Midseason Report: Smooth Criminals
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In the state of Iowa, throughout the holidays, there are no tournaments due to state rules and regulations. Therefore, we are going to go back and recap some of the best players from the first half of our season. In…
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Continue ReadingIn the state of Iowa, throughout the holidays, there are no tournaments due to state rules and regulations. Therefore, we are going to go back and recap some of the best players from the first half of our season. In this specific article, we will be covering five prospects that are leaders in the “steals” category of the book so far this season.
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Lily Coil Lily Coil 5'6" | PG Columbus | 2025 IA
Lily Coil Lily Coil 5'6" | PG Columbus | 2025 IA
Starting off this article we have a player that we have not covered up until this point but that is all going to change moving forward. The player that I am referring to is Lily Coil Lily Coil 5’6″ | PG Columbus | 2025 IA of Columbus High School. Throughout her first 10 games this season, Coil is averaging 6.4 steals per game, while helping lead her team to an overall undefeated record up until this point. Coil is one of the star guards for Columbus and she uses her active hands/feet to create a lot of havoc throughout a contest. As you can tell, so far this season it’s definitely working. Along with averaging 6.4 SPG, Coil is also putting up 15 PPG, along with grabbing a handful of rebounds. Like I said above, I haven’t see Coil compete until recently but after this, I’ll be keeping my eye on her and this team. They show promise and have some nice pieces on their roster. If they play their cards right, they could make some waves before this season comes to an end.
McKenzie Snook of Chariton High School has just committed to play collegiate ball at the D3 level after her high school career but before that can happen, she is going to continue to do her best and continue to compete at this elite level over these next few months for her fellow teammates. Snook is impressive on the hardwood and has been for a few years now. She works relentlessly on both sides of the ball and that leads to a lot of tips/deflections for her team. Throughout her squads first 10 games, Snook is poking away 5.9 steals per game while also averaging 16.7 PPG and grabbing around 7 RPG. At this rate, she is going to end this season as a top player throughout all classes in the state in SPG and possibly PPG. There is a long way to go before any of that and I’m sure that personal accolades aren’t even a thought on Snook’s mind at this point but it is always important to have individuals goals, no matter what it pertains to in your life. I’m not sure of the exact goal Snook has in her head at this moment but she shouldn’t over-think it. She is doing well and her team is winning, there is not much more you can ask for.
I have had the chance to watch Laynee Hogan Laynee Hogan 5’9″ | PG East Buchanan | 2025 State IA compete closely this past AAU season and she could definitely help a college team at the next level if put in the right situation. Hogan has always been interesting to me ever since she was a Freshman. She is a natural point guard, this is pretty good when it comes to making plays with the ball in her hands but in this case, we are talking about how active she is on defense. Throughout travel season, you don’t see a lot of great defense but in Hogan’s case, she was tipping passing and grabbing steals at a high rate all summer long and if she wasn’t, she was the first on the floor, diving for a loose ball on most occasions. As for this high school season, Hogan is averaging 5.8 SPG while leading her team in several other categories. These are some nice numbers but I imagine this is only the start. Hogan still has a few more years to go at the high school level. If she can continue to expand her game and become more consistent, everyone else better watch-out.
Highlights
Rylee Mudderman Rylee Mudderman 5'5" | PG Kee | 2027 IA
Rylee Mudderman Rylee Mudderman 5'5" | PG Kee | 2027 IA
Kee High School usually has some ballers. Usually a player or two that knows what they are doing out on the court and they are producing high numbers in a certain category or two because of it. One of those players this year comes in the form of Freshman Guard, Rylee Mudderman Rylee Mudderman 5’5″ | PG Kee | 2027 IA . Mudderman may only be a Freshman this season but she is going to be a name to know over the next three years of high school basketball. So far, she is averaging 5.8 SPG, while also scoring, rebounding, and defending at a high rate. In two weeks, when the 2027 Player Rankings Update for Iowa dropped, Mudderman is going to be included. She has shown promise so far and I hope she can keep that momentum moving forward.
Ayla Hall
Ayla Hall
Ayla Hall and her HLV team don’t get as much love as they should in this game and that is partially on me but to start this season, they have been fantastic as a group. Hall is doing her thing at the guard position and causing problems for her opponents, her team is slowly piecing things together, and everything seems to be falling into place coming out of break. What I do know is that up until this point, Hall is ranked #8 in the state in SPG with around 5.6 and that number isn’t going to change up too much. With a group that runs some unique concepts defensively, there is always going to be opportunities for tips/deflections/steals. If everyone continues to do their job and Hall can continue to lead by example, both parties should put together a season to remember.