STATE TOURNAMENT: Wednesday 2A Standouts

Standouts from the first day of the state tournament in Iowa's Class 2A.    Everything changed when [player_tooltip player_id='1765513' first='Ryan' last='Clair'] was on the court for Kuemper Catholic on Wednesday. A big-bodied, athletic rim-protector, Clair was a major deterrant for any Union player looking to attack the basket. A shot-blocker that takes up space in the paint, Clair's presence in the Knights' rotation was key in keeping the Knights from scoring.   Offensively, Clair's size made it relatively easy to score around the hoop, while also providing spacing because of his ability to shoot from the outside. A rebounding machine, to boot, Clair gave Kuemper multiple possessions that they otherwise wouldn't have had on offense and grabbed big defensive boards, too. Clair finished with 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting, adding 12 rebounds for a double-double.     The star for Treynor, [player_tooltip player_id='1978103' first='Alec' last='Lovely'] carried the weight of the offense on his shoulders in the quarterfinals. The engine that makes the Cardinal offense go, Lovely led the offense with a confidence and greenlight a leading scorer should have, especially at the 2A level.   Composed as a ball-handler that gets downhill to attack the basket while weaving through traffic, Lovely can also create separation on the perimeter to get shots off. A Simpson commit, Lovely will fit well with the Storm at the D3 level. Lovely led the way in scoring for the Cardinals, putting up 21 points on 7-of-16 shooting. He added three steals.     An near-automatic bucket every time he touched the ball in the quarters, [player_tooltip player_id='2419800' first='Tyce' last='Van Donge'] took full advantage of almost every matchup he faced against Western Christian. Handling the ball on the perimeter, backing down his opponent and getting a layup. Soft touch around the rim, the strength to take on bigs his size and the ability to take advantage of matchups against guards, Van Donge put up a whopping 28 points against the Wolf Pack. He shot 12-of-20 from the field and 2-of-5 from the three-point line.   A skilled big that can do a little bit of everything, too, Van Donge made a couple threes, grabbed eight boards and dished out five assists on Wednesday.     A silky smooth athlete that stars in multiple sports for Western Christian, [player_tooltip player_id='2772345' first='Tayden' last='Moret'] took charge when senior teammate Landon DeStigter went down iwth an injury part way through the year, and the growth and experience he gained throughout his sophomore campaign were on full display against Unity.   A major factor in the continued success of one of the more storied programs in western Iowa and in 2A, Moret stepped up in a massive way for the Wolf Pack in Des Moines, too. A decent-sized guard that can use the glass, shoot from outside and stop and pop, Moret seemingly always found a way to score. He finished with a team-leading 25 points, along with four rebounds and three assists.     A Power 4 football recruit, [player_tooltip player_id='2419768' first='Tate' last='Wallace'] looks like he belongs on the gridiron. That doesn't mean he doesn't belong on the basketball court, though. Regina's leading scorer during the regular season while shooting 66.2% from the field, it's abundantly clear that Wallace is the biggest physical presence on almost, if not every court he steps on for the Regals. A intimidating, overwhelming presence on the court, Wallace used his football frame and athleticism to overbear anyone that matched up with him from Aplington-Parkersburg in the quarterfinals. He finished with 18 points.

Standouts from the first day of the state tournament in Iowa's Class 2A.