Introducing Mr. Basketball Candidate #11: Jackson Molstead
As part of our preseason content, we’re counting down the top dozen candidates for this year’s Mr. Basketball award, presented annually to the top senior in the state. The list continues with our No. 11 candidate, Charles City point guard Jackson Molstead, a strong scoring guard looking to lead the Comets back to State for the first time since 1956.
Name: Jackson Molstead
Height: 5-11
Position: PG
School: Charles City
2017-18 stats: 436 points (19.0/game), 101 rebounds (4.4), 167 assists (7.3), 37 steals (1.6), 42.4 FG%, 28.0 3P%, 65.0 FT%
Career stats: 1,188 points (18.0/game), 214 rebounds (3.2), 409 assists (6.2), 105 steals (1.6), 40.8 FG%, 34.1 3P%, 69.6 FT%
About Molstead: Molstead is a small, but strong, lead scoring guard who is one of just five players in the 2019 class to have surpassed 1,000 career points through his junior season. He’s been one of the most productive players in the state in the ’19 class, making a major impact on both ends of the floor and establishing himself as one of the premier point guards in the state. His ability to both score and facilitate are rivaled by few in the class.
Why he can win Mr. Basketball: Molstead is another player coming from an area that likely won’t have much representation among the Mr. Basketball candidates, and that can work in his favor, with the local writers having seen him a lot and liking his game. He’s going to put up huge numbers this season and could get close to 600 career assists, a number only 13 other players in Iowa high school history have reached.
Odds he wins Mr. Basketball: It’s highly unlikely that Molstead takes the crown, but don’t think of it as a knock on his game at all. He’s been a constant contributor for four years at the 3A level and is going to be a steal for whichever college program gets him next season and beyond.