Introducing Mr. Basketball Candidate #3: Davis Kern

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>As part of our preseason preview content, we're counting down the top 15 candidates for this year's Mr. Basketball award, presented annually to the top senior in the state. Our countdown continues with our No. 3 candidate, Linn-Mar forward [player_tooltip player_id='1381412' first='Davis' last='Kern'].</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Name: </strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1381412' first='Davis' last='Kern']<br><strong>Height: </strong>6-8<br><strong>Position:</strong> PF<br><strong>School: </strong>Linn-Mar</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2023-24 stats:</strong> 523 points (22.7/game), 205 rebounds (8.9), 52 assists (2.3), 54 blocks (2.3), 19 steals (0.8), 189-334 FG (56.6%), 38-85 3P (44.7%), 107-134 (79.9%)<br><strong>Career stats: </strong>1,213 points (17.6), 506 rebounds (7.3), 86 assists (1.2), 127 blocks (1.8), 43 steals (0.6), 442-807 FG (54.8%), 102-236 3P (43.2%), 227-283 FT (80.2%)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>About Kern: </strong>The future South Dakota State Jackrabbit is one of the most dominant offensive players in the state, combining his 6-8/6-9 frame with a silky smooth jumper with range well beyond the high school line. He's a tremendous shooter from 3-point range, as evidenced by not only his numbers last season, but by his 43% from the arc throughout his three-year varsity career with the Lions. He has the size to shoot over anyone, and in addition to his shooting, he's also a highly skilled low-post presence with great footwork, go-to post moves, and soft touch around the rim with either hand. He does a great job contesting without fouling around the rim and protecting the paint. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Why he can win Mr. Basketball: </strong>Kern is going to put up huge numbers at a highly efficient clip, and he'll do so for a team that has a chance to make some serious noise in 4A this season. If he's able to lead the Lions not only to the state tournament, but make a deep run in Des Moines, he could garner enough attention to unseat the top two players on this countdown.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->