STATE TOURNAMENT: Class 3A All-Tournament Team
FIRST TEAM
Most outstanding player: Matthew Mims, Cedar Rapids Xavier (2018)*
Stats: 18.3 points (48.8 FG%), 2.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals
Xavier’s star junior was named the captain of the all-tournament team, an honor that we agree with. He not only led the Saints to their second consecutive state title, he made what turned out to be the game-winning shots in both the semifinals and championship games, with a go-ahead 3 in overtime against Waverly-Shell Rock, and a driving layup to take the lead with 42 seconds left against Sergeant Bluff-Luton. His mid-range game was on full display all week, and he was nearly impossible to stay in front of, using his combination of ball handling, footwork and quickness to get to the rim seemingly at will.
Austin Phyfe, Waverly-Shell Rock (2017)*
Stats: 19.7 points (61.8 FG%, 58.3 3P%), 11.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.3 blocks, 1.7 steals
The future Northern Iowa big man was as dominant as any player in the field, posting three straight double-doubles while leading the Go-Hawks to a third place finish. He led the 3A tournament in scoring, finished second in rebounding to Derek Krogmann, and showed off some impressive range. After knocking down just seven 3s all season heading into the tournament, he went 7-12 from behind the arc in their three games, giving Panther fans something to look forward to in addition to his exceptional footwork and discipline on the block.
Derek Krogmann, West Delaware (2019)
Stats: 15.0 points (61.5 FG%), 12.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists
The sophomore big was the leading scorer during the season for the Hawks, who were unbeaten entering the week. While they finished fourth, he continued his strong play, posting double-doubles in each of West Delaware’s three games, including a monster 24-13 game in their hard fought semifinal loss to Sergeant Bluff-Luton. He’s got a great combination of size and skill, and will be a force for the next two years.
Chris Kroll, Sergeant Bluff-Luton (2017)*
Stats: 18.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 3.7 steals
The senior leader for a Sergeant Bluff-Luton team that made a run to the 3A title game, Kroll lead the Warriors in scoring for the week, in large part because of the magnificent semifinal he played. He may have delivered the best all-around game of the tournament in their win over West Delaware, scoring 32 points (on 8-13 FG, 3-4 3P, 13-15 FT), to go with 10 rebounds, six assists, three steals and a block. He stuffed the stat sheet all week, and if he had been able to muster just a bit more offense on Saturday night, the Warriors may have been the 3A champions.
Nolan Butkowski, Cedar Rapids Xavier (2017)
Stats: 8.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists
Butkowski tends to get overshadowed a bit by Xavier’s “Big Three” of Mims, Jackson Joens and Max Techau, but he led the Saints in rebounding and assists during the week, while getting progressively more potent on the offensive end as the week progressed. A solid defender both on-and-off the ball, he does a lot of the little things that championship teams need, and he deserves recognition for it.
SECOND TEAM
Jackson Wright, Sergeant Bluff-Luton (2017)*
Stats: 15.3 points (64.5 FG%), 4.3 rebounds
John Nagel, West Delaware (2017)*
Stats: 17.3 points, 4.0 rebounds
Max Techau, Cedar Rapids Xavier (2017)
Stats: 11.0 points (57.7 FG%), 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks
Jackson Joens, Cedar Rapids Xavier (2018)*
Stats: 11.7 points (52.4 FG%, 62.5 3P%), 4.7 rebounds
Garrett Franken, Atlantic (2017)
Stats: 21 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals in quarterfinal loss
Honorable mention: Conner Groves, Sergeant Bluff-Luton (2019); Keegan Savary, Sergeant Bluff-Luton (2017); John Stensland, Waverly-Shell Rock (2017); Sam DeMoss, Sergeant Bluff-Luton (2019); Tyler Kelley, West Delaware (2018)
*denotes players that were named to the media’s all-tournament team