Iowa's Top Returning Scorers | Prep Girls Hoops

As we get closer to the first game of the 2019-20 girls basketball season, and as we finish up our AAU Recaps, we are going to start providing our preview's to the upcoming season. With 73 days until the first contest on November 22nd we are antsy to see some basketball. Each day up to November 22nd, there will be a season preview article on the site. That gives us 73 articles to preview the season with which will include: top returners, players to watch, breakout candidates, a breakdown of each regional with predictions, as well as our preseason top 10 among all four classes released on November 21st. Without further ado, let's hop in and see who the top returning qualifying scorers (in terms of points per game) will be for the upcoming season.

Caitlin Clark — 5'11 PG — 2020 — Dowling Catholic *32.5 PPG*

Clark was the leading scorer in the state a year ago, and she is back for one more season. She is currently uncommitted, but has narrowed down her list to three final schools. Look for Clark to easily lead the state in scoring this upcoming year as everyone else in the top five in scoring from last year has graduated. Should lead in scoring wire-to-wire.

Katie Keitges — 5'8 PG — 2020 — Knoxville *23.4 PPG*

Keitges could make a run at the scoring title this year if she remains as consistent as she was this summer. Confidence is key for Keitges as she isn't shy to pull the trigger. I look for her to take a lot of shots, make a lot of them, and sit right above 25 points per game this season. She has pledged to Omaha to continue her career.

Sharon Goodman — 6'2 C — 2020 — Crestwood *23.2 PPG*

Goodman is the third player on this list despite only taking (and making) one 3-pointer last year. She is as efficient as can be and can easily score at the rim through double and triple teams. Look for her to continue her domination and score as much as she wants. A 25 points per game season while shooting >70% is not far fetched. She has committed to Iowa.

Aubrey Joens — 5'8 SG — 2020 — Iowa City High *23.0 PPG*

Joens is one of the few players on the list that I expect to take a drop in points per game this year. With Rose Nkumu and Paige Rocca having improved a ton this summer, and little sister Kelsey Joens into the mix now, there are going to be a lot of shots to go around. Joens is going to be more efficient this year, but not score as much in my opinion. Committed to Iowa State.

Chloe Lofstrom — 5'11 PF — 2020 — North Union *22.6 PPG*

Lofstrom is a physical player on the inside but has also shown the ability to start moving it away from the rim a little bit. While her game is still going to be predicated on scoring on the inside, Lofstrom is going to see a bump in scoring due to other improvements that she's made. A good year led her to committing to Morningside.

Rachel Leerar — 5'7 PG — 2021 — West Hancock *21.2 PPG*

Leerar could either see a bump in scoring this year, or I could also see her scoring average go down just a bit. The supporting cast around her is excellent and much improved and I think she's going to be much more "point guard-ish" this season. She'll get her points, no question, but time will tell if they come as quickly as last season.

Grace Larkins — 5'9 SF — 2021 — Southeast Polk *20.7 PPG*

My dark horse pick for leading the state in scoring this year (being second at least) is Larkins. After leading her team last year in scoring, Southeast Polk now has to deal with the departure of Iowa State's Maggie McGraw. How will the South Dakota commit deal with the added attention as the top player on her team? We have her at #1 in her class for a reason, Larkins is going to have a huge year. (Featured Image)

Sam Stewart — 5'6 SG — 2021 — Mount Ayr *20.4 PPG*

I doubt many people know who Stewart is around the state, but soon they will because she is one of the top drivers in the state at any position. Standing at just 5'6, Stewart only attempted 41 3-pointers last season and made only eight. If her perimeter shooting has improved look for her to make a run at the scoring title this season.

Caroline Waite — 5'3 PG — 2021 — Ames *20.0 PPG*

Waite is a small guard but is one of the top scorers in the state. She's a smart player with a really high IQ who can shoot the lights out of the ball. A key thing for her this season is going to be getting to the rim and finishing which would open up a ton of opportunities for herself around the perimeter. I look for her to lead her team this year and give them a great chance to get to Wells Fargo.

Taryn Scheuermann — 6'2 C — 2020 — Van Buren *19.6 PPG*

Scheuermann is a tall scorer on a team that is looking for scorers. She can score on both the inside and outside as well as create for others. She would be able to score more in the half court if she didn't block so many shots, but that is what makes her such a complete player. Committed to Northern Iowa.

Honorable Mention

Mallory McCall — 5'9 PF — 2021 — West Monona *23.1 PPG*

I had to put McCall on this list because she deserves it but didn't qualify. After scoring 23.1 points a game in the first seven games, McCall suffered a gruesome arm injury. She was forced to miss the rest of the season because of it. Now she's back to being healthy and should she a rise in these numbers. I look for McCall to have a really good bounce back season. She is going to be a player to watch this season.