Introducing Mr. Basketball Candidate #3: Jake Hilmer
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. 3 candidate, North Linn point guard Jake Hilmer, who has already shattered the state assists record, and is within striking distance of putting his name in the books in a number of other categories.
Name: Jake Hilmer
Height: 5-11
Position: PG
School: North Linn
2017-18 stats: 669 points (23.1/game), 134 rebounds (4.6), 356 assists (12.3), 180 steals (6.2), 64.8 FG%, 44.8 3P%, 87.0 FT%
Career stats: 1,659 points (20.7/game), 363 rebounds (4.5), 835 assists (10.4), 409 steals (5.1), 57.5 FG%, 39.7 3P%, 83.8 FT%
About Hilmer: The lightning quick point guard has put together one of the most decorated careers in Iowa high school basketball history. He’s going to become just the 37th player to score more than 2,000 career points, and even if he just replicates what he did last year, he’ll end up being a top-10 all-time scorer. He has already set the career assists record, dishing out 835 already, which is 51 ahead of the previous record, and he’s done that in just three seasons. And he’ll enter the year just 54 steals behind Jaylan White for that career mark. Put it all together, and he’ll be a top-10 scorer, and the career record holder in assists and steals, all with remarkable efficiency, by the time he graduates. The final feather is his cap will be leading one of the most high powered offenses in state history to a state title. He’s going to be a dual sport athlete in college, heading to Upper Iowa to play both basketball and baseball for the Peacocks.
Why he can win Mr. Basketball: His name is going to be all over the state record books. It’s hard to say no to someone who will hold two career records and finish as a top-10 scorer in state history.
Odds he wins Mr. Basketball: Like we mentioned at #4 with Tyreke Locure, give each of the top four a 25% chance. It may come down to who is able to lead their team to a state title this year.