Winter Break Wrap-Up: My Top Players Thus Far (Part 4)
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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.
Jenica Lewis Jenica Lewis 5’10” | PG Johnston | 2026 State IA has started of her freshman year with the Johnston Dragons as one of the best point guard, and overall players, throughout the state of Iowa. Lewis is great competitor who contains a basketball skill-set years above her age. She is an efficient and fundamental scorer who doesn’t look to do too much but instead, keep it simple and let the game come to her. To begin this season Lewis has been asked to be the key distributor to one of the best rosters in the state and she has been doing just that. She has been doing a good job as a game leader who controls pace and keeps her team in motion. Something that I like most about this is the fact that she is already showing off her versility on the court. I would say coming into this year she was really seen as a scoring guard more then anything but I think over her next 4 years that she will show every college in the country that she can play the 1 or the 2 spot in a big time program.
Halle Vice Halle Vice 5’11” | SG Pleasant Valley | 2023 State IA has begun her senior year by putting her team in a great position going into break. Vice and her Pleasant Valley high school team have started out this season with a 8-0 overall record and hope to keep that same energy coming back out of break, where they will have to face some of their tougher competition of the season coming up. Vice has been the stand out leader for this team on the inside while doing a great job of keeping her teammates in the right mindset to go out and compete each night. She is a crafty and physical combo forward who will really move to the guard position in college. She has such a high guard skillset while standing at a good height and length. This season so far she has been getting it done on both ends and really showing how she can be a difference maker on the defensive side of the ball, altering or blocking shots near the hoop. After this high school season is over she will get ready to go and play for the University of Marquette, where she will look to expand her game and be a big time college player over her next four seasons.
Aaliyah Riley Aaliyah Riley 5’7″ | PG Johnston | 2024 State IA has been the force in attacking the middle for the Johnston Dragons on their way to an undefeated start during this season coming into break. Riley has been a tear near the hoop, dominating her competition with her crafty and quick first step toward the rim all year long thus far. To stop this Johnston team it’s going to take an opponents best game while everything goes their way because of just how talented the roster is. If someone over plays Riley then she does a great job of passing the ball out to an open shooter or a cutter going toward the basket, if someone tries to just play behind her in the pain she will make a quick move and finish at the rim through contact or over the top with a floater, and if a team doesn’t communicate then the Dragons will screen and move until they get a wide open look, so it’s really a “pick you poison” situation for their opponents. I anticipate for Riley and her teams success to continue as they have a plethora of weapons to attack you with. It will be fun to see them at the state tournament against some other great teams that can match-up better with them then most.
Averie Lower Averie Lower 5’11” | SG Clear Creek Amana | 2026 State IA has stepped into her starting role for her CCA Clippers team with her foot on the gas, showing off that she is a great shooter in this state that everyone will need to know the name of. Lower is a shooting guard who has really come into her own over the past few weeks after a slower start to the season. She has a good handle and some nice moves to get to the rim against aggressive defenders. She does a good job of moving her opponent with a jab step or pump fake and get to her spot, which is a mid-range pull up from about 15-17 feet. While playing for a team that is really experienced and who also added a good amount of freshman talent, will fair well for Lower over the next few seasons. She has already done a great job this year showing scouts and other coaches what she can really do and I expect her to keep that up. If she does this and her team stays consistent then I think we will have a really good shot of seeing this group at the state tournament at the end of the season.