Class 4A Leading Returning Steals
1.) 2024 Cyrus Courtney Cyrus Courtney 6'1" | SG Kennedy | 2024 State IA (Kennedy) – 61 steals A supremely athletic 6-1/6-2 combo guard, Courtney came off the bench to provide a spark on both ends of the floor for…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue Reading1.) 2024 Cyrus Courtney Cyrus Courtney 6'1" | SG Kennedy | 2024 State IA (Kennedy) – 61 steals
A supremely athletic 6-1/6-2 combo guard, Courtney came off the bench to provide a spark on both ends of the floor for the Cougars as a sophomore, averaging 7.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 2.4 steals a game. He’s a long defender who moves his feet well and has quick hands.
2.) 2023 Merquiche Lewis Jr. (Burlington) – 52
Burlington was a surprising state tournament team in 4A last year, and Lewis was a major reason why, averaging 13.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals a game. He uses his length and athleticism to defend multiple positions and get into passing lanes, and he does a great job turning his defense into quick and easy offense.
3.) 2023 Colby Dolphin Colby Dolphin 5'10" | PG Kennedy | 2023 State IA (Kennedy) – 43
Another Cougar on this top-10, Dolphin is a strong on-ball defender with great feet and hands who quarterbacks Kennedy’s constantly changing defenses.
4.) 2023 Braeden Carlson Braeden Carlson 6'4" | SF Norwalk | 2023 State IA (Norwalk) – 42
A 6-4 interior presence for the Warriors, Carlson has good hands and positions himself well on the defensive end of the floor. He was very productive as a junior, averaging 12.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 steals a game in his first major varsity minutes.
5.) 2023 Traijan Sain Traijan Sain 6'5" | SF Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023 State IA (Cedar Rapids Washington) – 40
Sain has always been one of the most talented players in the 2023 class, and he’s really started to put everything together on both ends of the floor within the last year. He has good size at 6-5 with plenty of length, moves his feet well, and does a good job getting into passing lanes.
6.) 2025 Bode Goodman Bode Goodman 6'2" | PG Waukee Northwest | 2025 State IA (Southeast Polk) – 37
The lone 2025 on this top 10, Goodman was a major contributor for the Rams as a freshman, averaging 7.7 points, 1.8 assists, and 1.6 steals a game. He has quick hands and moves his feet well.
7.) 2024 Jermilyn Gardner Jermilyn Gardner 5'8" | PG Davenport West | 2024 IA (Davenport West) – 36
Gardner is tiny (5-8), but he’s a pest on the defensive end of the floor, using his quickness and hands to make opposing ball-handlers work hard on that end of the floor.
8.) 2023 Pryce Sandfort Pryce Sandfort 6'7" | SF Waukee Northwest | 2023 State #123 Nation IA (Waukee Northwest) – 36
Sandfort recently committed to Iowa to play his college ball and is coming off a ridiculous junior year on both ends of the floor. He averaged 26.6 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.9 blocks a game with 53-41-89 shooting splits. He provides a ton of versatility on the defensive end with his length, IQ, and instincts.
9.) 2023 Drew Kingery Drew Kingery 6'4" | SF Indianola | 2023 State IA (Indianola) – 35
The top uncommitted player left in the state, Kingery is similar to Sandfort in his ability to impact the game in a multitude of ways on both ends of the floor. He’s long and able to defend multiple positions.
10.) 2023 Kenzie Reed Kenzie Reed 5'11" | PG Kennedy | 2023 State IA (Kennedy) – 34
A third Kennedy guard on this list, Reed is another quick guard who moves his feet and has a knack for jumping passing lanes. He’s a fantastic two-way player who averaged 12.9 points, 6.7 assists, and 1.4 steals a game as a junior for one of the state’s best teams.