Iowa’s Premier Performers (Week 12)
Each week, we’ll sift through quikstats.com, Twitter, emails and the like in search of the best performances from around the state. It’s the 40-point games, triple doubles and stat-stuffing performances that are likely to make the list. Below, you’ll find 10 of this week’s eye-opening performances.
Tyreke Locure (2019)
5’10 PG Des Moines North
36 points (12-16 FGs), 10 assists, 3 steals
Four different times this season the preternatural Des Moines North point guard made this list. And there’s only a handful of guys that have only been on it more than once, even. He’s been undeniable, and when a guy goes off for 36 points on an incredibly efficient 12-16 shooting in a playoff game, you know he’s special. Locure, a Division I prospect, did so against Ankeny in a Substate semifinal win last Friday night.
DJ Carton (2019)
6’2 PG, Bettenforf
36 points (7 3s)
One of the most sought-after point guard prospect not only in Iowa, but the entire Midwest, Carton had himself a solid junior season, and will have a lot of eyes on his this spring and summer with Quad City Elite 17U. He averaged 23.6 points on a Bulldogs team that only scored 51 per game. He also led his team in assists, steals, blocks and rebounds. This 36 point outburst came in a narrow loss to top-ranked Dubuque, Senior. Carton scored 25 of his team’s last 28. That one other bucket, he assisted on.
Zach Lester (2018)
6’1 G, Clear Lake
49 points (17-31 FGs), 5 assists, 3 steals
Lester burst onto the scene this season for Clear Lake, and it’s not like it came out of nowhere, but the degree to which he improved was remarkable. We knew he was good, he put up some nice numbers last season, and he was one of the best stock-risers we saw last spring and summer. But we couldn’t have predicted he would end his senior season with averages of 30.2 points, 5.2 assists and 4.2 steals per game. He went out with a bang, and nearly hung 50 on Crestwood in an 87-83 loss.
Zackary Lane (2019)
6’5 F, Crestwood
32 points (14-16 FGs), 9 rebounds
That same game, it was another Zack, or rather Zackary, that was dominant for the winning team, the Cadets. He was unbelievably efficient missing just two of the 16 shots he attempted, and was able to pull-down nine rebounds, three of them offensive, to boot.
Garrett Sturtz (2018)
6’3 PG, Newton
54 points (22-40 FGs), 13 rebounds, 7 offensive rebounds
Five times this season, and for the third straight week, Garrett Sturtz makes this list — that’s more than anyone else. And, well, when you score 50 points in a single game twice, and average a state-best 34.7 per game, that’s not too difficult to wrap you mind around. This particular 50-point performance came in defeat, a narrow 63-62 loss to Indianola in a first-round Substate game. But, Sturtz was magnificent, even in defeat. It was his second 50-point game in a week. And he’s leaving Newton as an all-time great, and an Iowa high school hoops legend.
Jacob Vis (2018)
6’7 C, Western Christian, Hull
14 points (4-7 FGs), 16 rebounds, 7 blocks
Jacob Vis has had a monster senior season for the state tourney mainstays Western Christian, Hull. Hew’s averaging 18.5 points on 70 percent shooting, 8.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. It’s one thing to post those huge numbers against inferior teams in the regular season, and another to do it against good teams in the playoffs. Vis posted this nice stat-line during a district final win over Rock Valley. It’s the seven blocks that are particularly of note — talk about a game-changer. The Wolfpack will try and punch yet another ticket to the state tournament tonight, when they face a very good Kuemper Cathloic squad.
Brady Gavin (2018)
6’7 C, Martensdale-St. Marys
9 points, 11 rebounds, 9 offensive rebounds, 9 blocks
Just to be clear, the nine points and 11 rebounds are well below Gavin’s insane season averages of 25.7 points and 16 rebounds per game. However, we can’t help but to be drawn in by those nine offensive rebounds (four above his season average), and nine blocks (seven more than his season average). Even in a game that seems quite tame for the skilled big-man, he’s still just one block and one converted free-throw away from a triple-double. The Blue Devils won this game by 23 over Mormon Trail, but would see their season come to an end the next night against Central Decatur.