Class 1A Leading Returning Assists

<p><strong>1.) 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158458" first="Leo" last="Dodd"] (Janesville) - 8.7 assists a game</strong></p> <p>A true lead guard who led the state with 209 assists last season, Dodd thrives on getting others involved. He had 23 more assists than points last season, and his ball-handling and court vision help pace an efficient Wildcats attack.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Maddox-Griffin1.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1166828" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Maddox-Griffin1-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>2.) 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962646" first="Maddox" last="Griffin"] (Wapello) - 8.2</strong></p> <p>A true do-it-all guard, Griffin led the Indians in scoring (17.6), rebounding (7.1), steals (4.2), and assists as a junior. The 6-4 guard has excellent size, is a true playmaker, and has the length to make a major impact on both ends of the floor. He plays with pace and is always under control.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Austin-Hilmer-new-crop-2786x1829-1615315146-crop-536x352-1615315160.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1147251" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Austin-Hilmer-new-crop-2786x1829-1615315146-crop-536x352-1615315160-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a><strong>3.) 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="682273" first="Austin" last="Hilmer"] (North Linn) - 7.7</strong></p> <p>The younger brother of Iowa's all-time assist king, Hilmer is an excellent passer in his own right. He plays at a frenetic but controlled pace, and his quickness allows him to blow by defenders and get into the paint, where he does a great job dropping off little touch passes to big men. His aggressiveness on both ends of the floor is what paces the Lynx high-powered attack.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/148-Casey-Gardner-crop-1882x1236-1619112001.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1175049" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/148-Casey-Gardner-crop-1882x1236-1619112001-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>4.) 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167715" first="Casey" last="Gardner"] (Dunkerton) - 7.4</strong></p> <p>Gardner is one of the most gifted passers in the state, a lead guard who has an excellent feel for the game and great court vision. He's coming off a great summer with Waterloo Salvation, where he showed that he can also be a big-time scorer. He helped lead a resurgence at Dunkerton last year, and the Raiders should be one of the better teams in the class this season.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>5.) 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167671" first="William" last="Kiburis"] (Gladbrook-Reinbeck) - 6.8</strong></p> <p>A 6-3 guard who can play both on-and-off the ball, Kiburis is a high IQ player who stuffs the stat sheet on a nightly basis. He posted 19.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 steals a game to go with his remarkable assist numbers. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>6.) 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167740" first="Carson" last="Fuegen"] (Easton Valley) - 6.4</strong></p> <p>Fuegen is a diminutive, quick lead guard who doesn't look to shoot it much, rather looking to get others involved. He was a much-needed addition to the River Hawks roster last year, helping lead them to the state tournament while posting a 3.2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>7.) 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="956889" first="Max" last="Burt"] (Newman Catholic) - 6.3</strong></p> <p>Burt, an Iowa baseball commit, is another high IQ lead guard who thrives on getting others involved first. He plays alongside a pair of big wing scorers who complement him well, but he's also a dynamic shooter on his own right, burying 55.4% of his 3-point attempts last season.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>8.) 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962662" first="Malachi" last="Johnson"] (Ankeny Christian) - 5.8</strong></p> <p>Johnson does a great job protecting the basketball, posting a 4.1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio last year. He has paced one of 1A's most powerful attacks each of the last two seasons, and will be looking to lead the Eagles to the state tournament as a senior.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>9.) 2024 Noah Terhark (George-Little Rock) - 5.0</strong></p> <p>A key piece of a youth movement going on at G-LR, Terhark is unlike the other players on this list in that his offensive game is almost exclusively inside the arc. He's someone that you can play through in the high post, seeing the floor well and finding open cutters.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> [caption id="attachment_1086716" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Blaise-Porter.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1086716" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Blaise-Porter-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Porter[/caption] <p><strong>10.) 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="956871" first="Blaise" last="Porter"] (New London) - 4.9</strong></p> <p>Arguably the most talented player in 1A, Porter already holds a pair of Division I offers (Bryant, IUPUI), thanks in large part due to his remarkable passing skills. A lightning-quick guard who can really break down a defense and get to the rim, he's good at kicking out to open shooters, dropping it off to a cutting wing or big, or finishing around the rim. He sees the floor incredibly well and can fit passes into tight windows.</p>