More Players That Stood Out This AAU Season
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With AAU season coming to an end, I released my lists of players that made the AAU All-State teams out of Iowa, for each age level. The five players that I have listed below are all individuals who should have…
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Continue ReadingWith AAU season coming to an end, I released my lists of players that made the AAU All-State teams out of Iowa, for each age level. The five players that I have listed below are all individuals who should have made the list for their perspective age group in some form, that’s my mistake. Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!
When looking for someone to lead your team on the floor, you want a player that you can trust to make the right choices at the right moments, while also being able to create something out of thin air if need be. A player that embodied that during their spring/summer AAU season is Tillie Smith Tillie Smith 5’4″ | PG Ankeny Centennial | 2025 State IA . Smith was the life force for her Pure Prep E40 team. A player that had all of her teammates in the correct spots on each play, while being able to make last second adjustments in the blink of eye if need be. Not to mention that Smith’s game was consistent and efficient. She didn’t try to force things and was always trying to take whatever the defense was giving her. This winter keep an eye out for Smith. A Top 50 player in her perspective class, in the state of Iowa, is sure to make some headlines this season for high school ball.
Highlights
Macy Reno Macy Reno 5’7″ | SG Muscatine | 2025 State IA is a player that I haven’t seen a whole lot of until recently but what I saw, I liked. Reno is a quick guard. An athlete who can handle the ball at the point position and bring it down the floor but that’s not her best position. Her best spot is at the off-guard position. Reno has a quick release from deep with the understanding to know when she should take a jump-shot compared to when she should drive it all the way to the hoop. I wouldn’t necessarily call her a “shooter” because she is much more than that as a player. Someone who can come in and impact a game in a matter of minutes, depending on how she is feeling that day. This season in high school basketball, it’s going to be very competitive. Muscatine is bringing back some players this season and I’m excited to see what it could lead to.
Morgan Miller Morgan Miller 5’9″ | PG Iowa City Regina | 2025 State IA has set herself up for success because of her work ethic. The work ethic to get into the gym everyday, the work ethic to stay dedicated to the sport she loves when times get tough, the work ethic to be better than she was yesterday. Miller understands that the small things matter and up to this point, she has worked relentlessly to become the best at those small things. This AAU season Miller showed her skill off at the point guard position. She displayed pin-point passes, a great eye for decision making, offensive scoring ability at all three levels, and stifling defense. Miller still has two more years at Regina Catholic for high school ball, if she can make the most of it and keep expanding her game while getting stronger, she will see a college floor one day. No doubt about it.
An individual that isn’t talked about enough because of the insanely skilled players around her is Averie Ryan Averie Ryan 5’10” | PF Johnston | 2024 State IA . Ryan is an athletic forward with a good mixture of size and strength. She moves well off of the ball and understands when is the best time to bring her defender out to the perimeter compared to when she should sit in the lane and post up. As of most recent, Ryan was offered by Grand View University in Des Moines to compete at the college level after her senior year. I’m not exactly sure what her plan is but there is a few colleges out there that I can think of that would be able to use a talent like Ryan’s. Like they always say, “You can’t teach size.”
There hasn’t been an article released lately with the most recent offers/commitments out of Iowa so I thought I should feature one right now. As of a few weeks ago, Mallory Leerar Mallory Leerar 5’9″ | SF West Hancock | 2024 State IA committed to Brair Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa. Leerar is a lengthy and agile forward. An athlete right now that can play a plethora of positions on the floor while being a producer on both sides of the ball. I always suggest that athletes commit prior to their senior year, if possible. There are pro’s and con’s to both sides of this topic but I think having the player know where they are going to attend, helps them relax and enjoy their senior year of high school much more. As for Leerar, I expect her to lead her West Hancock high school team once again this winter to a successful overall season. Something that is more then possible, given this teams current roster.