Iowa’s Premier Performers: Week 11
Each week, there’s a handful of individual performances around the state that are eye-catching. And each Tuesday, we’ll highlight those stat-lines here. Triple-doubles and 50-point performances are sought-after for these “Premier Performers” lists. We also like high efficiency games and…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingEach week, there’s a handful of individual performances around the state that are eye-catching. And each Tuesday, we’ll highlight those stat-lines here. Triple-doubles and 50-point performances are sought-after for these “Premier Performers” lists. We also like high efficiency games and total stat-stuffers. Below, you’ll find 10 striking performances from this past week.
Evan Gauger (Indianola) — 40 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals
Against Pella last week, Gauger’s terrific season continued when he dropped 40 points against one of the state’s best 3A squads. The Indians got he win against the Little Hawkeyes Conference opponent, thanks to Gauger’s dominance on both sides of the ball.
Kayden Kruse (Ogden) — 50 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists
Only the third player in Iowa this season to record a 50-point game. The other two: Parker Rochford and Nick Reid (who did it twice). Kruse’s was especially noteworthy because of his stupendous efficiency. He was 17-20 from the floor and 11-13 from deep. The 11 3s are the third-most from any player this season.
Connor Drew (Ballard) — 32 points, 10 rebounds
One of the state’s very best sophomores, Connor Drew has been lighting it up for the Bombers this season. He was good as a freshman and has made great strides as a sophomore. This 32 point, 10 rebound performance is reflective of the 6’6 power forward’s dominance this season.
Cooper Nally (Bedford) — 31 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
Bedford has been one of the state’s best small-school teams this season, and it features one of southern Iowa’s best combos with guard Brennan Sefrit and forward Cooper Nally. It was Nally who lit up East Union last Thursday night, scoring 31 points on 12-18 shooting.
Brady Happel (Dunkerton) — 30 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 6 steals
Last week it was Dunkerton guard Zach Johnson who made the premier performers list, this week it’s his back-court mate Brady Happel who makes the cut. Not only did the 6-foot senior light it up on the scoreboard, but he was the team’s leading rebounder, assister and was excellent on defense.
Braden Gibbons (Madrid) — 41 points, 4 assists
Against Ogden last week, Gibbons is went off.. again. He’s had one of the best seasons on anyone in Iowa, and has been routinely posting games like this throughout the winter. Gibbons and Co. are 15-5 and have their sights set on Wells Fargo Arena. Gibbons is averaging 22.7 points, 8.6 assists and 2.8 steals per game this season.
Dylan Jones (Waukee) — 27 points, 13 rebounds, 3 blocks
It’s been a extraordinarily efficient season for Waukee big-man Dylan Jones, we wanted to highlight that one more time here on the premier performers list. This particular performance came in a loss to Des Moines North, but Jones was dominant in that game while going 10-11 from the floor. He’s shooting 76.2 from the floor this season.
Kylan Smallwood (Creston) — 31 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals
This big scoring outburst came in a win over Perry, and just goes to show how supremely dominant the 6’4 wing can be. We’ve seen Smallwood dominate since his freshman season with the Panthers, and he’s one big reason why the Class of 2019 will go down as one of the best in recent Iowa high school history.
Keaton Mitchell (Wapello) — 20 points, 15 rebounds, 6 blocks
The Truman State recruit had one of his best all-around games last Tuesday night during a shellacking of Columbus Junction. We love the 20 points, but we like to 15 rebounds more, mostly because of 10 of them were offensive boards. The six blocks solidified his spot on this list.
Iziah Paulsen (Des Moines Roosevelt) — 30 points, 7 rebounds, 7 steals
Des Moines Roosevelt added this dynamic senior point guard late in the season and it appears to be working well for the ‘Riders. They advanced to a substate semifinal last night after upsetting Ankeny. This splendid performance from the speedy 5’10 guard came last Tuesday against Urbandale.