State Tournament Preview: Class 2A Stars to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2325496' first='Michael' last='Martin'] (Regina Catholic)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 6-1 off-ball guard who moves really well without the ball in his hands, Martin is a knockdown shooter off the catch, burying 44.4% of his 3-point attempts on the season en route to averaging a team-high 17.9 points a game. He's capable of going off for 25+ on any given night, and the Regals will need him to be great against Western Christian if they want to pull off the upset.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2419768' first='Tate' last='Wallace'] (Regina Catholic)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A tough, physical, and athletic 6-2 combo forward, Wallace has been extremely productive as a freshman, averaging 11.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists a game on 54.5% shooting. He embraces contact around the rim and is uncommonly good at finishing through it for a freshman.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1436462' first='Kaden' last='Van Regenmorter'] (Western Christian)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 6-3 power wing who uses his strength to bully his way to the rim and control the game on both ends of the floor, Van Regenmorter is a pure basketball player who understands the game at an advanced level and is elite operating out of the mid-range as both a scorer and facilitator. He's averaging 19.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists a game (all team-highs) for the top-ranked Wolfpack.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1484412' first='Karsten' last='Moret'] (Western Christian)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Moret is a quick-twitch athlete on the perimeter with good size and length at 6-3. He's a good shooter off the catch, burying 39.3% of his 3s on the year, and can play downhill and get to the rim as well as just about anyone in the class. He's averaging 12.8 points and 4.2 rebounds.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376717' first='Jace' last='Tams'] (Treynor)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cardinals are small, playing a primarily five-guard lineup, and the 6-0 Tams is the headliner, averaging a team-high 19.4 points and 2.8 steals a game. He's a streaky shooter, but when he gets it going, he can fill it up in a hurry, with "in the gym" range and a quick release.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 Ethan Konz (Treynor)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another 6-0 guard for the Cardinals, Konz is putting up 14.8 points a game on 37.1% shooting from 3-point range. Like Tams, he has a quick release off the catch and can score from all three levels.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1978103' first='Alec' last='Lovely'] (Treynor)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The lead guard of the attack, Lovely, a 5-11 sophomore is dishing out a team-high 5.3 assists and has posted a solid 2.42 assist-to-turnover ratio, setting the table for the dynamic attack with his ability to create off the dribble and knock down shots off both the dribble and the catch. In addition to his playmaking, he's putting up 10.1 points on 47-39-77 splits.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381425' first='Mason' last='Watkins'] (West Burlington)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A high IQ guard who doesn't force anything, letting the game come to him, Watkins leads the Falcons in scoring at 21.9 points a game and has done so with very impressive 52-42-78 shooting splits. He shoots it really well both off the dribble and the catch and is a gifted playmaker who sees the floor at a high level.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1171665' first='Brady' last='Martin'] (West Burlington)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Martin is no offensive slouch in his own right, averaging 15.3 points and 3.9 assists a game, but where he has really shined during the postseason run is on the defensive end, doing a great job against star guards [player_tooltip player_id='1171662' first='Holden' last='Arnaman'] (West Branch) and [player_tooltip player_id='1587383' first='Jackson' last='Lieurance'] (Cascade), who had been two of the most explosive and efficient scorers in the state this season. He'll have another tough task in front of him with Treynor's slew of skilled guards, but there's no reason to expect him not to thrive again with the assignment.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1478357' first='Jalen' last='Kirkpatrick'] (Grundy Center)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The leading scorer and rebounder for the Spartans, Kirkpatrick is averaging 15.9 points and 5.8 rebounds a game on 54-39 shooting splits. A 6-5/6-6 wing with length to burn, he can score from all three levels and impact the game on the defensive end with his length and athleticism.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1476978' first='Camden' last='Davis'] (Hudson)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Davis would be a difficult matchup for opposing teams just with his size and skill set. Then you throw in the fact that he's in constant motion and plays harder than just about anyone on the floor, and you've got a dominant player for a Pirates team that has been among the state's elite this season. The 6-4 forward is averaging 19.5 points and 10.1 rebounds a game on 59% shooting. Oh, and you can't just hack him and send him to the free-throw line to slow him down as he's knocking down 86% of his freebies as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2325381' first='Lyle' last='Olsen'] (Hudson)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A do-it-all guard who sets the tone for the Pirates on both ends of the floor, Olsen is averaging 10.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 1.9 steals a game on 53.5% shooting. He's a tough guard who doesn't back down from any defensive assignment, and he loves to get his teammates involved.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2325396' first='Culin' last='Ugrin'] (Hudson)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Arguably the best shooter on the team, Ugrin is shooting just under 44% from behind the arc on the season en route to 13.4 points a game. In addition to his shooting, he's a reliable ball-handler and secondary playmaker. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413578' first='Dylan' last='Bosma'] (Unity Christian)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Unity earned their way here by beating West Lyon, a team that was ranked #1 in the class for a majority of the season. The 6-1 Bosma, and his teammate listed below, are the biggest reasons why the Knights have had such a successful season. Bosma leads the team in several categories, putting up 13.7 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.5 steals a game. He's a tough guard who loves to play downhill and attack the rim, and he's a really good on-ball defender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413600' first='Austin' last='Wieringa'] (Unity Christian)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 6-0 guard who, like Bosma, is at his best when he's playing downhill and getting to the bucket, Wieringa is putting up 12.0 points a game while also leading the team in rebounding, pulling down 5.8 boards a night.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 Mason Boothby (Underwood)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The leading scorer for the undefeated Eagles, Boothby is a 6-1 guard who can play with or without the ball in his hands. He's averaging 13.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 3.1 steals a game. He's a three-level scorer who uses his quickness to his advantage on both ends of the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1751187' first='Jack' last='Vanfossan'] (Underwood)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vanfossan, despite being the fourth leading scorer on the team, is arguably their most important piece. A 6-4 big man who can invert the offense with his ability to find open teammates out of the low-or-high post, he leads the team in assists, dishing out 4.5 helpers a game, and showed the all-around impact that he can make in their district final, nearly posting a triple-double (8-10-9). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->