State Tournament: Tuesday’s Top 2023 and 2024 Performers

2023 PF Luke Patton Luke Patton 6'5" | PF Roland-Story | 2023 State IA (Roland-Story)

Patton has been one of the most dominant rebounders in 2A all year, averaging 13.2 a game, but he took his game to another level in the Norsemen’s quarterfinal win over Kuemper Catholic, finishing with 25 points and 22 rebounds. His second half alone (19 points, 18 rebounds) would have been a stellar game, and he single-handedly willed Roland-Story into the semifinals. He’s a great athlete with a big, physical frame that he uses to dominate the glass on both ends of the floor, and he has fantastic hands and touch around the rim.

2023 SG Chandler Pollema (Western Christian)

Pollema was a terror in transition, routinely beating Monticello down the floor for easy buckets en route to a game-high 17 points on 8-10 shooting in Western Christian’s blowout win. A 6-0 guard with a bigger wingspan, he uses his length effectively on the defensive end, getting into passing lanes and sparking the Wolfpack’s transition offense. He’s a reliable shooter from deep, although he didn’t need to be in this one, showing a smooth stroke off the catch. He had 5 rebounds and 3 steals to go with his 17 points.

2023 SF Tate Van Regenmorter Tate Van Regenmorter 6'5" | PF Western Christian | 2023 State IA (Western Christian)

A 6-5 combo forward who can do a little bit of everything for the Wolfpack, Van Regenmorter had 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in their win. He sees the floor well, has a big, physical frame that he uses to finish through contact around the rim, and is a capable shooter from distance with a pure stroke and repeatable release.

2023 SF Colby Collison Colby Collison 6'4" | SF Bondurant-Farrar | 2023 State IA (Bondurant-Farrar)

The leading scorer for the Bluejays had a fairly quiet scoring day, finishing with 15 points on 6-13 shooting, but he found a bunch of other ways to impact the game in their blowout over Algona. A 6-3 wing with a tremendous feel for the game, he showed some playmaking, finishing with 3 assists against no turnovers. He showed that his length can impact the game defensively, blocking 6 shots, and he rebounded well on both ends of the floor, pulling down 8 rebounds, 4 on each end. A high IQ wing who does a little bit of everything, he doesn’t force anything, using his frame to get to the rim and finish through contact.

2024 SG Reggie Postel Reggie Postel 6'1" | SG North Polk | 2024 State IA (North Polk)

A 6-1, rangy guard who can put the ball on the floor and get to the bucket, Postel showed good body control and finishing ability around the rim en route to 21 points on 9-17 shooting. He has a pure release on his jumper and plenty of range, and he does a good job moving his feet and using his long arms to get into passing lanes on the defensive end.

2024 SF Matthew Noll Matthew Noll 6'7" | PF Bishop Heelan | 2024 State IA (Heelan)

Noll is one of the highest upside players in the state in the 2024 class, and he showed why in the Crusaders’ win over Marion, going off for 24 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 blocks. He uses good off-ball movement and strong footwork around the rim to score on post touches, and he has a really good mid-range game. At 6-8, he has the size to shoot over just about anyone, and he handles it pretty well for a young wing his size. He was 8-14 from the floor and a perfect 8-8 from the line.

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

The future Augustana guard was excellent in the first half for Marion, scoring 13 of his 18 points in the first 16 minutes before Heelan made a defensive adjustment and limited him in the second half. He handles the ball extremely well and gets the ball into his shooting pocket in the blink of an eye off the dribble. He has tremendous range and great footwork, and he was making plays at a high level for his teammates, dishing out 6 assists against no turnovers in his final high school game.

2024 PG Joseph Bean Joseph Bean 6'3" | PG Kennedy | 2024 State IA (Xavier)

A strong 6-3 point guard who loves to use his strength and physicality to his advantage on the offensive end, Bean is a high IQ leader who doesn’t every force anything. I love his willingness to take smaller defenders onto the block inverting the offense and initiating the attack from a different position on the floor. He sees the court at a high level, is a talented passer, and he uses his strength to bully those smaller defenders for scores on the block as well. He finished with 15 points on 7-12 shooting, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal.

2023 SG Aidan Yamilkoski Aidan Yamilkoski 6'4" | SG Xavier | 2023 State IA (Xavier)

Yamilkoski didn’t have his best shooting night, going 4-14 from the floor, including 2-9 from deep, but he knocked down some big shots to stop potential Hoover runs, and he found other ways to impact the game, pulling down 8 rebounds (5 offensive) and playing excellent team defense throughout. At 6-4, he has good size and a solid frame, and he’s a pure shooter off the catch who moves well without the ball in his hands. He finished with 13 points.