Winter Break Wrap-Up: My Top Players Thus Far (Part 3)
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Going into winter break I wanted to highlight my top players up until this point in the season. These will not be in any certain order at the moment and will feature players through-out all grades at the high school…
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Continue ReadingGoing into winter break I wanted to highlight my top players up until this point in the season. These will not be in any certain order at the moment and will feature players through-out all grades at the high school level. This will be a five part wrap-up with 5-10 athletes included per article. (Merry Christmas!!!)
Halli Poock Halli Poock 5’6″ | PG Waterloo West | 2023 State IA has been showing off her complete skill set during her last time around for Waterloo West high school. Poock is a diverse and physical point guard who gets it done on both ends of the floor while playing her heart out each possession. She does a great job being a vocal leader and play-maker when things get messy or break down in their offense. To start this season so far she has been doing a little of everything while trying to lead her team through a successful year. With Sahara Williams Sahara Williams 5’11” | SF Waterloo West | 2023 State IA by her side on the court, these two together are almost impossible to stop as they do a great job of feeding off of each other. If one of them is receiving to much attention or help from an opponent, the other usually does a good job finding an open teammate to get an open look at the basket. On defense Poock is relentless, pressuring opponents all the way down the floor and making them earn every inch they get moving forward. I’m excited to see where these two can take this west team as they will find some really good match-ups once they get to the state tournament.
Addison Klosterbuer Addison Klosterbuer 5’9″ | SG Central Lyon | 2023 State IA may have the best shooting stroke in the state of Iowa high school basketball right now from deep but that’s nothing new. Coming into this season the University of South Dakota women’s basketball commit was known for letting it fly and being a very efficient three point shooter. Well, to start her senior year she is doing just that, showing off what she can do while also scoring in other ways and getting her teammates involved whenever possible. Klosterbuer and Central Lyon high school have started out this season with a 7-0 record and go into break ranked as one of the top teams in the state in the 2A class. Coming out of break they will face their hardest test of the year up until this point in the top ranked 3A team in the state in Estherville Lincoln Central high school and star guard Haylee Stokes Haylee Stokes 5’6″ | PG Estherville Lincoln Central | 2025 State IA . This game will be a big eye opener for both sides as they will have two of the top players in the state playing in this contest and overall it’ll show the strengths and weaknesses within each program, helping them prepare better for the upcoming future competition they will face.
Ava Locklear Ava Locklear 5’11” | SF Clear Creek Amana | 2024 State IA has been a staple in the middle for her CCA Clippers team this season during her junior year and she won’t be slowing down anytime soon. Locklear, who is receiving a good amount of college interest and deservingly so, has been everything that her team has asked of her this year and more, helping her team to an overall 6-2 record to start the 22′-23′ season. The best ways that I would be able to describe Locklear as a player is that she possesses a high motor, very high basketball IQ, and great work ethic while always trying to learn and get others involved. She is the perfect player in a coaches point of view as you always know what you are going to get out of her each game. Her consistency and efficient work on the floor provides the foundation for some real success individually and for her team over the next few seasons. It will be a long road to make it through playoffs to state for this CCA team but it’s definitely possible. This team has every piece to make a big run and show how good they really can be once they put it all together going into the end of the season.
Nakia came into her freshman year with a lot of hype and success behind her name on the basketball court. To say there was a good amount of pressure to start this season would be an understatement but the freshman has came out and competed in each contest this year leading her team to an overall 8-0 record while showing off that she is always ready for the moment. Nakia is a shifty and diverse point guard who could also move over to the shooting guard position on a high school floor if needed. She has a solid handle that is good under pressure and does a great job moving her opponent with her eyes so that she can work to get near the rim. Her athleticism and basketball skill jumps off the paper for an individual her age and I see it continuing to do so. As time goes on I am sure that she will be receiving college interest from all over the country. Over the next few seasons as her game grows and she continues to put up big numbers, it’ll show everyone that she can be a real program changer at the next level. This season herself and her AGWSR high school team will have some tough challenges before the playoffs begin but in the long run, it’ll help the younger players get a feel for some real, big time varsity minutes.
Highlights
Ava Zediker Ava Zediker 5’10” | PG Dowling Catholic | 2025 State IA is doing all she can as a diverse, scoring threat for her Dowling Catholic high school team. Zediker, the quick and crafty point guard, has had some great games to start off this season. This includes leading her team to an overall 5-4 record while scoring over 25 points a few times, including over 30 once or twice as well. Don’t let this record fool you, the competition and teams that DC is having to play is very challenging as they have had to go against some of the best teams in the state up until this point. I anticipate Ava and this team to get things together during break and come out firing on all cylinders to finish off their regular season. They have the ability to be very good but just need to consistently put it together before the playoffs roll around. If they can compete and come together a little more as a team than I can see them making a run once the season comes to an end, under the leadership of Zediker.