Iowa State Tournament Day 1: Top Underclassmen Performances Pt. 1
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Emiliano Barrantes Emiliano Barrantes 6'9" | PF Grand View Christian | 2025 State IA : Grand View Christian 2025 The #1 and undefeated Thunder started off the 2023 State Tournament with a gut-check 61-51 victory over New London. Barrantes and…
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Continue ReadingEmiliano Barrantes Emiliano Barrantes 6'9" | PF Grand View Christian | 2025 State IA : Grand View Christian 2025 The #1 and undefeated Thunder started off the 2023 State Tournament with a gut-check 61-51 victory over New London. Barrantes and crew were challenged right out of the gate, but they never got rattled and stayed committed to their style of team basketball. Finishing with 13 points and 12 rebounds, the 2025 forward proved to be an X-factor in the quarterfinal win. Barrantes ability to attack the glass presents quite the problem to oppositions. He puts in work to battle for good position and avoids picking up unnecessary foul calls rebounding. If you do not box him out he is sure to burn you with a quick tip in or follow up shot around the rim. On the defensive end he quickly outlets the ball to kickstart the Thunder’s electric fastbreak offensive attack, and runs the floor exceptionally well at his size. Although Barrantes was only 1-6 shooting from 3 in this one, he has shown the confidence to step out and knock down shots from deep and expand his offensive skill set.
Dylan Marquart Dylan Marquart 6'1" | SG Dunkerton | 2025 State IA : Dunkerton 2025 Marquart can fill it up from deep with the best of them in the state, as he entered the tournament with 71 made threes. He ended with 8 points, buried 2 more threes on the year, and gathered 3 rebounds in the quarterfinal loss for Dunkerton. The sophomore guard is constantly moving on the offensive end and the Raiders do a great job of running actions to get him open. Marquart at 6’1, utilizes great shooting mechanics to prime himself to knock down shots when he gets open. You can always find him on balance with great footwork and his hands ready to catch and shoot quickly. His high release allows him to take, and make, highly contested jumpers, much to the dismay of defenders. I expect Marquart to make a big jump in the Raiders offense going forward as he moves into an upperclassman and veteran leadership role.
Mason Bechen Mason Bechen 6'1" | PG North Linn | 2025 State IA : North Lynn 2025 Bechen started the game with a great crossover and attacked the basket as he banked in a floater. He quickly found his shooting stroke as well and followed up that floater with a couple of threes in the first few minutes. The Lynx lead guard stayed in control the entirety of the quarterfinal win over Madrid. He proved to the Tigers that you cannot go under a screen on him or he will pull from deep. Showcasing his ability to finish with both hands, Bechen lived around the rim and finished in traffic all afternoon. He culminated his performance with a late shot clock 3 with under 2 minutes to go, then a steal and dish to balloon the North Lynn lead from 5 to 10. Bechen finished with 29 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Toryn Severson Toryn Severson 6'4" | SG Madrid | 2025 State IA : Madrid 2025 17 points 6 rebounds We were blessed to see an exceptional 2025 guard matchup in our 3rd 1A Quarterfinal of the day. Toryn Severson Toryn Severson 6'4" | SG Madrid | 2025 State IA and Mason Bechen Mason Bechen 6'1" | PG North Linn | 2025 State IA are 2 efficient lead guards for their respective squads. Toryn did a great job of reading screens, defenders, and the North Lynn tumultuous full court press. In one sequence, he buried a backpedaling NBA 3 and then dribbled into an NBA 3 in transition seconds later. Severson is proficient at creating his own shot and scoring opportunities for his teammates on the court. He ended with 17 points and 6 rebounds in a tough 1st round loss to #2 North Lynn.
Collin Homan Collin Homan 6'5" | PF Remsen, St. Mary's | 2025 State IA : St. Mary’s Remsen 2025 The man in the middle for the Hawks was quietly the game’s leading scorer with 17. He also battled every possession to get into positioning to corral 16 rebounds. The 6’5 sophomore put on display a smooth drop step into right hand hook, while also letting the Rebels know he had a left hand touch around the rim too. Working to seal his man led to a few easy buckets for Homan as his teammates were set on feeding the big man in proper moments.
Fabian Ortiz-Alaniz Fabian Ortiz-Alaniz 5'8" | PG Madrid | 2025 State IA : Madrid 2025 A tough 1 on 1 player to guard; he has plus handles, stays low on the drive, and slips through small openings. He showed the ability to stop on a dime and stay on balance for a nice floater heading down the lane. What caught my eye was his ability to handle consistent ball pressure and length from North Lynn. Ortiz-Alaniz is one of 3 Madrid sophomores that are primed to keep the Tigers’ squad an offensive beast for the years to come.