Class 3A – Region 3: 2023’s to Watch
As we look for other ways to cover prospects we thought it would be beneficial to cover players in a way that allows us to cover those we don’t write much about. We will be using the region’s from last…
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Continue ReadingAs we look for other ways to cover prospects we thought it would be beneficial to cover players in a way that allows us to cover those we don’t write much about. We will be using the region’s from last season as they were constructed.
Obviously, these regions will change into next season but for these stories it was the easiest way to divide players and teams as equally as possible.
We will be writing a series of three stories for each region in the state and the categories are as follows: 2023’s to put on Your Radar, 2022’s who can Breakout, and 2021’s Who Should be Valued by Colleges.
We will continue to go through each region and aim to hit as many players as we can that we haven’t talked about previously. Here are five 2023’s who need to be on your radar.
Catherine Mayhall – Carroll Kuemper
Part of a group of young players who gained valuable court time for Carroll Kuemper this past winter was Class of 2023’s Catherine Mayhall.
Mayhall started 21 games and played in all 22 for the Knights, shooting just under 40 percent from the field. She finished with 177 points, which ranked second on the team, to go along with a team-leading 111 assists, 104 rebounds and 62 steals.
Mayhall, along with the rest of the returning cast for Kuemper, will look to build upon a five-win season.
Hailey Bridgewater – Iowa Falls-Alden
It was a difficult season for Iowa Falls-Alden, as the Cadets won just three games. However, they showed promise with two of those victories coming late in the season.
Now, the task of improving on that number falls to the likes of Hailey Bridgewater and others. Bridgewater, a freshman, scored 140 points with 55 rebounds, 33 assists and 20 steals this past year.
Bridgewater knocked down 22 three-pointers, which ranked second on the team. She also got to the free throw line 39 times, also second-most for Iowa Falls-Alden.
Laney Pilcher – Jesup
Jesup went 20-5 and reached the regional quarterfinals this past season, placing second in the North Iowa Cedar East division.
A large group of seniors helped the J-Hawks achieve that success. However, many underclassmen also saw the court including Class of 2023’s Laney Pilcher.
Pilcher played in all 25 games, scoring 82 points with 78 rebounds, 23 steals, 17 assists and seven blocks. She also was active in getting to the charity stripe, attempting 34 shots there and making almost 56 percent of them.
Emma Smock – Oelwein
If Oelwein is going to break into the win column this coming season, they’ll need plenty from Emma Smock, a member of the Class of 2023.
Smock started 12 games and played in 20 last year, scoring 30 points with 41 rebounds, nine assists and seven steals. She put up 26 three-pointers in all, but struggled from the field.
Akuet Malek – Carroll Kuemper
When you post 51 blocks as a freshman, you are definitely going to catch the eye of people around the state.
Carroll Kuemper center Akuet Malek achieved that number in just 12 games for the Knights this past year. She also had 47 rebounds and scored nine points.
With some experience under her belt, you can bet teams will be concerned with going up against Kuemper and Malek in the coming seasons.