State Tournament Preview: Class 1A Breakout Candidates

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2523923' first='Tate' last='Kueter'] (Marquette Catholic)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 6-2 wing who comes off the bench for the Defenders, Kueter is averaging 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game on 42-38-71 shooting. He's the sixth-leading scorer for Marquette, but he makes a major impact on the game whenever he's on the floor. He can really shoot it from the 3-point line, and he handles it well. If the Defenders are going to make a run in Des Moines, Kueter will most certainly make some big plays to contribute to it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 Jaxton Leach (Bellevue)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Leach is a 6-2 combo forward who provides a ton of versatility on the defensive end for the Comets, with his ability to defend two through five. He's long, physical, and can be the anchor of a strong defensive unit for Bellevue. He's good on the glass, averaging 5.8 rebounds per game, and he's the type of role player that any successful team needs.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2406217' first='Tyler' last='Pottebaum'] (Boyden-Hull)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 5-11 guard does a great job protecting the ball for the Comets, posting a 2.23 assist-to-turnover ratio and doing a nice job initiating the offense. Boyden-Hull is very capable of making a deep run in this tournament, and if they do, steady play from the point guard spot will be huge.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2887821' first='Jack' last='McElroy'] (St. Edmond)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Edmond enters the tournament as the favorite to win the title, and if they do so, McElroy's ball security and on-ball defense will be big reasons why. He's posting a 3.63 assist-to-turnover ratio and averaging 2.0 steals per game. A true lead guard who loves to set his teammates up, he'll be the X-factor for the Gaels next week.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 Tate Foertsch (Bishop Garrigan)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the fourth leading scorer for the Golden Bears, Foertsch can get overshadowed by his talented teammates, but he makes a major impact on the game on both ends of the floor. He's averaging 10.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.5 steals per game, and his penchant for crashing the offensive glass from his guard spot can lead to some valuable second chances. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2029 [player_tooltip player_id='3453740' first='Kellan' last='Porter'] (Notre Dame)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Porter may be the most exciting player on this list. A 6-2 freshman guard who has had some real flashes of brilliance in his debut varsity season, he's a really athletic guard who can play downhill and get to the rim, knock down shots off the catch, and create some real chaos on the defensive end of the floor. He's long, quick, intelligent, and really talented.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 Josh Peterson (MMCRU)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 6-5 junior big man is the anchor of one of the state's elite defensive teams. He protects the paint at a high level, is a switchable, athletic defender, and has been fantastic around the rim, shooting just under 70% from the floor. The Royals will enter next week as one of the favorites in Class 1A, and if they're going to replicate what they did on the football field and win the title, Peterson's ability to control the paint on both ends of the floor will be a key reason why.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2028 Henry Gruver (Woodbine)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gruver isn't a big scorer, but the 5-11 guard is the Tigers' best shooting threat. He's shooting 42.7% from the 3-point line, and if Woodbine is going to make a run, they'll need someone to help space out the floor for [player_tooltip player_id='1977076' first='Landon' last='Blum'] and crew, who do a majority of their damage around the rim.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->