Season Preview: Class 3A Stars to Watch (Part II)
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 next seven standouts to monitor.
2020 Jake Hull, Grinnell
The 6-3 wing had established himself as one of the state’s best scorers with his play during the summer the last few years with Iowa Intensity, where he would routinely go off for 30+. He averaged 20.1 points a game last year for the Tigers, and is a highly efficient 3-point shooter, going 32-69 (46.4%) from behind the arc last year.
2020 Jake Schockemoehl, Wahlert Catholic
A volume scorer who is capable of getting red hot at any point in time, Schockemoehl has a Division II offer from Truman State. The 6-3 scoring guard averaged 17.6 points a game last year, and was one of the rare players who actually shot better from the arc (36.3%) than from the floor overall (35.8%). If he can improve his overall efficiency, he could become one of 3A’s top scorers.
2020 Zach Carr, Glenwood
The 6-0 lead guard was a role player for the Rams’ championship team two years ago, then stepped into more of a starring role alongside Christian Stanislav last year, averaging 16.2 points and leading the team with 77 assists. With Stanislav and his 20.8 points a game graduated, Glenwood is now Carr’s team, and he’s capable of being a dominant offensive player. He’s a much better shooter than his 22.4% from the arc last year (11-49) showed, and look for him to rebound there.
2020 Cael Schmitt, Wahlert Catholic
Schmitt is small, at 5-11, but is one of the toughest guards in the state, and a high impact player on both ends of the floor. Blessed with great lateral quickness and quick hands, he’s a fantastic on-ball defender who really takes pride in his ability on that end of the floor. He’s also a good ball handler and decision maker who dished out 96 assists last year, against just 35 turnovers. His 68 steals also led the Golden Eagles.
2021 Connor Drew, Ballard
The 6-6 forward fell just short of averaging a double-double last year as a sophomore, averaging 17.2 points and 9.6 rebounds for a Bombers team that was a surprise 3A state tournament team. An efficient forward who runs the floor and finishes at the rim, he’s worked on expanding his offensive skill set and ability to stretch the floor. If he’s added a consistent jumper, watch out, because he’s tough to stop on the block already.
2022 Carson Toebe, Clear Lake
A key piece for a Clear Lake team that was the last remaining undefeated team in 3A last season, Toebe led all freshmen in assists last year, dishing out 138 helpers. The 6-1 sophomore lead guard showed tremendous poise at the state tournament, and he’s a capable scorer as well, averaging 11.2 points a game last year and shooting 40.2% from behind the arc, with a team-hgih 51 made 3s. With the Lions’ top two scorers from last year graduated, look for Toebe to become a go-to scorer this year.
2021 Nate Mueller, ADM
Mueller is small, listed at just 5-8 last year, but a highly productive lead guard for the Tigers. He averaged a team-high 15.5 points, dished out 112 assists (against just 48 turnovers), made 53 3s at a 40.5% clip, and had a team-high 35 steals last year. He’ll pair with Jaxson Millsap to give ADM one of the best shooting backcourts in 3A.