Class 1A Stars to Watch (Part 3)

A member of Madrid's "Big Three" Buck is a skilled shotmaker who does a great job both moving without the ball or creating quality looks for himself and his teammates off the dribble. He's a tough shotmaker who creates a little bit of space to get his shot off. He averaged 17.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists a game as a junior on 52-38-74 shooting splits.     A talented wing with good size and length, Heydon can do a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor for the Crusaders. He averaged 20.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game on 54-41-67 shooting splits as a sophomore, showcasing his three-level scoring and dominant work on the glass.     Gruver led the Tigers to the 1A state tournament last season, and will lead a hungry bunch from Woodbine on a mission to take home the state title this season. He's a good scoring threat from his guard spot, but he's also skilled as a playmaker and passer. He averaged 20.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.6 steals per game as a junior.     Blum is one of the state's elite athletes, a great prospect on the football field as well who is garnering all sorts of Power 4 interest. He's a great athlete with fantastic size and length on the wing, and he can shoot it from 3-point range off both the dribble and the catch. He averaged 13.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.3 steals a game as a freshman.     A talented downhill attacking guard, Ruggles puts constant pressure on opposing teams with his combination of speed, handles, and toughness. He looks to attack the rim routinely and does a great job getting to the free-throw line, where he converted his freebies at a 79% clip. He also uses his speed and quick hands to his advantage defensively, averaging 2.6 steals to go with 18.8 points and 2.9 assists a game.     Joyce had a really productive freshman year for the Golden Bears, averaging 14.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists a game. He's an athletic guard with good length, and he does a great job playing with pace and keeping this defender off balance.     A talented scoring guard who can fill it up in a hurry from all three levels, Ballenger has the ability to take over the game offensively whether he's operating as an off-ball shooter or a playmaker off the dribble. St. Albert should be improved this year, and Ballenger is a big reason why.     Wollum is one of the most intriguing long-term prospects not only in Class 1A, but in the state as a whole. He's a legit 6-8 forward who can jump out of the gym, step out and stretch the floor with a smooth, picturesque stroke, and protect the rim defensively. He averaged 16.9 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.6 blocks on 53-41-61 shooting splits as a junior, and was one of the standout performers at our Iowa Expo earlier this month.