Week One Review: Top 2025s Tony Saw

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PG [player_tooltip player_id='1381418' first='Jamison' last='Poe'] (Ames)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The floor general for the Little Cyclones battled foul trouble throughout their season-opening win over City High, but he was great when he was on the floor, finishing with 12 points, 3 rebounds, an assist, and a steal on 5-6 shooting. He does a great job utilizing his speed to his advantage on both ends of the floor, moving his feet well side-to-side defensively as well as jumping passing lanes and turning defense into offense. He sees the floor well and is really good when he's playing downhill and putting pressure on opposing defenses.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SG [player_tooltip player_id='1381424' first='Abe' last='Vos'] (Ames)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Vos has established himself as a talented shooter, but it was his playmaking and court vision that was on display against City High, dishing out a team-high 4 assists with no turnovers. He has good size on the wing and does a nice job handling the ball without getting sped up. He looks much more comfortable with the ball in his hands after being more of an off-ball shooting threat earlier in his high school career. The improvement as a ball-handler is a nice sign in his development. He had 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals to go with his work as a distributor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PF [player_tooltip player_id='2721435' first='Jaxton' last='Schroeder'] (City High)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Schroeder is a welcome addition as a senior to the Little Hawks lineup, giving them some size, athleticism, and toughness in the paint. A lefty who displayed good touch around the rim, he's a menace on the glass, especially on the defensive end of the floor, pulling down 11 rebounds to go with 11 points in the Little Hawks' loss to Ames. He runs the floor hard, has a good second jump, and has the physical frame to absorb contact around the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>C Parker Sutherland (City High)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sutherland is one of just a few returnees for the Little Hawks and will be relied upon to be a big part of the team as a senior. The 6-6 big man was solid in their loss to Ames, scoring 12 points with 7 rebounds and 2 blocks. He has good touch around the rim, and like Schroeder, can absorb contact around the bucket and finish through it. He does a nice job of staying vertical and contesting without fouling around the rim, using his size to impact the game defensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PF [player_tooltip player_id='1381405' first='Brody' last='Clubb'] (Clear Creek Amana)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clubb got off to a hot start for the Clippers, knocking down a pair of catch-and-shoot 3s to try and help lead CCA to an upset over Iowa City West. The upset didn't come to fruition, but the future North Dakota State defensive lineman made a big impact on the game before fouling out, finishing with a team-high 13 points on 4-8 shooting (3-5 3P) and 3 steals. If his floor-stretching is an added element to his game this season, the Clippers could be really dangerous in 3A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SF [player_tooltip player_id='1381414' first='Jack' last='McCaffery'] (Iowa City West)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The future Butler wing certainly didn't have his best game, shooting just 5-17 from the floor (1-9 3P) in the Trojans' eventual blowout win over Clear Creek Amana, but it's a testament to him that he found other ways to impact the game when his shot wasn't falling. He finished with 10 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal, and 4 blocks to go with a game-high 17 points. He has great footwork and knows how to create space to get his shot off, and with his size, he doesn't need much space. He has great timing as a shot blocker and lets his length do most of the work.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PF [player_tooltip player_id='1759910' first='Max' last='Schmeltzer'] (Pleasant Valley)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The lone returnee for the Spartans who saw much time last season, Schmeltzer was really good in their season-opening loss to Prairie, scoring 12 points on 5-5 shooting with 9 rebounds. He's a physical presence in the paint who isn't afraid to throw his weight around, clearing out a bit of space to get his shot up or to corral rebounds. He has soft hands and his footwork looks improved - more fluid and decisive. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PG Camryn Lemoine (Pleasant Valley)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 6-1 guard who is going to be asked to play a significantly bigger role this season for PV, LeMoine was pretty darn good in his debut, scoring 14 points on 7-8 shooting with 6 assists and 2 steals. He's a good athlete who does a nice job putting pressure on opposing defenses with his ability to create off the dribble. He sees the floor well and likes to get his teammates involved. He does a nice job using his length to impact the game defensively as well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PG [player_tooltip player_id='1759900' first='Damyen' last='Jackson'] (Assumption)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last year's Class 3A all-tournament captain got his senior year off to a solid start, scoring 17 points on 8-16 shooting in the Knights' loss to Wahlert. He's really talented with the ball in his hands, using his handles and great footwork to create space to get his shot off, and when his shot starts falling from the mid-range and 3-point line, it just makes him more dangerous with his ability to get to the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SF [player_tooltip player_id='1288882' first='Ethan' last='Meyer'] (Wahlert Catholic)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I think that Meyer's game against Assumption is the best I have ever seen him play, putting everything in his arsenal together on both ends of the floor. He had 14 points on 6-12 shooting (1-2 3P), 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and a block. With his size and length at 6-6, his athleticism, and his ball-handling, he can be a major matchup problem when he's looking to play aggressively. He's a versatile player on both ends of the floor who could be the key for the Golden Eagles long-term success this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PG [player_tooltip player_id='2511484' first='Luke' last='Welbes'] (Wahlert Catholic)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Welbes is quickly becoming one of my favorite players in the state to watch. The 6-0 guard is tough as nails and loves to compete on the glass on both ends of the floor. Despite being one of the smallest players on the court, he tied for the game-high with 9 rebounds in the Golden Eagles' win over Assumption to go with 10 points and 4 assists. He's a pass-first guard who does a nice job getting into the teeth of the defense, making them collapse on him, and then finding an open teammate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->