STATE TOURNAMENT: 4A Breakout Candidates
Dennis Emelifeonwu (Valley)
6’3 SF, 2019
He’s come to Valley from Australia, Canberra to be exact, and it would seem the broad-shouldered wing is just what the Tigers needed to turn their season around. Emelifeonwu became eligible to play in mid-January; Valley was 6-6 then, it’s gone 10-1 since. He’s an efficient scorer and was defined by Valley coach BJ Windhorst as the “glue” that maybe his team needed after the rocky start.
Dante Eldridge (Iowa City West)
5’9 PG, 2019
This quick and athletic floor general has burst onto the scene this season. Eldridge played sparingly last season as a sophomore, but this season he leads the team in assists and is scoring 11.3 points per game. What’s best is his shooting percentages, 52 percent from the floor, 48 percent from deep and 84 percent from the line.
Noah Hart (Waukee)
6’3 PG, 2019
This Iowa Barnstormers product is one of the headier guards in all of Iowa, and he’ll get the chance to display that on the biggest stage next week. He leads a well-balanced Waukee attack, and is one of the best assist-men in all of 4A with his 5.3 assists per game. He’s got a terrific 3.2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, and some D1/D2 schools are showing interest.
Dylan Jones (Waukee)
6’7 F, 2019
Another Division I prospect from Waukee, Jones is a long and lean combo-forward that will primarily bang in the post for the Warriors. He’s the team’s best rebounder and particularly excels on the offensive glass. In the offseason, he’ll stretch out and take on a more of a wing role at times, and he’s a capable 3-point shooter when left open. Division I coaches will be keeping a close eye on him.
Peyton Williams (Johnston)
6’5 C, Johnston
Williams is a beast, and it’ll be fun to see him go up against Jones in a quarterfinal match against Waukee Tuesday night. What a contrast of styles that’ll be; Jones is long and lean, Williams is a big-bodied bruiser but with some serious bounce. Unfortunately for college hoops programs, Williams is off the table; he’s committed to play baseball at Iowa.
Ty Anderson (North Scott)
6’4 SF, 2020
A rangy sophomore, Anderson first caught our eye last summer as a versatile Iowa Barnstormers wing with a ton of upside. He’s really come into his own this season with the Lancers. Anderson has played a pivotal role in their state tourney run, averaging 7.1 points on 53 percent shooting. Better yet, he leads the team in blocks, steals and rebounds.
Logan Wolf (Cedar Falls)
6’4 G/F, 2019
This is a guy that we saw breakout last spring with the Iowa Barnsotrmers, and now, he’ll get the chance to breakout in front of a state tourney crowd. Wolf is a tough and versatile wing who scores it well and efficiently. He’s done a nice job of finding super star teammate AJ Green, too, Wolf leads the Tigers in assists. The do-it-all junior also leads the team in blocks and steals.
Jack Peterson (Sioux City East)
6′ G, 2019
The Black Raiders have its well established duo of Van Rees and Aidan Vanderloo, but this combo-guard Jack Peterson is a very capable third-option. He’s a highly skilled guard, who can shoot it as well as he handles it, and he’s got that innate hoops instinct to boot. Peterson should be on some small college radars.