5A Standouts This Season
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Today, we’re finishing up looking at standouts in each class and looking at 5A. There are plenty of talented kids in 5A this season, but I want to look at four kids in particular. All these kids will play a…
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Continue ReadingToday, we’re finishing up looking at standouts in each class and looking at 5A. There are plenty of talented kids in 5A this season, but I want to look at four kids in particular. All these kids will play a role in their team advancing in the postseason.
Brooklin Dailey Brooklin Dailey 5'8" | SF Southeast Polk | 2023 State IA
The Southeast Polk wing is a creative kid who can score the ball at a high level. Dailey can make things happen off the dribble by shifting the defenders’ weight to create space for her to get shot up. Dailey also makes quick decisions on the offensive end. She doesn’t waste any time with the ball and keeps the Rams’ offense moving. She helps make her team better on both ends of the floor.
Jayla Williams Jayla Williams 5'10" | CG Ankeny | 2026 State IA
The Ankeny guard is one of the best newcomers in Iowa, and she helped the Hawks beat their city-rivals Ankeny Centennial. Williams can do everything on the floor. She can score, defend, pass, run the floor, and shoot from the perimeter, and she’s athletic. Williams plays hard on the defensive end and doesn’t give up on any play on that end, and that mentality helps her create some excellent defensive plays that few others can make. The Hawks are a program going in the right direction, and they’re young, so keep an eye on them over the next few seasons.
The Pleasant Valley wing and Marquette commit can score in bunches and stretch the defense well beyond the 3-point line. She’s not only a standstill, catch-and-shoot kid. Vice scores off the dribble and can create space to get her shot off. Pleasant Valley is also undefeated, as they got seeded for the postseason. The postseason will be single elimination, and they have no room for error. I’m curious to see if Pleasant Valley’s experience in close games this year will help them later in the tournament when they have to play uber-talented kids in 5A.
The Bradley commit out of Waterloo West is the leader in points per game in 5A this season, with over 22 points per contest. Poock is a tricky guard with an excellent handle on the ball and can create space or beat her initial defender off the dribble. If she gets room to shoot the ball from the perimeter, she’s lethal. She’s a winning player and helps get the most out of her teammates on both ends of the floor.