Week 8: Top 2024 Players Tony Saw

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SG [player_tooltip player_id='1171665' first='Brady' last='Martin'] (West Burlington)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Martin is a skilled guard who can play with or without the ball in his hands. He's a good shooter off the catch, with a quick, smooth release, and he always has his feet squared and ready to fire as soon as he catches. He's a good ball-handler with excellent footwork that he uses to help create space to get his shot off, and he can get by defenders and get to the bucket for finishes. He plays with good pace, changes speeds well, and is a high IQ player who understands spacing and angles on both ends of the floor. He finished with 18 points on 7-14 shooting (2-5 3P) in the Falcons win over Winfield-Mt. Union.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PF [player_tooltip player_id='1171697' first='Cam' last='Buffington'] (Winfield-Mt. Union)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A powerful, athletic forward who has committed to play football at Iowa, Buffington uses his explosive athleticism and physicality to finish with authority around the rim. He has soft hands that he uses to corral every loose rebound on both ends of the floor, and he showed that he can make plays for others as well with good vision and instincts as a passer. He's a good help defender who rotates well and has good timing as a shot blocker. He had 25 points on 12-18 shooting, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks in the Wolves' loss to West Burlington.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SF [player_tooltip player_id='1171698' first='Abram' last='Edwards'] (Winfield-Mt. Union)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A lanky combo forward who sees the floor really well, Edwards can stuff the stat sheet and impact the game in a variety of ways for the Wolves, finishing with 15 points on 7-10 shooting, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and a block. At 6-6, he's able to see over defenders and get others involved, showing good court vision and deft touch as a passer. He has the skill set to be a dominant scorer at this level - good footwork and touch around the rim, solid handles, and he does good work on the offensive glass. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SG [player_tooltip player_id='1171686' first='Gavin' last='Thomas'] (Aplington-Parkersburg)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A sharpshooting guard who recently broke his dad's record for made 3-pointers, Thomas has a pure stroke and he's fun to watch as he operates without the ball in his hands. He moves exceptionally well and has a quick release with extended range. He gets the ball into his shooting pocket quickly when he's playing with the ball in his hands as well, showing the ability to stop on a dime and get into his shot quickly. He has 16 points on 6-11 shooting (4-6 3P), 3 rebounds, and 5 assists in the Falcons loss to Gladbrook-Reinbeck.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PG [player_tooltip player_id='1171663' first='Willie' last='Hodges'] (Aplington-Parkersburg)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A quick guard who puts constant pressure on opposing defenses with his speed and court vision, Hodges gets others involved at a high level, dishing out 7 assists in their loss to G-R. He's a solid on-ball defender who uses his quick hands and feet to make life difficult for opposing ball-handlers, and he's a creative finisher around the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PG [player_tooltip player_id='1256297' first='TaeVeon' last='Stevens'] (Iowa City West)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stevens transferred from City High and you could tell he was fired up to play his former teammates, getting hit with an early technical after talking a bit of trash after a nice steal and finish in the first quarter. He went to the bench for a bit after that, but responded with a really nice all-around game for the Trojans, scoring 15 points on 6-9 shooting (1-2 3P). He's a quick guard with great handles and body control around the rim that he uses to finish around contact. He has good timing and jumps passing lanes well, turning defense into quick, easy offense, and he does a good job sitting in his stance and moving his feet as an on-ball defender. He can create his own looks, or looks for others, in the halfcourt by breaking down the defense and getting into the teeth of it. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PG [player_tooltip player_id='1376672' first='Jacob' last='Koch'] (Iowa City West)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A high IQ, steady guard who can really, really shoot it off the catch, Koch has a pure stroke with picturesque form and plenty of range. He moves well without the ball in his hands, ready to shoot it off the catch with a quick release. He's a good ball-handler who also showed that he can shoot it off the dribble at a high level, stopping on a dime and elevating into his shot with the same pure form. He even took his defender down onto the block on a few occasions and showed good footwork around the rim for a pair of buckets. He's a solid on-ball defender who moves his feet well. He had 15 points on 6-13 shooting (3-6 3P).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SF [player_tooltip player_id='1171670' first='Kareem' last='Earl'] (Iowa City West)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Appearing in his first game since December 20th, Earl's presence back in the West lineup was a very welcome addition. The 6-5 wing (pictured) had 11 points on 4-5 shooting (1-1 3P) and 5 rebounds in limited minutes in his first action in over a month. He's long, athletic, and is a versatile three-level scorer who can create shots for himself, and he's a dynamic playmaker who sees the floor well and is a willing passer. He provides some versatility on the defensive end with his length and athleticism, and he makes the Trojans, who have been scuffling in his absence, a dangerous team down the stretch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->