Iowa’s Premier Performers (Week 12)
Each week countless impressive performances occur around the state; we’re using this weekly article to highlight them. We’ll scan twitter and quikstats nightly for triple-doubles, 40-point games, and other eye-opening individual outputs and showcase 10 of them per week right here. …
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Continue ReadingEach week countless impressive performances occur around the state; we’re using this weekly article to highlight them. We’ll scan twitter and quikstats nightly for triple-doubles, 40-point games, and other eye-opening individual outputs and showcase 10 of them per week right here.
Janier Puente (Perry) — 33 points (16-20 FGs), 19 rebounds
Wow, Puente really did not want his season to end last Monday night, and he willed his Bluejays to a nine point win over Gilbert with this jaw-dropping performance. The 6-foot-5 center is built to dominate in the paint, and he’s also one of Perry’s best baseball players.
Connor Groves (Sergeant Bluff Luton) — 30 points (9-18 3s), 4 rebounds, 3 steals
Just a sophomore, this 5-foot-11 guard has been a sniper all season from long-range, but was especially precise in last Monday’s 75-47 win over Algona. He connected on a season-high nine 3s en route to his 30 points. He’ll have a target on his back tonight when the Warriors vie for a State berth against Bishop Heelan.
Brant DeMeulanaere (Belle Plaine) — 34 points (12-22 FGs), 7 rebounds, 3 assists
His Plainsmen may not have won, but senior guard DeMeulanaere still went out with a bang. He had an outstanding career at Belle Plaine, and will certainly go down as one of the best to ever play at the school.
Brady Gavin (Martensdale-St. Marys) — 32 points (13-17 FGs), 11 rebounds, 2 blocks
Again Gavin makes this list, and what a junior season this 6-foot-6 post had. He finished with averages of 22.6 points on an absurd 73 percent shooting, 13.2 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. We’re told he prefers basketball, but he’s a bonafide college basketball prospect too.
Thane Simmons (Murray) — 8 points, 11 rebounds, 13 blocks
We discovered this tall and rangy center last spring during a grassroots tournament at Kingdom Hoops, and he instantly won us over after he swatted shot after shot that afternoon. He’s a hidden gem in Southern Iowa, and if any Division III programs are looking for a rim-protector, there’s one in Murray.
Jake Hilmer (North Linn) — 35 points (16-18 FTs), 5 assists, 6 steals
It would appear this ‘Premier Performers’ mainstay was being quite the aggressor in North Linn’s district win over Prince of Peace Prep last Thursday night. You don’t get to the line 18 times in one game by being passive or settling for jumpers. Hilmer will get a chance to showcase his skills on the biggest stage next week at Wells Fargo Arena.
Robby Sweers (Clayton Ridge, Guttenberg) — 17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals, 5 blocks
This 6-foot-5 small forward kept his team alive for one more game with this truly stat-stuffing performance. There’s nothing Sweers did not do in this game (excuse the double negative), and his Eagles advanced to a substate match because of it.
Tyreke Locure (Des Moines North) — 36 points, 11 assists, 4 steals
Ho hum, Tyreke Locure messed up another opponent; this time Des Moines East. This has become quite commonplace over this two year career — and especially the second half of this season. The 36 points aren’t even a season-high; he dropped 41 on defending state champs Valley back in January.
AJ Green (Cedar Falls) — 29 points (11-15 FGs), 6-6 3s, 2 steals
He has mid-high major offers from Iowa State, Northern Iowa, Nebraska and Minnesota, so it’s no secret that Green is one of Iowa’s elite. He reconfirmed that fact last Friday night during a substate semifinal win over a tough Cedar Rapids Prairie squad. It’s pretty amazing he did not miss one 3-attempt the whole game.
Garrett Sturtz (Newton) — 30 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, 5 blocks
Newton has been torrid the latter half of the season, and has won 11 of their last 12. This performance came in an upset substate semifinal win at Dowling. If the Cardinals can get by Johnston tomorrow night, they’ll be in the State Tournament, and this do-it-all sharpshooter will have the grandest stage of all to showcase his skills.
Collin Hill (South Hamilton) — 32 points (11-21 FGs), 15 rebounds, 4 steals, 2 blocks
Most impressive about this performance is it came in a substate win over East Marshall and sent the Hawks back to state for the first time since Hill’s freshman season (he’s a senior now). Talk about clutch. Truman State is getting a good one with this 6-foot-4 wing.