Week in Review: Top 2025s I Saw Last Week

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SF [player_tooltip player_id='2511505' first='Kaiden' last='Smith'] (Knoxville)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Smith didn't do a ton on the offensive end in the Panthers blowout win over Pella Christian - 6 points on 3-6 shooting - but the 6-7 Swiss Army Knife is an absolute weapon on the defensive end the likes of which very few other teams in the state possess. He has tremendous length and athleticism, can protect the rim or move his feet on the perimeter, and his ability to defend one through five at this level provides so much versatility and so many different options for Knoxville to throw at opponents. In addition to his 6 points, he chipped in 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>CG [player_tooltip player_id='1668669' first='Landen' last='Norris'] (Knoxville)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A skilled guard who can play with or without the ball in his hands, Norris is the straw that stirs the drink for the Panthers with his ability to score in bunches or create quality looks for his teammates off the dribble. A good athlete with size and length on the perimeter, he sees the floor well, uses his length to get into passing lanes, and is a competitive rebounder on both ends of the floor. He had 17 points on 6-12 shooting (3-6 3P, 2-3 FT) with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals against Pella Christian.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PF [player_tooltip player_id='1381403' first='Creighton' last='Bracker'] (Council Bluffs Lincoln)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bracker (pictured) didn't have a great night in terms of efficiency (5-15 FG), but he was a force on the glass in the Lynx's big win over Sioux City East, pulling down 14 rebounds, including five on the offensive end. A physical presence in the paint who is also a senior leader for this group, he helped lead CBAL to a win that grabbed them control of the Missouri River Conference.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SF [player_tooltip player_id='1759911' first='Tiernan' last='Vokes'] (Grundy Center)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Following the loss of [player_tooltip player_id='1478357' first='Jalen' last='Kirkpatrick'] to injury, Grundy Center needed someone to step up and become a go-to scorer when they really needed a bucket, and at least against Gladbrook-Reinbeck on Friday night, that someone was Vokes. The 6-3 combo forward showed the ability to step out and knock down 3s off the catch, post up smaller defenders, get to the free-throw line off the bounce, and create plays for his teammates. He was great against the Rebels in helping lead the Spartans to a big NICL win, posting 22 points on 7-13 shooting (2-4 3P, 6-6 FT), 4 rebounds, an assist, 3 steals, and a block.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SG [player_tooltip player_id='2204862' first='Brandon' last='Mathern'] (Gladbrook-Reinbeck)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mathern knocked down several big shots, especially from the 3-point line, in the Rebels' narrow loss to Grundy Center in a ranked-on-ranked matchup last Friday night. A 6-0 guard who can play with or without the ball in his hands, he has a quick release off the catch and moves really well without the ball in his hands. He also showed some real talent and vision off the dribble, dishing out 3 assists to go with 13 points on 5-10 shooting (3-5 3P) and 3 steals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>PF [player_tooltip player_id='2397276' first='Drew' last='Eilers'] (Gladbrook-Reinbeck)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>An active 6-3 forward with soft hands and great touch around the rim, Eilers makes up for the fact that he's probably a little undersized for a traditional big man by being incredibly active, physical, and carving out early position on the block and burying his man. He had 17 points on 8-12 shooting (1-1 FT), 5 rebounds, an assist, and a steal against Grundy.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>SF [player_tooltip player_id='1759941' first='Brayden' last='Wallis'] (Grundy Center)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wallis immediately jumps out when you watch Grundy Center play because of his overwhelming wingspan, which he's able to use to his advantage both on the glass and on the defensive end. He's listed at 6-4, but his wingspan is probably around 6-8, giving him some additional coverage on both ends of the floor. He's active on the glass, a willing passer who sees the floor well, and can defend multiple positions. He had 9 points on 3-8 shooting (1-3 3P, 2-2 FT), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal against Gladbrook-Reinbeck.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->