Looking Back: Other Standouts From the State Tournament

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now that the dust has settled from the state tournament, I'd like to look back and highlight some kids I didn't at the time or further highlight others. Dozens of games went down in Des Moines, so this will not be the only time I do this, there are multiple kids I want to discuss, but there are four on my mind today.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='608159' first='Willow' last='Bleeker']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sioux Center entered the state tournament as the No. 6 seed in 3A and left with the title. The Warriors were a well-oiled machine. They forced numerous turnovers, took advantage of their size on the boards, and beat teams up on the offensive glass. They were a perfect blend of structure and chaos. Bleeker was the hidden focal point of what the Warriors did. She's a good athlete, and she got to run the floor in transition and made timely plays throughout the tournament. I'm very excited to rewatch 3A games to focus more on what Bleeker was doing to score 15-plus points in seemingly every game without seeming like a focus of the offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='127617' first='Emma' last='Miner']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the first two games, Miner seemed a little passive. In the 4A title game, it felt like the future St. Thomas forward wouldn't leave without a state title. She hunted her shot for the entirety of the game against North Polk, and there wasn't much that the Comets could do to slow her down. I loved how she paired her ability to stretch the floor with her ability to get to the rim and draw fouls. She dominated from start to finish.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='246121' first='Aili' last='Tanke']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Although Johnston came up just short in the 5A state title game, Tanke nearly shot them back into the game late. Tanke hit a few late 3-pointers to bring the game within a point and had the crowd lose their minds. Her shooting nearly turned a surefire defeat into an improbable win. She never looked to force anything all week and made the right basketball play time after time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='311357' first='Addy' last='Maurer']</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Most of the attention after Pleasant Valley's state title run will go to the Vice's and Jessie Clemons, which is understandable. However, I loved what [player_tooltip player_id='311357' first='Addy' last='Maurer'] brought to the Spartans. She's a nice wing piece that could knock down shots and battle on the interior, which lets more perimeter-oriented players play their game. Her versatility unlocked the Spartans' offense.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->