State Tournament: Tuesday’s Top Performers

2023 Tate Petersen Tate Petersen 6'1" | PG Monticello | 2023 State IA (Monticello)

The 6-0 lead guard was excellent for the Panthers in their win over Mid-Prairie, scoring 19 points on 6-14 shooting (4-9 3P, 3-3 FT) with 4 rebounds. He made a few huge 3-pointers in the fourth quarter after the Panthers snapped their long scoring drought, helping them get back in the game. He shoots it really well off the dribble and the catch, getting the ball into his shooting pocket quickly, and he handles on-ball pressure well.

2022 Carson Lienau Carson Lienau 6'4" | PF Jesup | 2022 State IA (Jesup)

The future Iowa State thrower had a strong game in his final day in a J-Hawk uniform, scoring 18 points on 7-13 shooting (4-4 FT) to go with 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. A 6-5 lefty big man, he showed great footwork and touch on the block, and was an absolute force in the first half before a defensive adjustment from Rock Valley limited him in the second half. 

2022 Bryson Van Grootheest Bryson Van Grootheest 6'0" | CG Rock Valley | 2022 State IA (Rock Valley)

The 6-1 slashing guard set the tone early for Rock Valley and was a dominant scorer throughout the game for the Rockets, finishing with 28 points on 11-16 shooting. He’s a quick-twitch athlete who can get to the rim seemingly at will, and he has excellent body control around the bucket. His constant attacking both in transition and in the halfcourt put a ton of pressure on the Jesup defense and helped open things up for his teammtes throughout the game. 

2022 Sam Remmerde Sam Remmerde 6'3" | PF Rock Valley | 2022 State IA (Rock Valley)

Remmerde, a 6-3 stretch-forward, was absolutely dominant in the second half of the Rockets win, racking up 22 points and 14 rebounds (9 offensive) with 3 assists and 5 steals in the win. He showed the ability to step out and knock down a 3-pointer with a smooth stroke and has was a force in the paint, finishing efficiently through contact and pounding the offensive glass hard. His activity level on both ends of the floor was a difference-maker in the second half for the Rockets. 

2022 Jackson Jones Jackson Jones 6'3" | SG Dallas Center Grimes | 2022 IA (Dallas Center-Grimes)

The 6-3 wing was excellent on both ends of the floor for the Mustangs in their blowout win, finishing with 18 points on 7-10 shooting (4-7 3P) along with 4 assists, a block, and a steal. He’s a long and active wing with picture-perfect form on his jumper. He moves well off the ball, finding spaces in the defense to get his shot off, and he has some versatility on the defensive end. He’ll be a really nice college player for whichever small school is able to snatch him up.

2022 Jacob Runyan Jacob Runyan 5'9" | PG Dallas Center-Grimes | 2022 State IA (Dallas Center-Grimes)

Runyan was in complete control all afternoon in the Mustangs win, finishing with a double-double of 10 points and 10 assists. He’s one of the best pure point guards in the state, looking to get others involved first and foremost, and his court vision is outstanding. He’s a really good ball-handler who handles pressure without any issues, and he thrives playing with ball screens. And as good as he was on the offensive end, he was even better defensively, holding Carroll star guard Kaleb Booth Kaleb Booth 6'1" | SG Carroll | 2022 State IA in check throughout the afternoon.

2023 Brayson Laube Brayson Laube 6'2" | PG Marion | 2023 State IA (Marion)

Laube delivered the highest scoring output of the tournament thus far, scoring 35 points on 12-23 shooting (1-7 3P, 10-10 FT), including 28 in the second half. A skilled 6-2 guard who can get to his spots whenever he wants, Laube didn’t shoot it as well from 3 as he normally does, but he made a ton of shots from the mid-range, getting to his spot and elevating into his smooth jumper. He was playing like a man possessed in the second half, constantly looking to attack and wanting the ball in his hands. 

2023 Brayden Dinkla Brayden Dinkla 6'0" | PG Winterset | 2023 State IA (Winterset)

In that same game, Dinkla was equally impressive in the second half, as he and Laube went pretty much shot-for-shot. He scored 24 second-half points en route to a team-high 26 points on 9-18 shooting (8-11 FT) along with 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. He spent most of the first half looking to get others involved and flashing his excellent court vision and passing skills, and then spent a majority of the second half in attack mode, playing downhill and using his quickness to get to the rim for finishes. 

2022 Nathan Avery Nathan Avery 6'3" | SF Winterset | 2022 State IA (Winterset)

With Dawson Forgy Dawson Forgy 5'11" | PG Winterset | 2022 State IA saddled with foul trouble for most of the game, the Huskies needed someone a bit unexpected to step up, and Avery did just that, finishing with 22 points on 7-10 shooting (4-6 3P, 4-6 FT). The 6-3 stretch-forward looked confident in his shot, not hesitating when elevating into his jumper and showing good form on his stroke. Winning teams at the state tournament always have some player make a major leap during the week, and perhaps Avery is that player for the Huskies this week. 

2022 Gibson McEwen Gibson McEwen 6'1" | SG Central DeWitt | 2022 State IA (Central DeWitt)

The 6-1 guard was good all night for the Sabers, but was especially good down the stretch as he went 13-14 from the free-throw line throughout the game to ice away any comeback attempt Decorah was trying to make. He stepped up in a big way when Gilbert left with his injury and finished with 24 points in the win.

2025 Ryan Watters (Central DeWitt)

While his older brother battled foul trouble for most of the game, the 6-5 freshman shined off the bench, scoring 10 points on a perfect 3-3 shooting and 4-4 from the free-throw line to go along with 15 rebounds (5 offensive). He’s a long and springy athlete who runs the floor, can protect the rim, and finishes well around the bucket. He took full advantage of his size and athleticism edge and dominated on the glass. 

2022 Shawn Gilbert Shawn Gilbert 6'7" | PF Central DeWitt | 2022 State IA (Central DeWitt)

The 6-9 big man was dominant before leaving with an injury, racking up 16 points and 11 rebounds in 24 minutes of action. With his sheer size, he’s a tough enough player to defend. Then you throw in his excellent footwork, soft hands, and great touch, and he’s nearly impossible to guard at this level. 

2022 Ben Kuehnast (Humboldt)

The 6-6 big man from Humboldt was a pleasant surprise on Tuesday night, finishing with 13 points on 6-12 shooting to go with 11 rebounds. He has soft hands and really good touch around the rim with either hand, and he showed a nice little array of post moves and counter-moves that he used to score going in either direction. 

2022 Noah Mack Noah Mack 6'0" | SG Assumption | 2022 State IA (Assumption)

A talented 6-0 scoring guard, Mack showed a little bit of everything in his offensive arsenal in the Knights’ overtime win, scoring 17 points on 6-13 shooting (4-7 3P) to go with 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals. He’s a really good shooter off both the dribble and the catch, getting the ball into his shooting pocket quickly and he has extended range. 

2023 Luke Klostermann (Assumption)

A 6-3 wing who came up huge in the clutch for the Knights, Klostermann had 16 points on 5-7 shooting (2-3 3P, 4-5 FT) to go with 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 steals. He’s a strong, physical wing who can score from all three levels, and he did a great job flying around the court on the defensive end, coming away with those 4 steals. He competes hard on the glass on both ends of the floor and made a number of huge plays to help lift Assumption to the comeback win.