State Tournament Preview: Class 2A Breakout Candidates

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2029 C Charlie Wessels (Aplington-Parkersburg)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 6-5 freshman, Wessels has gotten progressively better and more confident as the season has progressed, just like you'd want to see from a freshman. He gives the Falcons a highly efficient interior scoring option, averaging 9.2 points on 58% shooting to go with 5.6 rebounds. If the Falcons are going to make a run next week, they'll need someone to step up alongside their standout guards, and why not Wessels, an impactful two-way big man?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2028 SG Jayce Fryslie (Grundy Center)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 5-8 off-ball guard who can really shoot it from the 3-point line, Fryslie is burying 39.4% of his attempts from behind the arc on the season, helping space the floor for the Spartans. He's a confident shooter who can get really hot from deep, which is something that Grundy will need if they're going to make some noise - unexpected production out of an unheralded shooting threat.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 PG Theodore Perkins (Kuemper Catholic)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On a team loaded with offensive firepower, Perkins gets overshadowed, but the 6-0 combo guard is a skilled offensive weapon in his own right. He's averaging just 5.1 points per game, but shoots nearly 50% from the floor, is a viable 3-point shooting threat, and is excellent with the ball in his hands, posting a 2.44 assist-to-turnover ratio. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 SG [player_tooltip player_id='2617531' first='Miles' last='Nuzback'] (Regina Catholic)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nuzback doesn't get the attention that the Regals big men do, but the 6-4 wing has good size in his own right and uses it to his advantage against undersized perimeter players. He's a good athlete with some serious length that he uses to impact the game on the defensive end, averaging 1.4 steals and 0.5 blocks per game. If the Regals are going to make a run through the bottom of the bracket, their bigs will carry them, but they'll need some perimeter talent to step up as well, and that is probably the junior wing.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 SG [player_tooltip player_id='2906551' first='Riley' last='Lauver'] (Treynor)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lauver is the fourth leading scorer for the Cardinals, but if they're going to make some noise, he'll probably need to have a game or two in which he scores 10+ points. A 6-2 wing who can put the ball on the floor and create as a secondary playmaker or scorer, he's also really aggressive on the glass on both ends of the floor, averaging 5.2 rebounds per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2028 PG [player_tooltip player_id='2729443' first='Bryson' last='DeWinter'] (Union)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 6-2 guard who can play with or without the ball in his hands, DeWinter has stepped up and played a more significant role following the injury to star guard [player_tooltip player_id='1726227' first='Caden' last='Sorensen']. He can attack the rim off the dribble, shoot it off the catch, and is a skilled playmaker who sees the floor well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 PF Brayden Harskamp (Unity Christian)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 6-4 forward who crashes the offensive glass, Harskamp is an efficient finisher who provides some toughness and physicality in the paint. He's the type of hustle player who can make some big plays to gain extra possessiosn.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2028 SF Toby Van Regenmorter (Western Christian)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another Van Regenmorter boy coming through Western Christian, the 6-2 Toby is another skilled combo forward who provides some real versatility on the defensive end for the Wolfpack. In addition to being able to defend multiple positions, he can handle the ball, find open teammates, and score from all three levels. He's averaging 9.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->