3A Way-Too-Early Title Contenders: Ballard

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Taking a look at teams that could compete for the state championship in their respective classes in the 2026-27 season, now moving to 3A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Looking for more after winning the 3A title in 2025-26, Ballard will return to the hardwood after losing several key players from their championship season this winter. They'll also bring back some big pieces that were critical to their one-loss run. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Starting off with the leading scorer from this season's team isn't too bad, either. After transferring over from Ankeny Centennial, 2027 forward [player_tooltip player_id='2419714' first='Evan' last='Abbott'] led the way for the Bombers. A versatile forward that can play on and off the ball offensively, while also serving as a switchable defender that can guard multiple positions thanks to his 6-foot-5 frame, Abbott was one of, if not the most valuable transfer in the state this last offseason, though there are certainly others in 3A that we'll get to in this series. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Putting up 18.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game last season, while also shooting 53.3% from the field, 37.1% from three and 75.2% from the free throw line, Abbott was one of the more well-rounded players in the class, playing a more than key role in the Bombers' run to a state title. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Subsuming Abbott's spot on the <a href="https://prephoops.com/2026/03/state-tournament-class-3a-all-tournament-team-8/">3A All-Tournament Team</a>, [player_tooltip player_id='2419750' first='Parker' last='Miller'] was excellent for Ballard in Des Moines. Serving as the team's leading scorer in a state championship game that was as low-scoring as they come, including an overtime period, Miller was one of the few effective offensive pieces between both squads. The do-it-all type of player and X-Factor that every team needs when championship time rolls around, Miller defended, grabbed rebounds and made his free throws at the stripe. Returning as the team's third-leading scorer from this last winter, Miller will need to step up like he did in the title game for the Bombers throughout the entirety of the season, taking on more responsibility on the court, including more consistent scoring. This winter, he put up 12.1 points per game while shooting 54.5% from the floor, 36.5% from three and 80.1% from the stripe. He also finished as the squad's leading rebounder, grabbing 5.9 per contest and adding 3.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jumping to the fifth starter for the state champs, [player_tooltip player_id='2754660' first='Bryce' last='Miller'] also returns. Sure, he wasn't one of the top scorers for the Bombers, putting up just 2.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, but the 2027 guard will be called upon to take on a much larger role this coming winter as the lead guard for the Bombers. Ultimately, he has championship experience and played a role in their win this last season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Now, much less likely to face ADM after the Tigers lose three critical pieces to their state tournament runs the last two seasons and handing Ballard their only loss last year, the Bombers will presumably be the state-wide favorite to win it all once again next year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->