STATE TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: Class 4A Breakout Candidates

<p><em>Over the course of the next two weeks, the Prep Hoops Iowa team will be flooding you with content previewing and covering the State Tournament. Here we take a look at a few players who could have a breakout performance at the 4A State Tournament.</em></p> <p><strong>2021 Colin McAleer (Centennial) </strong></p> <p>McAleer is a sniper from deep for the Jaguars. He’s shooting 41 percent from deep, and gets open looks thanks to defense dialing in on Colin McCoullugh downlow and Jaron Crews on the perimeter. McAleer has good size at 6-foot-3, and he can defeat his defender off the bounce need be. He and Crews will be the main pieces for Centennial next year. </p> <p><strong>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="796114" first="Jayden" last="Houston"] (Davenport North) </strong></p> <p>Houston may be North’s leading scorer at 22 points per game, but not a lot of people in the state know his name. We see all the time in March that a star player from an underdog team makes a name for himself, and I think Houston can have a coming-out party in Des Moines. Centennial will be a tough first-round matchup, and it’ll be prepared for him, but I think Houston will find ways to keep his team in the game with his scoring ability. He can light up the scoreboard, and the Panthers will need him to do that to pull off the upset. </p> <p><strong>2022 [player_tooltip player_id="682265" first="Trey" last="Campbell"] (Cedar Falls) </strong></p> <p>Campbell has a lot of characteristics of a D1 guard. He’s athletic, moves well, and is a great facilitator. With all the weapons the Tigers have, Campbell’s contributions sometimes go unnoticed. I think he could be a mid-major guard in the future or a D1 defensive back. </p> <p><strong>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="727896" first="Joe" last="Knutson"] (Cedar Falls) </strong></p> <p>Knutson is one of the most underrated players in the state. The junior 6-foot-9 post doesn’t play much because he plays behind [player_tooltip player_id="796099" first="Chase" last="Courbat"], but Knutson has a lot of tools. He’s a good finisher around the rim and a solid rebounder. His footwork could use improvement, but he does a lot of things well. Knutson has an offer from Truman State, and with a good state tournament, could see his stock rise. </p> <p><strong>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="727899" first="Wyatt" last="Heston"] (Waukee) </strong></p> <p>A lot of people are familiar with the high-scoring duo of [player_tooltip player_id="727862" first="Tucker" last="DeVries"] and [player_tooltip player_id="727863" first="Payton" last="Sandfort"] for Waukee. However, one of the most important players for this team is junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="727899" first="Wyatt" last="Heston"]. Heston is shooting a ridiculous 47.4 percent from 3-point land. When defenses are dialed in on DeVries and Sandfort, Heston is often open on the perimeter and can knock it down. Most of Heston’s production comes from beyond the arc, but he can also take defenders off the bounce and poises a mismatch for defenders. </p> <p><strong>2023 Pryce Sandfort (Waukee)</strong></p> <p>Starting on varsity as a freshman is not easy, but Sandfort has been playing like an upperclassman as of late. He started out the season a little timid, but he’s really come along in the latter half. Sandfort is listed at 6-foot-4, and has a mature approach to his game. Like Heston, Sandfort is a knockdown shooter (46.4% from 3). The thing I like about Sandfort is he knows where to be on the floor at all times. He plays his role, and puts himself in the best position to score the ball. He moves well without the ball in his hands. He has a legitimate case for being the state’s top player in 2023. </p> <p><strong>2020 [player_tooltip player_id="801854" first="Nick" last="Pepin"] (Iowa City West)</strong></p> <p>West is headlined by [player_tooltip player_id="721180" first="Even" last="Brauns"] and [player_tooltip player_id="796101" first="Marcus" last="Morgan"], but the most important player for this group may be in the backcourt. West High head coach Steve Bergman expects a lot out of his guards, and Pepin needs to be at the top of his game if the Trojans wants to win a state title. Pepin is the team’s second-leading scorer at 10 points per game, and averages around three assists per game. If Pepin takes care of the ball, West is a very tough team to beat. He’s hoping to play basketball at the next level, and productive outings in West could get him on more college’s radars. </p> <p><strong>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="796118" first="Landon" last="Eiland"] (North Scott) </strong></p> <p>With defenses dialing in on [player_tooltip player_id="801832" first="Ty" last="Anderson"], North Scott’s [player_tooltip player_id="796118" first="Landon" last="Eiland"] has reaped the benefits of open looks, especially from the perimeter. The 6-foot-5 Eiland is shooting 41 percent from 3 and averaging 8.3 points per game. Eiland has intriguing size for his position, and would be a good get for a small college. </p>