First Half State Leaders: Scoring
With the holiday break upon us, it’s time to look back at who the state’s leading scorers have been throughout the first half of the season.
1.) Joe Wieskamp (Muscatine, 2018) – 35.5 points per game
The Iowa commit is well on his way to becoming the first player to lead the state in scoring in back-to-back seasons in the QuikStats era (2006-07 season). And he’s doing so with remarkable efficiency, with shooting splits of 60-38-86, despite facing constant double and triple teams.
2.) Garrett Sturtz (Newton, 2018) – 33.4 points per game
If anyone is going to overtake Wieskamp in the scoring column, it’s probably Newton’s star guard. The big-time scorer leads the state in free throws made.
3.) Zach Lester (Clear Lake, 2018) – 32.0 points per game
The only non-4A player among the top five, Lester is shooting a blistering 58.3% from the floor, and using his defense (4.5 steals per game) to spark his offense.
4.) Tyreke Locure (Des Moines North, 2019) – 31.3 points per game
The Polar Bears’ electric guard posted the state’s top scoring game, dropping in 56 points in a win over St. Joseph Lafayette (MO) right before the break. A lightning quick guard with great handles, he’s impossible to keep out of the paint, ranking third in the state in free throw attempts.
5.) CaRondis Harris-Anderson (Waterloo West, 2018) – 27.3 points per game
Like Locure, Harris-Anderson has already dropped in a 50-point game this season for the Wahawks, hitting the half-century mark in a 32-point win over crosstown rival Waterloo East. An athletic scoring guard, Harris-Anderson’s efficiency has reached a new level this year, as he’s shooting just below 58% from the field.
6.) Brady Gavin (Martensdale-St. Mary’s, 2018) – 26.7 points per game
There is simply no answer for Gavin at the 1A level. He’s shooting an absurd 79.4% from the floor en route to his 26.7 points a game, and he also leads the state in rebounding with 17.1 rebounds a game. He’s actually exceeding our preseason expectations of a 25-15 stat line.
7.) Paul Rundquist (Wapsie Valley, 2019) – 25.5 points per game
The unquestioned leader of a Warriors team that is among the best in 1A, Rundquist could see his numbers spike even higher if he’s able to improve on his efficiency (41.1 FG%). He’s a streaky shooter, so it’s not out of the question.
8.) Ryan Miller (North Linn, 2018) – 25.1 points per game
The leading scorer for a Lynx team that leads the state in scoring at 95.9 points a game, Miller has established himself as one of the best shooters in the state, knocking down 32 of his 66 attempts from behind the arc for a blistering 48.5%.
9.) Grant DeMeulenaere (Grand View Christian, 2018) – 25.0 points per game
After breezing through their schedule last year, the Thunder stepped up the difficult of their slate this year, but DeMeuelenaere’s numbers haven’t suffered. In addition to leading Class 1A’s No. 1 team in scoring, he also leads them in assists.
10.) Beau Cornwell (West Branch, 2019) – 24.6 points per game
One of the state’s most explosive scorers, Cornwell is as good a bet as any to drop 40 on any given night. He has one of the biggest green lights in the state and is capable of getting red hot from behind the arc.
The next five: Drake Johnson (Stanton, 2019; 24.5), Jake Hilmer (North Linn, 2019; 24.0), Tyrese Nickelson (Waterloo East, 2019; 24.0), Cade Daugherty (Bellevue, 2018; 23.9), Luke Appel (Marshalltown, 2018; 23.8)