8 Under the Radar Players: 2A State Tournament
On Monday we will start the 2020 girls’ state tournament in Des Moines at Wells Fargo Arena. There are a lot of star players in each class who have led their teams all season long but there are also players…
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Continue ReadingOn Monday we will start the 2020 girls’ state tournament in Des Moines at Wells Fargo Arena. There are a lot of star players in each class who have led their teams all season long but there are also players who don’t get the recognition on each team that deserve it. Below I will be taking a look at an under the radar player on each team in the 2A state tournament.
Ally Hoffman – 2022 – Cascade
Hoffman is a player that has really played well this year but takes a backseat because of all the talent that Cascade has. Hoffman scores 8.5 points a game and hits the perimeter shot at a 42.5 percent rate. Hoffman rebounds the ball well grabbing 6.2 rebounds a game and will add a couple of steals and assists in each game. While she’s the fourth scoring option she has the ability to score 15 points a game if she wanted to. She’ll be a big reason if Cascade wins a state title.
Mahayla Faust – 2022 – West Hancock
Faust is a steady player for West Hancock. She is the fifth leading scorer on the team and doesn’t get any of the attention that some of the other players on the team get. She is a very capable scorer who can put points on the board if all others are struggling in the game. She scores 6.1 points a game and will add a couple rebounds a game and a few assists while turning the ball over less than one time a game. Faust is a glue player than every team loves to have.
Sydney Burke – 2020 – North Linn
North Linn has a very star-studded lineup that can put points on the board quickly. Burke is one of those players that can do that, but she is a bit in the shadows. She plays solid defense which is at times something that is overlooked if a player doesn’t put up a number of steals. Burke is an integral part of the success that North Linn has seen over the past couple of years because she is so solid in every aspect of the game. Burke is going to look to have a good state tournament if North Linn wants to win.
Mia Knudson – 2020 – Osage
There are three players that average in the double-digits for Osage. Knudson averages 7.0 points a game and could be another in double-digits if she wants to be. Knudson is a distributor dishing off 3.3 assists a game while grabbing 2.0 steals a game. She is a shooter as she likes to get space and throw up a shot. She shoots 35 percent from behind the line forcing opposing teams to respect her shot. She only has nine free throws attempted this season and is a player who can really help spur Osage in the tournament.
Emme Lake – 2021 – Logan-Magnolia
Lake only averages 3.1 points on the season but that doesn’t mean that she doesn’t impact the game in ways that many don’t see. She’s one of the leaders on the team as she has both started and come off the bench this year. Lake is one of those players that is smart with the ball, can rebound the ball, and plays very tough. There are going to be multiple Logan-Magnolia players step up this upcoming tournament and I think Lake is the most unheralded of the bunch.
Taylor Thein – 2020 – West Branch
A name that doesn’t get much traction around the state is Thein even though she averages 8.5 points a game, good for third-best on the team. Thein is not only a solid offensive player but a good defender grabbing 2.9 steals a game. Thein has the ability to turn those steals into points at the other end by getting the ball out into transition. Thein dishes off a few assists a game and has been a strong leader on the team all season long. She’ll have a good tournament if West Branch ends up becoming champions.
Jaden McMahon – 2020 – Denver
McMahon is a small point guard who starts the offense really well and scores the ball just as well. On the season she is scoring 6.4 points a game while dishing off 3.2 assists a game. McMahon is the third leading scorer on the team and at times takes a back seat and doesn’t have to look to score. She has the ability to get hot from the floor and score points in bunches as well as play well with the ball in her hands. Denver needs her senior leadership and she’s just under the radar due to the two stars on the team.
Ally Postma – 2020 – Western Christian
Postma is the third leading scorer on the team as she scores 8.4 points a game while shooting the ball at a 42 percent clip from behind the arc. Postma is one of the best shooters on the team as her percentage from behind the arc is 12 percent higher. Postma will stuff the stat sheet in every game since she averages a few rebounds, steals, and assists a game. Postma isn’t going to blow anyone away with her game but she’ll away play a steady game with very few mistakes.