Class 3A: Stars to Watch (Part 3)

The straw that stirs the drink for a talented Xavier team, Pino is a pass-first guard who does a great job playing with pace, getting his teammates involved, and he can finish at the rim or knock down shots from distance off the catch. He's a solid on-ball defender and a high IQ lead guard does protects the ball and sets his teammates up.     A talented shooter, Murray is one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the state when he gets it rolling. He averaged a team-high 14.4 points per game as a junior for the Saints, posting 44-36-66 shooting splits. He moves really well without the ball in his hands, has a quick release, and has improved as a shot creator off the dribble over the last few years as well.     Boyd is a perfect complement to [player_tooltip player_id='1765515' first='Jaidyn' last='Coon'] for the Tornadoes, a fantastic shooter who buried 46.0% of his 3-point attempts last season. He has unlimited range, a quick, picturesque release, and moves really well without the ball, taking full advantage of the extra attention being paid to Coon on a possession-by-possession basis. He averaged 14.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game.     A long, talented wing who can control the glass on both ends, McGuire is outstanding operating in the mid-to-high-post areas on the offensive end. He's an incredibly efficient offensive player, averaging 14.7 points on 64% shooting as a junior, and if he's able to add some consistency from the arc, watch out.     A wing with great size and length, Hicks was a force on the glass as a sophomore, pulling down 9.9 rebounds a game to go with his 14.8 points, both team highs. He's a good athlete with a nose for the ball and he sees the floor well, seeing over defenders with his size.     Rice stuffed the stat sheet as a junior for the Big Reds, averaging 21.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 4.4 steals per game. He's a quick guard who plays downhill and puts pressure on opposing teams with his speed on both ends of the floor.     A high IQ guard who does a great job controlling the game with the ball in his hands, Conley can get to the rim off the bounce, knock down shots from the arc routinely, and he does a great job playing with pace and keeping his defender off balance. He averaged a team-high 15.2 points to go with 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.0 steals per game as a junior for the Crusaders.     Town has really good size and length on the wing at 6-5, allowing him to see over and shoot over defenders. He has a smooth stroke from the mid-range, and while he's a bit streaky from distance, he's more than capable of getting hot and burying a number of 3s against a team. He averaged 15.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.7 steals per game on 52.2% shooting last season.     Patterson had a breakout junior year for the Bobcats, averaging 16.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, both team-highs. He can score from all three levels and is a solid defender with the size and athleticism to defend a few different spots.     Ballenger played his freshman through junior years at St. Albert before transferring to defending champion MOC-Floyd Valley for his senior year. A talented shotmaker and playmaker off the dribble, he averaged 14.0 points and 2.2 assists per game as a junior and will give the Dutchmen a versatile scoring threat and shooter.