Dynamic Duos in Class 1A

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Having a pair of high-level, complementary pieces is vital to any team's success on the hardwood. Here, we take a look at five of the top duos of returnees in Class 1A.</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 C [player_tooltip player_id='1884756' first='Tanner' last='Bergmann'] &amp; 2026 PG [player_tooltip player_id='2519981' first='Briggs' last='Boehme'] (Wapsie Valley)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This classic inside-out pairing combined to average 38.1 points, 16.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.5 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game last season. Boehme is the skilled playmaker on the perimeter who can get to the rim off the dribble or create quality looks for his teammates, while Bergmann is more of a back-to-the-basket big man with good footwork, soft touch, and an array of moves that he can go to with either hand. They're a really good pairing in the pick-and-roll. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 CG [player_tooltip player_id='2243086' first='Michael' last='Joyce'] &amp; 2026 PG [player_tooltip player_id='1781875' first='Carter' last='Schwab'] (Bishop Garrigan)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Joyce and Schwab may give the Golden Bears the best backcourt in Class 1A this season. Joyce is a long, skilled combo guard who can do a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor, using his intelligence and athleticism to impact the game on both ends of the floor. The emergence of Schwab over the last few years has allowed him to operate a bit more off the ball, an area that he can thrive in given his offensive awareness and feel for the game. Schwab is a tough guard who sees the floor extremely well and does a great job getting his teammates involved, dishing out 4.8 assists a game last season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 SF [player_tooltip player_id='1977076' first='Landon' last='Blum'] &amp; 2026 PF [player_tooltip player_id='2413631' first='Jax' last='Pryor'] (Woodbine)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Following the graduation of Carter Gruver, a 17-point scorer, both Blum and Pryor will have a chance to see their usage rates skyrocket this season. Blum is one of the most talented, athletic wings in the state, and he'll have the ball in his hands a ton this season. His ability to score from all three levels and create plays off the dribble should be on full display, while Pryor, while undersized, is a tough, physical forward who finishes really well around the rim. Expect to see a lot of two-man action between these two this winter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2028 PF [player_tooltip player_id='2439640' first='Jevyn' last='Severson'] &amp; 2027 PF [player_tooltip player_id='2420789' first='Emerson' last='Bridgewater'] (Madrid)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The defending champion Tigers lost a ton of backcourt production from last year's state title winning team, but they bring back a pair of talented, hyper athletic big men to build around heading into this winter. Severson was recently named as one of the top tight end prospects in the country's 2028 class, and he brings those same attributes to the hardwood - toughness, physicality, athleticism, and finesse around the rim. He averaged 15.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, and shot 66.5% from the floor as a freshman. Bridgewater has a bit more of a face-up game than Severson, and is capable of taking bigger defenders off the dribble after dragging them out to the perimeter. Look for him to serve a bit more of a playmaking role this season as they break in a number of new guards in the backcourt. He averaged 8.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.9 steals per game as the fifth starter last season, and his numbers will skyrocket as a junior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 PF [player_tooltip player_id='1907683' first='Hunter' last='Horn'] &amp; 2026 PF [player_tooltip player_id='2887801' first='Jakob' last='Koopman'] (St. Edmond)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hunter was one of the best players in 1A last season, averaging 23.7 points and 9.6 rebounds on 59-38-75 shooting splits. A mobile, athletic 6-5 combo forward who can score inside and out, he's the type of dynamic all-around offensive weapon that you can play through with his vision and passing. Koopman gives the Gaels, who may enter the year as the top-ranked team in the class, another tough and athletic forward who does a great job pounding the glass on both ends of the floor. Between Horn, Koopman, and fellow returnee [player_tooltip player_id='2517050' first='Carson' last='Bargfrede'], rebounding against St. Ed will be really tough this season. Horn and Koopman combined for 6.7 offensive rebounds a game last season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->