First Half State Leaders: Assists

<p><em>With the holiday break upon us, it’s time to take a look at who the state’s leading assist men are through the first half of the season (minimum 50 assists). (Note: Stats are through games that were entered into QuikStats by December 27 at 8:00 am). </em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>1.) 2019 Jake Hilmer (North Linn) - 11.1 assists per game</strong></p> <p>It should come as no surprise that Hilmer's at the top of this list, given the fact that he's the state's all-time leader in assists. He's once again pacing a Lynx offense that is averaging north of 90 points a game.</p> <p><strong>2.) 2020 Braden Gibbons (Madrid) - 9.4 assists per game</strong></p> <p>The diminutive 5-8 lead guard paces a Tigers team that is 7-2 at the break, leading them in scoring at 21.3 points a game, and ranking among the state leaders in assists. As such, it shouldn't come as a shock that they're among the state's leaders in scoring at 78.4 points a game.</p> <p><strong>3.) 2019 Myles Greene (Mount Ayr) - 9.3 assists per game</strong></p> <p>Greene is a true point guard in every sense of the word, averaging just 4.3 points a game. But he's running the Mount Ayr offense beautifully, distributing the ball and dishing out 65 assists (to just 11 turnovers) in the first portion of the season.</p> <p><strong>4.) 2019 Cliff McCray (Sioux City West) - 8.4 assists per game</strong></p> <p>The future Southwest Minnesota State point guard has been sensational this year, having already posted three triple doubles on the season and another game with a 10-9-9 stat line.</p> <p><strong>5.) 2019 Hunter Rickels (Calamus-Wheatland) - 8.1 assists per game</strong></p> <p>Rickels has the Warriors rolling, with a 9-1 record coming out of the break. He paces one of the best teams in Cal-Wheat history, and will be looking to lead them to their second state tournament appearance (2010). </p> <p><strong>6.) 2020 Noah Beck (BGM) - 7.7 assists per game</strong></p> <p>Beck is almost always the smallest player on the floor at 5-5, but he finds himself at the top of a few of these top 10 lists (steals), making an impact on both ends of the floor.</p> <p><strong>7.) 2019 Keontae Luckett (New London) - 7.5 assists per game</strong></p> <p>A lightning quick lead guard who thrives on getting into the paint and dishing to teammates, Luckett has posted a remarkable 60-9 assist-to-turnover mark so far for the Tigers, our #2 team in Class 1A. </p> <p><strong>8.) 2019 Cole Burmeister (Exira-EHK) - 7.4 assists per game</strong></p> <p>Burmeister spearheads one of the top offensive attacks in Class 1A, as the Spartans are averaging 71.3 points a game. He's averaging 14.4 points to go with his big assist numbers.</p> <p><strong>9.) 2019 Spencer Hoff (Janesville) - 7.4 assists per game</strong></p> <p>Previously known as a big-time scorer, Hoff has transitioned into more of playmaker for the Wildcats this season while letting teammates Codey Hicks and Caden Conrad handle the bigger scoring roles.</p> <p><strong>10.) 2019 Mach Nyaw (Storm Lake) - 7.0 assists per game</strong></p> <p>A two-time state champion at Grand View Christian, Nyaw transferred back home to Storm Lake for his senior year and is thriving with the Tornadoes, leading them in scoring and assists. After playing alongside Grant DeMeulenaere, he's showcasing his playmaking abilities with the ball in his hands much more this year.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>The next 10:</strong> Bryce Phelps (Denver, 2021; 6.8), Tyreke Locure (Des Moines North, 2019; 6.7), Colton Horak (WACO, 2019; 6.2), Nathan Michels (Benton, 2019; 6.0), Rian Yates (Oskaloosa, 2019; 6.0), Caleb Comstock (Pekin, 2019; 6.0), Andrew Holtz (Maquoketa Valley, 2021; 5.8), Jackson Curnutte (Chariton, 2020; 5.7), Trey Shearer (Montezuma, 2021; 5.5), Tristan Sweitzer (New Hampton, 2019; 5.4)</p>