Iowa’s Top Returning Shot-blockers: Class 3A
The season is here! Games across the state started on Monday, with most teams beginning their seasons Tuesday. And we’re here to bring you some quantitative lists, counting down the best returners in a given statistical category. The series concludes with us bringing you the best returning shot-blockers, from 4A to 1A.
10 Macklin Shanahan, Maquoketa — 1.4
If the Cardinals are going to be among the best teams in Class 3A this season, it’ll be up to 6-foot-2 forward Macklin Shanahan to control the glass and the defensive paint. We expect him to average near a double-double this season with points and rebounds. He’ll be a defensive menace, too.
9 Tim Long, Iowa Falls-Alden — 1.48
We’ll get the chance to see to see this 6-foot-5 post in action Thursday night, when Iowa Falls-Alden visits North Polk. We do recall seeing him this summer at the Drake Team Camp, and we do also recall that we liked what we saw.
8 Matt Barragy, Gilbert — 1.5
Also one of the state’s best returning rebounders, Barragy is a guy that could have himself a monster senior season with the Tigers. Probably one of the more underrated bigs in Iowa, look for him to make a debut in the forthcoming 2019 prospect rankings.
7 Derek Krogmann, West Delaware — 1.7
Here’s a guy who was atop the Class 3A top returning rebounders list, and he’s making an appearance here as well. The length, size and skill are too much for opponents, Krogmann — a future UNI Panther — is going to melt competition this season.
6 Owen Terwilliger, Humboldt — 1.8
Not known much for his offensive prowess, Terwilliger is certainly one to make an impact on the defensive end of the floor. At 6-foot-5 he outsizes most of his opponents, and, well, when you’re bigger than the guy you’re guarding, it’s tough or them to get clean shots off.
5 TJ Bollers, Clear Creek-Amana — 2.21
A hot-shot football recruit in Iowa, Bollers will probably be done playing basketball as soon as he graduates high school. But with his athletic ability and cut frame, he’ll continue to be among the state’s best impact players on the hardwood for the next three seasons.
4 Owen Coburn, Spirit Lake — 2.22
A long-time South Dakota State commit, Coburn finally was able to seal that commitment when he signed his National Letter of Intent to play for TJ Otzelberger and the Jackrabbits earlier this month. He’s 6-foot-10 and has long arms, that alone makes him an elite shot-blocker.
3 Alex Wolter, Keokuk — 2.4
We got a chance to see this guy in action plenty this spring and summer with the always-active Iowa Pump N Run program. And we were very impressed with the progress he’s made since last year. Wolters benefits from his sheer size, 6-foot-10, and with his increased ability and bettering IQ, he should see that average blocks number rise this winter.
2 Caleb Lomica, North Polk — 3.3
He’s been one of our favorite players since we first saw him play as a freshman at North Polk. Lomica benefits from extremely long arms, some of the best length in Iowa, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s a good athlete, too. Not the tallest guy, just 6-foot-4, but we’re guessing his wing-span is closer to 6-foot-9.
1 Xavier Foster, Oskaloosa — 3.6
No surprise here, one of the nation’s best prospects is Iowa’s top shot-blocker. We’d even say, that at this stage of Foster’s career, blocking shots is what he does best. The offense continues to evolve, and he’s projecting towards a (gasp) Kevin Durant-type talent — 7-foot-with long arms who can play from the perimeter. Obviously, there’s a long ways to go. But the sky’s the limit for this obviously special prospect.