Week One Review: Top 2026s Tony Saw

Lovely didn't have a great shooting night against Heelan, going just 6-20 from the floor, but he made big plays on both ends of the floor when Treynor needed them. He's a winner who sets his teammates up, can get to the bucket off the dribble, and is good in the mid-range. He has a great feel for the game and is able to keep defenders off balance with his change of pace and change of direction. He had 14 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals in the Cardinals' season-opening win.     Thien battled foul trouble in Treynor's win over Heelan, but when he was on the floor, he was dominant in the paint. He showed advanced footwork and soft touch around the rim with either hand, and does a great job carving out position on the block. He had 16 points on 6-7 shooting, went 4-4 from the line, and came away with 3 steals, showing active hands in the paint.     Conley was exceptional for the Crusaders in their season-opening loss, showcasing his blend of ball-handling, pace, and creativity around the rim. He has great body control around the bucket and is able to finish through or around contact with either hand. His ability to change speeds keeps defenders off balance, and he's really good at getting to his spots in the mid-range off the dribble. He had 26 points and 6 rebounds on 9-18 shooting.     Becker missed a majority of last season with injuries, and the Muskies are sure happy to have him back. A long, athletic wing who can impact the game on both ends of the floor with his length, he scored 20 points in their win over City High on 5-11 shooting, including going 3-7 from the 3-point line. He moves really well without the ball in his hands and has a quick release off the catch, which, when paired with his advantageous size, makes him shot very difficult for defenders to contest.     Biah is one of the top on-ball defenders in the state, and he was a menace on that end of the floor in the Muskies' win over City High. His lateral movement and competitiveness on that end of the floor are rivaled by few, and he does a great job using his prowess on the defensive end to spark his, and Muscatine's, offense. He had 18 points on 5-7 shooting (8-10 FT), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals against the Little Hawks.     Watkins was impressive in the loss to Muscatine, scoring 14 points on 6-10 shooting to go with 12 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block. He looks more comfortable with the ball in his hands, routinely putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim off of wing touches, where he showed that he can finish through contact. His length and athleticism allow him to provide some real versatility on the defensive end of the floor as well. He's due for a pretty significant jump in the 2026 rankings when they're updated during the winter break.     Arguably the best player in 1A basketball, Horn was dominant on both ends of the floor against Clarion-Goldfield-Dows, scoring 28 points on 9-17 shooting (1-2 3P, 9-10 FT) to go with 12 rebounds, 5 rebounds, and 4 blocks. He's extremely difficult to defend at the 1A level because of his ability to take smaller defenders onto the block and score or drag bigger defenders out to the perimeter and take them off the dribble. In addition to his offensive capabilities, he's a really good rim protector who rotates well and has great timing as a shot blocker.     Bargfrede went 6-10 from the 3-point line, and if that improvement from the 3-point line turns out to be for real, good luck to the rest of 1A. He looked supremely confident in his jumper, flashing a lightning-quick release and confidence in his shot both off the dribble and the catch. He did a nice job using the threat of his shot to open up the rest of his offensive game, getting to the rim off the dribble or beating an overly aggressive defender with a backdoor cut for a finish. He finished with 27 points on 10-16 shooting against CGD.     The future James Madison big man was quietly dominant against Waverly-Shell Rock in Xavier's opener, scoring 10 points on 5-9 shooting (largely dunks) with 13 rebounds and a block. But the most impressive part of Evans' game was his 6 assists, showing impressive court vision out of the high post. The offense can flow through him, as he is able to take defenders off the dribble from that area, is a good enough shooter that he needs to be respected from there, and his vision is high level.     Murray struggled with his perimeter shot, especially early in the Saints win over Waverly-Shell Rock, but still finished with a team-high 16 points on 6-15 shooting, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals. His work on the defensive end was the most notable aspect of his outing, locking down on that end of the floor and using his quick hands to turn defense into offense routinely for the Saints.