Season Preview: Class 1A Stars to Watch (Part III)
As we continue our march towards the start of the high school season, we take a look at some of the top players to watch in each class. We’ll take a look at 20 of the best players in each…
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Continue ReadingAs we continue our march towards the start of the high school season, we take a look at some of the top players to watch in each class. We’ll take a look at 20 of the best players in each classification to keep an eye on this winter. In Part III of our Class 1A series, we take a look at the final six standouts to monitor.
2020 Christian Heilbuth (Siouxland Christian)
The 6-6 big man was a dominant force on both ends of the floor last season for the Eagles, averaging 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 7.1 blocks a game. His 156 blocked shots were more than all but four other teams in the state (Bishop Garrigan, Ankeny Christian, Oskaloosa and Grand View Christian). That type of rim protection is extremely valuable.
2021 Trey Baker (Martensdale-St. Mary’s)
The leading scorer for a Blue Devils team that should be among the best in 1A, Baker, a 6-4 junior wing, is capable of filling it up from all three levels in a hurry. He’s not a high volume 3-point shooter, but he shot just under 40% from the arc last season, and is certainly a viable threat from there. He’s at his best when he’s playing downhill and attacking the rim, and he should lead a very balanced Martensdale-St. Mary’s team in scoring again this season.
2020 Ethan Schmidt (Clarksville)
A 6-2 senior forward, Schmidt was remarkably efficient last season, shooting 66.8% from the floor and averaging 18.9 points a game. He added 7.6 rebounds a game, and led the team in steals and blocks last year.
2020 Noah Beck (BGM)
Beck is tiny (listed at just 5-5), but he’s been incredibly productive for BGM over his first three seasons. He led the state in steals last year (155), and is the state’s top returnee, regardless of class, in both steals and assists (182). He’s not just a distributor or defensive dynamo, however, as he also averaged a team-high 15.1 points a game last season for the Bears.
2020 Ethan Leibold (Turkey Valley)
The 6-3 senior forward is one of just a handful or so of players around the state to average a double-double last year. He put up 17.6 points and 13.2 rebounds a game for the Trojans, while shooting an eye-popping 60.8% from the field. We expect Turkey Valley to be near the top 10 all season, and Leibold is the biggest reason why.
2021 Layne Pryor (Woodbine)
Also a standout receiver who is putting up crazy numbers on the gridiron this season (58 catches, 942 yards and 19 TD in just six games so far!), Pryor is a great basketball player as well. A 6-3 win, he led the team in scoring at 18.2 points, and rebounding at 8.2 boards a game. He does most of his damage inside the arc, but he’s capable of stepping out and knocking down an occasional 3, as his 23 made 3-pointers ranked tied for third on the team last year.