STATE TOURNAMENT: Standouts from Tuesday’s late games
DES MOINES — That’s a wrap for Tuesday’s action.
Sergeant Bluff-Luton, Waukee, and Ankeny Centennial all advanced further into the tournament with wins in the late afternoon/evening portion of play.
Here are the prospects that stood out during Tuesday’s final three games.
[player_tooltip player_id="727862" first="Tucker" last="DeVries"] scored 20 points in Waukee’s win over North Scott on Tuesday.Tucker DeVries Tucker DeVries 6'7" | SF Waukee | 2021 State #123 Nation IA (2021, Waukee)
Tucker DeVries Tucker DeVries 6'7" | SF Waukee | 2021 State #123 Nation IA scored 20 points and grabbed a team-best seven rebounds in Waukee’s win over North Scott. He was active defensively, snagging three steals and blocking a pair of shots. DeVries is Waukee’s do-it-all guy, and he did not disappoint Tuesday. Above all, he plays with a ton of confidence. He’s at his best with the ball in his hands. He’s not twitchy-quick by any means, but he excels at creating separation from his defender, whether that’s in the midrange or from well beyond the 3-point line.
Jayden Houston Jayden Houston 6'3" | SF Davenport North | 2021 State IA (2021, Davenport North)
Jayden Houston Jayden Houston 6'3" | SF Davenport North | 2021 State IA almost willed Davenport North to an upset win over top-seeded Ankeny Centennial.
Jayden Houston Jayden Houston 6'3" | SF Davenport North | 2021 State IA got into foul trouble early, notching three personals in the first half. The second half was a different story, though, as he played much more under control. Houston sled Davenort North with 22 points in the loss. He looked sharp taking his defender off the dribble, often making contested drives with ease. He’s a big reason why the game was even close in the fourth quarter.
[player_tooltip player_id="727863" first="Payton" last="Sandfort"] led Waukee with 21 points against North Scott.Payton Sandfort Payton Sandfort 6'7" | SF Waukee | 2021 State #138 Nation IA (2021, Waukee)
Payton Sandfort Payton Sandfort 6'7" | SF Waukee | 2021 State #138 Nation IA has some big-time range to his game. The junior canned a pair of 3-pointers well beyond the NBA mark in Waukee’s victory Tuesday. He finished with a team-high 21 points, making six of his 12 shots. He nailed four of his eight attempts from deep, too. Waukee opted to have Sandfort primarily defend North Scott’s leading scorer, Ty Anderson Ty Anderson 6'7" | PF North Scott | 2020 State #457 Nation IA , and it played out just about as well as head coach Justin Ohl would have liked. Time and time again, Sandford denied entry passes to Anderson down low, and he held him to single digits for most of the game (Anderson hit 10 points with 1:03 left in the game).
Wright scored 18 points and had 11 rebounds in SBL’s winDaniel Wright Daniel Wright 6'8" | PF Sergeant Bluff-Luton | 2020 State IA (2020, Sergeant Bluff-Luton)
For being a well-built 6′ 8,” Wright works along the perimeter well. The senior has a nice 3-point shot, and he showed that off Tuesday when he sank two of his five attempts from deep. Overall, Wright scored a team-high 18 points. He’s got quality footwork inside and has a strong first step. I’d like to see Sergeant Bluff-Luton throw the ball down to him on the low block more often.
Majok Majouk’s length helped to swat away shots and disrupt passing lanes.Majok Majouk (2021, Sergeant Bluff-Luton)
Majok Majouk isn’t incredibly athletic or quick, but he’s tall and has long arms, making him a defensive force for Sergeant Bluff-Luton. The junior emphatically denied three shots in his team’s win and notched two steals. While he’s skinny in stature, Majouk makes up for timing in contesting shots. Offensively, Majouk runs the floor fairly well. He’s not afraid to take a 3-pointer, but he’s not a shooter (34 percent from deep on the season). He scored nine points in Sergeant Bluff-Luton’s win Tuesday.