STATE TOURNAMENT: Best post players
DES MOINES — As the basketball world moves toward an outside game, the post play was on full display in Wells Fargo Arena. We saw an excellent post battle in the 1A championship between Bishop Garrigan and Wapsie Valley, and…
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Continue ReadingDES MOINES — As the basketball world moves toward an outside game, the post play was on full display in Wells Fargo Arena. We saw an excellent post battle in the 1A championship between Bishop Garrigan and Wapsie Valley, and that was just a taste of the action from last week.
Here are the prospects whose post play looked sharp in the state tournament.
Winke averaged a double-double for Bishop Garrigan in the state tournament.Angelo Winkel Angelo Winkel 6'9" | C Bishop Garrigan | 2021 State IA (2021, Bishop Garrigan)
Angelo Winkel Angelo Winkel 6'9" | C Bishop Garrigan | 2021 State IA , the 1A All-Tournament Team Captain, dominated in the post for most of the week. The 6′ 9″ forward had his way with smaller interior opponents both offensively and defensively. He averaged 17.7 points and 13.7 rebounds in Bishop Garrigan’s three contests. While he did face some trouble in Wapsie Valley’s Kiks Rosengarten, Winkel still held his own. He has the potential to bully opponents in the paint with his size at the 1A level.
Kiks Rosengarten was a force in the paint during Wapsie Valley’s state title run.Kiks Rosengarten (2020, Wapsie Valley)
Wapsie Valley’s stellar run was capped off with a 1A title over Bishop Garrigan, and that’s thanks in part to Kiks Rosengarten’s play down low. The 6′ 7″ senior is well built and can anchor the post with ease. He’s fairly mobile, too, and while he isn’t a sharpshooter, he can knock down shots from range if given the opportunity. Rosengarten averaged 17 points and 11.3 rebounds in the state tournament. There is a case to be made for Rosengarten being the most consistent player in the tournament.
Eddie Burgess averaged a double-double for Montezuma in the state tournament.Eddie Burgess (2022, Montezuma)
Montezuma lives with the one-two punch of guard Trey Shearer Trey Shearer 5'10" | PG Montezuma | 2021 State IA and forward Eddir Burgess. Shearer is a quick scorer from all over the court, while Burgess brings the muscle and toughness of the team. He’s not always the tallest player on the court (6′ 4″) but he’s relentless in his pursuit of rebounds and positioning in close offensively. Burgess averaged 14.3 points and 12.3 rebounds last week.
[player_tooltip player_id="796112" first="Connor" last="Drew"] averaged more than 17 points per game at Wells Fargo Arena.Connor Drew Connor Drew 6'6" | PF Ballard | 2021 State IA (2021, Ballard)
Ballard’s leading scorer went to work in the paint in the state tournament, scoring 17.7 points per game and grabbing 6.3 rebounds. Drew is fairly versatile, netting around 40 percent of his 3-point attempts this season. He moves well with and without the ball. Drew scored the second-most points of any player in 3A in the state tournament and was one of just three to average more than 17 points per game in Wells Fargo Arena. He’s one of the better facilitators out of the post as well, averaging 2.7 assists per game last week.
[player_tooltip player_id="801838" first="Daniel" last="Wright"] proved to be not only a threat in the post as a scorer, but also as a solid facilitator.Daniel Wright Daniel Wright 6'8" | PF Sergeant Bluff-Luton | 2020 State IA (2020, Sergeant Bluff-Luton)
The Wisconsin football commit made a case for himself as the best player in the 3A bracket. Daniel Wright Daniel Wright 6'8" | PF Sergeant Bluff-Luton | 2020 State IA powered Sergeant Bluff-Luton’s offense, netting 17.3 points per game in the tournament. Wright also ate up rebounds, averaging a class-high 12 boards per game in Wells Fargo Arena. Above all, Wright spaces the floor as good as any forward in his class. He can shoot fairly well from 3-point range, and his head is always on a swivel looking for the next best pass. Wright averaged 4.7 assists last week.
[player_tooltip player_id="530060" first="Cody" last="McCullough"] finished his high school career with a 20-20 game.Cody McCullough Cody McCullough 6'7" | PF Ankeny Centennial | 2020 State IA (2020, Ankeny Centennial)
Ankeny Centennial’s big man was a walking double-double. Cody McCullough Cody McCullough 6'7" | PF Ankeny Centennial | 2020 State IA averaged 17 points and 12.3 rebounds in his three state tournament games. McCullough capped his senior year off with one of his best performances of the season, tallying 21 points and 24 rebounds in the 4A consolation game. He finished with 16 offensive rebounds over his final three games. The next-highest player came in at nine. McCullough will be tough to replace for Centennial next season, not only by just his rebounding and scoring, but his versatility on the defensive end. He’s athletic and long enough to cover the 3-5 spots.
[player_tooltip player_id="721180" first="Even" last="Brauns"] scored 27 points in Iowa City West’s loss to Ankeny.Even Brauns Even Brauns 6'9" | PF Iowa City West | 2020 State #253 Nation IA (2020, Iowa City West)
Even Brauns Even Brauns 6'9" | PF Iowa City West | 2020 State #253 Nation IA played in just one game during the state tournament, but it was an incredible performance from the Belmont basketball commit. Brauns scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the Trojan’s loss to Ankeny in the first round. Brauns went to work inside, scoring 15 points in the first quarter. From then, Ankeny sent a flurry of double teams his way and fought to deny entry passes. Brauns, one of the top prospects in the state this year, showed just why he’s playing basketball at the Division I level next season. He’s got great footwork and excellent positioning.