Class 3A – Region 8: 2022’s who can Breakout

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 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 2022’s who could be primed for big seasons. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="163333" first="Ava" last="Wolf"] - Shenandoah</strong> As a sophomore, [player_tooltip player_id="163333" first="Ava" last="Wolf"] led Shenandoah in scoring and rebounding, producing almost 11 points and over six rebounds a night. Wolf was a strong force inside, knocking down 52 percent of her shots on the year. She also made 66 percent of her 53 free throw attempts. In all, Wolf finished her season with 235 points, 138 rebounds and 17 steals, adding a handful of assists. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="163342" first="Elie" last="Tuhn"] - Nevada</strong> Competing in the tough Heart of Iowa Conference, Nevada gained valuable experience in what it takes to be a contender night in and night out. The Cubs will hope that pays off with several returning starters back including Class of 2022’s [player_tooltip player_id="163342" first="Elie" last="Tuhn"]. Tuhn started 22 games, scoring 191 points on 38 percent shooting with 32 made three-pointers. She also sank 50 percent of her free throws. Along with being a main scorer for Nevada, Tuhn also contributed 60 rebounds, 55 steals and 40 assists. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="129062" first="Lexi" last="Johnson"] - Red Oak</strong> Over 20 wins, a regional title and run to the Class 3A quarterfinals highlighted the season for Red Oak. The Tigers lose some key pieces to graduation, but Class of 2022’s [player_tooltip player_id="129062" first="Lexi" last="Johnson"] is ready to handle even more of a load. Johnson was a regular in the starting lineup last year, scoring 191 points with 61 rebounds, 55 steals, 54 assists and 11 blocks. She made nearly 45 percent of her field goals and buried 13 three-pointers. With seven seniors moving on due to graduation, the Tigers will need Johnson to raise her game in hopes of making another run to state. <strong>Brianna Fields - Creston</strong> This past winter, Creston finished with 14 wins including an upset of West Marshall in the regional semifinals. The run ended at the hands of West Marshall, but the Panthers definitely served notice. Now, the task of keeping that momentum going falls into the hands of returning reserves such as Brianna Fields. Fields scored 175 points with 116 assists, 105 rebounds and 63 steals. She led Creston in both assists and steals, and ranked among the leaders in points and rebounds. A 37 percent shooter from the field, Fields also buried 25 three-pointers and made 57 percent of her free throws. <strong>Chloe Strait - Clarinda</strong> For Clarinda to take that next step in 2020-21, they will need to see Class of 2022’s Chloe Strait do the same. Strait had a fine sophomore season for the Cardinals, producing 103 points with 122 rebounds, 28 steals and 12 blocks. She shot just under 35 percent from the field, 50 percent at the free throw line and buried a couple triples. An improvement in her percentages across the board should result in a big jump in scoring and production for Strait and Clarinda.