8 Under the Radar Players: 5A 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 5A state tournament.
Ella Cook – 2021 – Iowa City High
Iowa City High has a ton of talent no question about that. Cook is someone on the team that is very talented but very overlooked due to the star power. She scores 5.3 points a game but she is the leading rebounder on the team at 6.6 rebounds a game. Cook is a very good interior player on a team that is very perimeter-oriented. She’s a very key player on this Iowa City High team and she just simply never turns the ball over.
Zoey Buchan – 2022 – Johnston
Johnston has a ton of players that play a lot in their rotation and one of those players is Buchan. She’s a small point guard on a team that seems full of good guards. She hasn’t been scoring a ton this season but she’s very crafty with the ball and makes good decisions with it. Buchan scores 3.1 points a game but is capable of doing throughout a game with her scoring ability and passing ability.
Abigail Jones – 2022 – Waukee
Jones is a good defender who relies on her defense to help the team for now. She averages 5.9 points a game which is the seventh-highest total on the team. Jones is a very long player who can guard both on the inside and on the perimeter giving her team mismatches. Jones is a capable shooter on the wing as she has hit over 40 percent of her shots from beyond the perimeter. She’s a very good player who just flies under the radar offensively.
Kamryn Grissel – 2022 – Prairie
Grissel is the third leading scorer on the team but does take a more of a facilitating role at times on the team with the scorers they game. Grissel is a long defender who grabs a steal a game and a few rebounds. She also dishes out two assists a game as she plays spurts with the ball in her hands. Grissel is much better than she is showing offensively this year and because she is the third option she’s a little under the radar.
Anna Sandvold – 2022 – Cedar Rapids
Sandvold’s success this year has been the product of the two Cedar Rapids stars getting a ton of attention. Sandvold has proven that she can hit the jumper from the outside with ease as she shoots 45 percent from beyond the perimeter. This year she has been the best shooter on the team and she still hasn’t gotten the attention that the others have. Sandvold scores 6.3 points a game and cannot be overlooked.
Brooke Woodyard – 2022 – Southeast Polk
There are a ton of very good players on the Southeast Polk roster and Woodyard is no exception. She doesn’t get the attention that she deserves because she doesn’t put up the gaudy numbers that others do but she is just as impactful. Woodyard scores 6.6 points a game while grabbing 5.3 rebounds a game so you know that she is active on the floor at all times. Woodyard is someone who can take over a game if she wants to.
Sahara Williams – 2023 – Waterloo West
Williams is one of the six players for Waterloo West who average more than nine points a game. She’s a very long and fluid wing who gets to the rim and scores the ball well. Williams always grabs rebounds, gets a few assists, and nabs a few steals a game. Williams has a very good feel for the game and she shows it every time on the floor. Williams is going to be a very solid player but right now she’s just under the radar.
Katlynn Tucker – 2020 – Sioux City East
Tucker scores 9.8 points a game and is the best shooter on this Sioux City East team. She is very good with the ball in her hands as she also dishes over over two assists a game. Tucker is a small guard who plays much bigger than she is with her speed and quickness. Tucker flies to the ball on both ends of the floor and has proven that she can hang defending bigger players. She doesn’t get the attention that she deserves.