Reliving 25 Memorable Performances: 20-16
With a week-plus off for the holiday break, what better time is there to look back on some of the most memorable performances of the past decade? I’ve been closely following high school basketball in the state of Iowa since my time in high school (graduating in 2007), and over the next week, I’ll be unveiling 25 of the best performances I’ve had a chance to witness, either as a team or individuals. The list will be more individual performance centered, and please note that prior to my hiring at Prep Hoops Iowa, I saw every Iowa City West game for five years, going to other games on evenings they weren’t playing. I look forward to continuing to be able to add performances to this list as the years go on. Without further ado, here are memorable performances Nos. 20 thru 16.
Check out performances 25-21 here.
20.) Adam Klein’s first half in the quarterfinals (March 10, 2015)
Adam Klein’s transfer before the 2014-15 season from Iowa City West to Williamsburg was a big reason the Raiders made their first state tournament since 2003, entering the 3A field as the No. 1 seed. And Klein made the most of the opportunity to shine at Wells Fargo Arena, torching Glenwood in the first half to the tune of 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting (3-of-3 from the arc). At one point, he quite literally shot the lights out. He ended up scoring 29 in the game, but the first half is what I remember. He was knocking down NBA 3s, hitting people with nasty crossovers, and using his quickness to cause all sorts of problems. A great showing from the then-senior guard who passed up playing college ball to go to Iowa State and study industrial design.
19.) A.J. Green nearly completes comeback against Iowa City West at state (March 11, 2016)
We’ll see more from A.J. Green later on in the countdown, but his semifinal showing against Iowa City West was one that many will remember for years to come. Trailing by as much as 12 during the fourth quarter, the sophomore guard scored 14 of his game-high 24 points in the final 4:01 of the game, knocking down a trio of 3s, including one he got fouled on, and making a layup with nine seconds left to tie the game at 59. The Tanner Lohaus game-winning tip was the most memorable single play from this game, but if Green hadn’t gone crazy in the final four minutes, it never would’ve come to that point.
18.) Ethan Steinbronn’s triple-double (January 29, 2015)
This game was memorable in many ways. It was a cold Thursday night in tiny Janesville, and I had to get to the gym in the middle of the boys’ JV game, sit through the rest of that, then sit through the entire girls game before getting to the main event. West Central big man Ethan Steinbronn made sure that the wait was worth it, posting the only triple-double that I’ve seen in person – 25 points, 27 rebounds and 10 blocks. Of course, the 6-10 post was a man amongst boys at the 1A level, but the numbers were eye-popping nonetheless. He was a force on both ends of the floor, but it still wasn’t enough to overcome Janesville, who outscored Steinbronn and West Central 22-11 in the fourth quarter to win 57-55 in front of a packed gym.
17.) North Scott shoots 76% from the floor in blowout win (January 11, 2014)
This game took place in the Wisconsin Dells against Marshall (WI) and their star guard Cam Ward, who is now a key piece at Vermont. North Scott came in and absolutely blew the doors off of Marshall, jumping out to a 50-25 lead at the half and cruising to a 41-point (87-46) win. In the game, the Lancers shot an absurd 32-42 (76.2%) from the floor, including 12-17 (70.6%) from deep. The top six in their rotation, which were pretty much the only players who saw meaningful time this season, were 29-36 (80.6%) in the best shooting performance I believe I’ve seen. These weren’t all layups either, there were plenty of jumpers included, and North Scott was just on fire. It was about as flawless a game as I’ve seen an offense play.
16.) Iowa City West’s 2012-13 season
Fresh off a 26-0 season, and with nearly every player back, expectations in Iowa City were not just for a repeat, but for one of the most dominant seasons we’ve seen in 4A. And the Trojans delivered, despite some adversity. An Austin Swank corner 3 against Davenport Assumption saved them in the season opener, and the Trojans would play just two more games within single digits for the rest of the year – one against a Sun Prairie (WI) team featuring a pair of Division I players in Nick Noskowiak and Nick Fuller, and one against Dowling, which we’ll talk more about later on. They had to deal with the suspension of star guard Dondre Alexander (and later on, the dismissal of him), but they went on to complete another 26-0 season, outscoring teams by an average of 25 points a game and beating No. 2 Bettendorf by 18 in the championship to culminate another title season. I’ve got great memories of following this team, and the amount of talent on the roster was unbelievable.