Dallas Center-Grimes, which has made the state tournament just five times, has yet to win a game at that level.

But that hurdle could be cleared this season, as Luke follows in the footsteps of his father, himself an an elite high school point guard. Joel starred at Dubuque Wahlert and has passed his knowledge, love of the game and style of play on to his son, who began the week ranked first in Class 3A in assists. 

Dallas Center-Grimes senior Luke Rankin, who has become one of the best point guards in the state, takes a shot during a team's recent practice. Luke plays for his father Joel who was also a point guard in high school.

“It might sound like a cliché or whatever, but it’s kind of like the best moments of my life,” Luke said of playing for his dad. “Even playing basketball is a joy. And then being able to share it with him for three years has been super special.”

Following in Dad's footsteps

Steve Rankin watches as many Dallas Center-Grimes as he can from his home in Arizona. Joel’s dad and Luke’s grandfather streams the games from his phone to his television. He tries to make it to Iowa a few times each season to watch some games. When he does, even he does a double-take watching Luke play.

He sees a lot of Joel’s game in his grandson.

“Their skills are very similar,” Steve said. “They’re both great ball handlers.”

Joel averaged 11 points, nine assists and three steals a game as a senior at Wahlert. And he passed on that love for basketball on to Luke, who first started out wrestling. 

"I wanted to play for him," Luke said. "That was a big thing." 

Dallas Center-Grimes head boys basketball coach Joel Rankin coaches during a practice drill at Dallas Center-Grimes High School in Grimes on Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2021. One of Rankin's best players in his son Luke, the team's starting point guard.

Luke joined the Dallas Center-Grimes varsity boys' basketball team as a sophomore. It wasn't easy early on. Luke had come up a shooting guard and had been thriving in that role, even hitting his first five 3-pointers to start a game. But his dad thought Luke, and the team, would be better suited having him run the point.

Sharing and not scoring wasn't an easy role for Luke to accept. Like many children, he fought back against his father somewhat.

During Dallas Center-Grimes' senior night when Luke was a sophomore, the team suffered a lopsided loss to rival Pella. After the game, the two were supposed to go out for cake with the seniors. Instead, Luke and Joel stayed behind and chatted for 45 minutes. The discussion, which Luke calls heated, was centered on Joel's vision of making Luke a facilitator on the team. 

Luke had to embrace it. Or else. 

"He told him, 'If you can't drive and learn to pass, you're just not going to play,'" said Dallas Center-Grimes senior Alex Thomas. "It sounds like he's being super harsh, but he was just pushing Luke." 

The message eventually got through to Luke. And when it did, Dallas Center-Grimes was never the same.

Dallas Center-Grimes coach Joel Rankin watches as his son, senior point guard Luke Rankin, makes a play in practice. Luke has modeled his game after his dad.

'I think he has been our leader'

The 2019-20 season was a breakout season for Luke and the Mustangs, who went 17-7 and came within a win of reaching the state tournament. One of the biggest reasons: Luke had embraced his role. Not many people were better, as he averaged 13.5 points per game and ranked 10th in the state in assists, averaging 6.4 a game.

But the transition didn't happen overnight. Luke not only had to change his mindset, but also his game. He studied video of his dad's old high school games to learn how to become a better point guard. Luke watched his dad dive for loose balls and hit up open teammates. 

"I was just seeing how he played the right way and found everyone else and made his teammates better," Luke said. 

The same has happened with Luke, who has the Mustangs playing their best basketball right now. After winning their first seven games this season, the Mustangs have put themselves in prime position for a return to the state tournament for the first time since 2017. Luke, once again, is a big reason why, entering Friday's game averaging 12 points and nine assists. During a win over Pella Christian earlier this season, Luke handed out a school-record 15 assists. 

"I think he has been our leader," Joel said. 

Luke has a strong supporting cast, with Cole Glasgow averaging 16 points per game. But Luke, like his father, has become the anchor of the offense.  He has his father to thank for that. Joel not only made the switch but was also an inspiration, with Luke trying to model his game after his dad's. 

"He went from shooting the 3-ball to driving and dishing," Thomas said. "And I think he saw that making other people look like stars on the court helps him be a star on the court." 

Joel and Luke are on the same page and are closer than ever, not just as coach and player, but as father and son. The spend their free time breaking down film or going over scouting reports together. Luke said Joel is often texting him ideas for plays. Joel will get ideas on how to play certain players from Luke. The two often spend nights watching NBA games together. Each day, he's becoming more and more like his father ... as a coach. 

While teammates were stuck home and away from each other during the COVID-19 pandemic over the summer, Luke wanted to make sure everyone in the program was getting work in. So, he set up a spreadsheet that freshmen, sophomores, junior varsity and varsity players could log into and upload how many shots they got up that day. 

Dallas Center-Grimes senior Luke Rankin has established himself as one of the best point guards in the state.

"I think coming into this year, we knew we were going to have a good shot for a state championship, so I wanted to make sure we were maximizing our opportunity," Luke said. 

No one did more than Luke, who tossed up thousands of shots over the summer. The hard work is paying off. Now, he has his sights set on getting the Mustangs back to the state tournament and winning their first game there.

But regardless of what happens, the two are trying to make the most of their time together on the court. 

"It's just been a joy," Joel said. 

Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018 and 2020 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468. Follow him on Twitter @TommyBirch.