The Caretakers — Iowa’s Assist:Turnover Leaders
Assists are great. And guys that have an elevated ability to set up teammates for easy buckets are often heralded as the best point guards, rightfully so. But those assists lose some of their luster when careless floor-generals turn the…
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Continue ReadingAssists are great. And guys that have an elevated ability to set up teammates for easy buckets are often heralded as the best point guards, rightfully so. But those assists lose some of their luster when careless floor-generals turn the ball over, giving possession right back to the opponent for a potential negating bucket.
These 10 guys have found the perfect combination of vision, savvy, alertness, and skill, resulting in high assists numbers paired with low turnover numbers; these 10 guys are game-changers.
*Minimum 75 assists this season
1 Grant DeMeulenaere (Grand View Christian) — 6.3:1
This 5-foot-9 floor-general is a wiz with the ball in his hands, and it’s his great ball-handling mixed with smarts that make him the state’s most productive point guard (on paper). He played some with Kingdom Hoops Elite last spring, and has a very important 17U summer lying ahead.
2 Tyler DeBondt (East Marshall) — 5.7:1
On January 31st during a 15 assist performance this junior guard caught our attention, and now he’s high on the “must-watch” list. Currently he’s not in our 2018 rankings, that will change when the new installment is released later this month.
3 Jaden Snyder (West Lyon, Inwood) — 4.8:1
That same night DeBondt dished out 15 assists, Snyder came away with a season-high 10 of his own. And like DeBondt, this 6-foot-2 junior has a penchant for taking care of the ball, resulting in lots of Ws for his squad.
4 Marco Balderas (South Hamilton) — 4.3:1
It’s nice to see this crafty 5-foot-7 point guard so high on this list. He was everywhere last spring and summer, working relentlessly to improve his game during the offseason. As a result, he’s having a fantastic junior season with the Hawks.
5 Jake Hilmer (North Linn) — 4.1:1
Every time we make one of these “state leaders” lists, Hilmer is on it. He’s perhaps the most complete player in all of 1A (though Joe Smoldt would have a fine argument), and could be in-line for some scholarship offers this summer during his 16U campaign.
6 Carter Mumm (Ames) — 3.81:1
One of the most underrated players in the state, Mumm won’t blow you away with size or ability, but he’s a smooth operator who plays the game the right way. His crafty ball-handling and clever decision-making are the reason he’s so high on this list, and the reason he leads 4A in the assist:turnover category.
7 Brady Sartorius (Mount Pleasant) — 3.8:1
One of the state’s better all-around point guards, Sartorius is no just a great scorer (22.4 ppg), but he’s really picked up his ability to distribute this season too. He dished out 84 assists all of last season, and already has 95 this season, with two regular season games remaining.
8 Issac Prewitt (Des Moines Christian) — 3.75:1
Known more for his shooting ability than his than his point guard prowess, it would appear Prewitt can do a lot of both. We won’t lie, this one caught us off guard a little bit. We’ll start classifying the 6-foot-1 junior as a point guard, rather than a shooting guard.
9 Nick Finney (Pella) — 3.7:1
There was something in the air on that aforementioned Jan. 31st night. Finney dished out a season high 13 assists in a win over Norwalk, and it was only the second highest assist total of the evening (DeBondt). We’re looking forward to seeing this 6-foot-2 senior in action tomorrow night at Dallas-Center Grimes.
10 Kody Case (South Central Calhoun) — 3.6:1
This senior point guard doesn’t score much, but he sure can run an offense. And when you have a floor-general who knows how to play the game like Case, post-season advancement is certainly more likely. The Titans always have a chance to win with Case at the helm.
Close Calls
Jackson Molstead (Charles City) – 3.57:1
Tyler Van Zante (Lynnville-Sully) – 6.7:1 (74 assists)
Will Woodruff (St. Edmond) — 5.5:1 (71 assists)
Kenny Clay (Davenport West) — 3.45:1
Jayce Goergen (Ankeny Christian Academy) — 3.43:1