Season Preview: Class 3A Stars to Watch (Part I)
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 I of our Class 3A series, we take a look at the first seven standouts to monitor.
2020 Bowen Born Bowen Born 5'11" | PG Norwalk | 2020 State #401 Nation IA , Norwalk
The future UNI Panther guard is the best offensive player in the state, coming off a year in which he averaged 27.8 points and led the Warriors to a runner-up finish in 3A. His 79 made 3s were second in the class last year, and the 6-0 lefty has a little bit of everything in his offensive repertoire, including one of the best floater games we’ve seen. A dominant two-way player who also dished out 102 assists and led the team with 52 steals, Born is in line to become 3A’s all-time leading scorer this year.
2020 Xavier Foster Xavier Foster 7'0" | C Oskaloosa | 2020 State #71 Nation IA , Oskaloosa
While Born is the state’s most impactful offensive threat, Foster is the state’s most impactful defender. The 7-0 big man has been highly touted since before he ever played a high school game, and was a key piece for last year’s state championship team. His 148 blocks last year (6.2 a game) were more than all but four teams (Siouxland Christian, Grand View Christian, Bishop Garrigan and Ankeny Christian) had. He had 14 blocks in a game against Pella, which is more blocks in a single game than 20 teams recorded last season. So yeah, he’s an impactful defensive player. Also able to stretch the floor, he’s a prototypical big man for modern basketball. He’ll decide soon between Providence, Virginia Tech, Iowa and Iowa State.
2021 Karson Sharar Karson Sharar 6'2" | SG Iowa Falls-Alden | 2021 State IA , Iowa Falls-Alden
Sharar was limited to just seven games last year for the Cadets due to injury, but he showcased himself as one of the state’s elite scorers, averaging 24.1 points a game and making three 3s a game. The 6-1 junior guard is capable of dropping 30+ on any given night, and will pair with Logan Aldinger Logan Aldinger 5'10" | SG Iowa Falls-Alden | 2020 State IA to give IF-A one of the most dangerous scoring backcourts in the state. He holds an offer from Drake.
2021 Keaton Kutcher Keaton Kutcher 6'2" | SG Mount Vernon | 2021 State IA , Mount Vernon
Another junior guard who holds a DI offer (Western Illinois), Kutcher burst onto the scene as a freshman when he made 10 3-pointers in a single game. He’s continued to build his reputation as an elite shooter during his first two years as a Mustang. He knocked down 73 3s last year at a 41.7% clip, while averaging 20.5 points a game and leading the team in assists. Look for him to be one of 3A’s leading scorers this year.
2020 Easton Darling Easton Darling 6'0" | CG Winterset | 2020 State IA , Winterset
A talented 6-0 lefty scoring guard, Darling averaged 20.2 points a game last year for the Huskies, despite seeing his efficiency from the 3-point line drastically dip (from 38.3% as a sophomore to 25.6% as a junior). He’s quick with the ball in his hands, a great finisher at the rim, and he should score a ton of points for a Winterset team that returns all but Casey Kleemeier and should be one of 3A’s best teams.
2020 Alex Van Kalsbeek Alex Van Kalsbeek 6'7" | PF MOC-Floyd Valley | 2020 State IA , MOC-Floyd Valley
Few players in the state had a more productive summer than Van Kalsbeek did with South Dakota Attack. The 6-8 big man showed off impressive athleticism and two-way ability on the summer circuit, building off a junior year in which he averaged 17.8 points (on 71.4% shooting!), 8.2 rebounds and blocked 52 shots. He’ll play his college ball at NAIA Northwestern College.
2020 Goanar Biliew Goanar Biliew 6'8" | PF Denison-Schleswig | 2020 State IA , Denison-Schleswig
The 6-8 big man was one of the most pleasant surprises in the state last year, as he went from averaging 8.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 18 blocks as a sophomore to 18.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 74 blocks as a junior. In turn, his Monarchs went from 9-13 to 18-5, one of the most improved programs in the state. Incredibly efficient, he shot 68% from the floor last year, and he’s not a big man you can just hack and put at the line, as he shot a very respectable 70.9% from the stripe. An active, athletic big man who makes an impact on both ends of the floor, Biliew is the focal point of a Denison-Schleswig team we expect to be competing for a State berth.