Five Class 4A Freshmen Making an Early Impact

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PG [player_tooltip player_id='2523925' first='Trae' last='Fields'] (Cedar Rapids Washington)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dismiss Fields because of his diminutive stature at your own peril, because he's a flat-out killer on the hardwood with elite handles, great footwork to help create additional space to get his shot off, and a knack for making tough shots over bigger defenders. He has excellent vision, is cat-quick, and is as tough and confident as they come. He's averaging 20.2 points, 2.0 assists, and 2.8 steals a game on 42-37-67 shooting splits.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SF [player_tooltip player_id='2523901' first='Halbert' last='Jackson'] (Cedar Rapids Washington)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jackson is one of the most talented players in the 2028 class, a supremely athletic 6-5 wing with three-level scoring abilities, defensive versatility, and tremendous playmaking. To be fully transparent, he's currently serving a 7-game suspension and will need to get those types of things straightened out moving forward, but there is absolutely no denying the talent in this young man. In five games this season, he's averaging 17.0 points, 8.6 rebounds (4.6 offensive), 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks on 55-45-46 shooting splits.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SF [player_tooltip player_id='2523891' first='Carter' last='Thielen'] (Lewis Central)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 6-3 wing who can score from all three levels, Thielen is leading the Titans in scoring at 15.9 points per game, and he's doing so quite efficiently, shooting 51% from the floor. He rebounds well on both ends of the floor, uses his length effectively on the defensive end, and has shown some real talent as a secondary playmaker off the dribble.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PG [player_tooltip player_id='2595605' first='MarQwan' last='Morgan'] (North Scott)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Morgan will be on the short list of players under consideration for the #1 ranking in the initial 2028 rankings to come later this month or in early February. An athletic 6-2 lefty lead guard who can score inside and out, create quality looks off the dribble for his teammates, and provide some versatility on the defensive end, he's averaging 13.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game for the Lancers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SF [player_tooltip player_id='2595698' first='Marcus' last='Morgan Jr'] (North Scott)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The other Morgan boy is making a big impact for the Lancers as a freshman as well, averaging 7.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game on 51-55-50 shooting splits. He's an athletic 6-2 wing who shoots it well off the catch, finishes effectively around the rim, and has a nose for the ball as a rebounder.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->