STATE TOURNAMENT: 10 Who Impressed on Thursday
Levi Junging, Pella Christian (2017) — 31 points (8-13 FG, 6-9 3P, 9-9 FT), three rebounds, two assists, one steal
Jungling saved his best state tournament performance to date for his penultimate game. He was aggressive from the get-go in the Eagles semifinal win, scoring 13 points in the first half and then 18 in the second half to lift Pella Christian into the 2A championship game. The 5-11 guard is dazzling when he’s aggressive, with the ability to stroke it from deep or get to the rim, and he did quite a bit of both on Thursday afternoon.
Ben Gesink, Western Christian (2017) — 24 points (7-11 FG, 0-1 3P, 10-13 FT), nine rebounds, eight assists (zero turnovers), two steals
The Wolfpack were missing two starters to suspension, and Gesink took it upon himself to come out aggressive. He scored Western’s first eight points, routinely getting to the rim, using his combination of ball handling, quickness and footwork to get to the rim and score in the halfcourt. He took advantage of a Camanche defense that wasn’t stopping the ball in transition and continually got to the rim and scored or dished to teammates, hence the eight assists. Had there not been a running clock, he could’ve come away with a triple-double.
Jesse Jansma, Western Christian (2017) — 27 points (10-15 FG, 5-7 3P, 2-3 FT), six rebounds, three assists
One of three Wolfpack players on this list, Jansma lit it up from deep, knocking down five 3-pointers in Western’s 50-point win. When he started knocking those down, it drew the defense out and he took advantage by getting to the rim and finishing. He was the recipient of some Gesink feeds in transition, doing a nice job filling lanes and getting Camanche down the floor.
Jacob Vis, Western Christian (2019) — 16 points (7-7 FG, 1-1 3P, 1-1 FT), 15 rebounds, two assists, one steal
Thanks to some suspensions, the 6-6 sophomore moved into the starting lineup for Western Christian’s semifinal obliteration of Camanche, and he made the most of the opportunity. He went a perfect 7-7 from the floor en route to 16 points, pulled down 15 rebounds (only four less than Camanche had as a team) and even dished out two assists. And his attempts weren’t all just layups or dunks (although he did finish a pretty alley-oop). He knocked down a 3 and a mid-range jumper during the onslaught.
Joe Smoldt, Gladbrook-Reinbeck (2017) — 19 points (6-15 FG, 4-8 3P, 3-4 FT), nine rebounds, eight assists (two turnovers)
Smoldt has had plenty of bigger scoring efforts at the state tournament in years past, but this may have been his best all-around game in his three years here. And he scored when they needed him most, scoring eight of his 19 in the fourth quarter. He dished out eight assists to just two turnovers, and pulled down nine rebounds as well. He made huge plays down the stretch, and went on a mini 5-0 personal run that gave the Rebels a lead midway through the fourth quarter that they wouldn’t relinquish the rest of the way.
Parker Badding, Kuemper Catholic (2018) — 15 points (7-13 FG, 1-6 3P), three rebounds, two assists, one steal
Badding was the Knights’ leading scorer, and despite the fact that teammate Matt Dentlinger had 13 points and 21 rebounds, it was Badding’s efficiency that lands him on this list. He was 6-7 from inside the arc, coming up with some timely shots down the stretch to keep Kuemper within striking distance. A long, athletic wing who can score in the halfcourt or in transition, he made it a point to get to the rim and finish.
Matt Mims, Cedar Rapids Xavier (2018) — 21 points (7-16 FG, 1-4 3P, 6-8 FT), three rebounds, one steal
Xavier’s leader, Mims was in control pretty much the entire night, showing his ability to get to the rim and knock down mid-range jumpers by stopping on a dime and elevating into his shot. No shot he hit, however, was bigger than the cold-blooded 3 he knocked down in overtime that gave the Saints a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Austin Phyfe, Waverly-Shell Rock (2017) — 22 points (8-14 FG, 2-4 3P, 4-6 FT), 11 rebounds, one assist, two blocks
The future Northern Iowa big man did what he always does, scored efficiently and rebounded at a high level. He’s continued to showcase his expanded range, knocking down a pair of 3s again in this game, and his footwork and touch around the rim is always high level. He also showed off a beautiful outlet pass, a 60-footer to a streaking Jack Seward who caught it in stride and laid it in for a bucket.
Chris Kroll, Sergeant Bluff-Luton (2017) — 32 points (8-13 FG, 3-4 3P, 13-15 FT), 10 rebounds, six assists, three steals, one block
Give the 6-1 sharpshooter an inch of space and he’ll pop it in your eyes, like he did in the first half, going 3-3 from behind the arc en route to an 18-point half. He stuffed the stat sheet throughout the night, finishing with 32 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in the win.
Derek Krogmann, West Delaware (2019) — 23 points (9-12 FG, 5-10 FT), 14 rebounds, one assist, one block
The sophomore big is a walking double-double, and he did it again in the semifinal loss. He’s relentless on the glass, efficient at the rim and has good footwork. He’s got a very bright future, and was excellent in this game.