Player Evaluations: Ames Wins Top-2 Battle
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[player_tooltip player_id="682279" first="Tamin" last="Lipsey"] led the Little Cyclones with 21 points in the top-two win AMES — This battle between the state’s top-two ranked teams was everything you could have asked for. And in the end, it was top-ranked Ames…
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Continue ReadingAMES — This battle between the state’s top-two ranked teams was everything you could have asked for. And in the end, it was top-ranked Ames that prevailed over second-ranked Waukee Northwest, 54-50, on Friday night, in a potential state championship preview in Class 4A.
Neither team led by more than two possessions at any given point throughout the game, with Ames taking a five-point lead, 44-39, early in the fourth quarter. The lead changed hands a number of times, and the teams were tied at both halftime (23-23) and at the end of the third quarter (37-37).
A pair of elite defensive teams, nothing came easy on either end of the floor. The teams got off to a bit of a slow start, with Northwest holding a 9-7 lead after one, but as they got more comfortable with each other, offense started to come a little easier.
Tied at 39 with about 5:00 left to play, Ames point guard Tamin Lipsey Tamin Lipsey 6'2" | PG Ames | 2022 State #163 Nation IA knocked down a 3 from the right wing, then got a steal on the other end. Leading a 2-on-1 break, he found Trevion Labeaux Trevion Labeaux 6'3" | SF Ames | 2022 State IA for a layup, giving the Little Cyclones a five-point lead with 4:40 to play. Northwest pulled back to within one point in the closing minutes, but could never re-gain the lead, as Ames went 8-10 from the free-throw line down the stretch to ice out the win.
Ames improves to 8-1 with the win. The Little Cyclones were led by Tamin Lipsey Tamin Lipsey 6'2" | PG Ames | 2022 State #163 Nation IA , who had 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. Trevion Labeaux Trevion Labeaux 6'3" | SF Ames | 2022 State IA had 14 points and 8 rebounds, and Corey Phillips Corey Phillips 6'5" | PF Ames | 2022 State IA chipped in 10 points. The unsung hero was Lucas Lueth Lucas Lueth 6'6" | SF Ames | 2023 State IA , who finished with 6 points, but also contributed 3 blocks and played excellent defense against Northwest star Pryce Sandfort Pryce Sandfort 6'7" | SF Waukee Northwest | 2023 State #123 Nation IA .
Waukee Northwest drops to 11-2 with the loss, ending an 11-game winning streak. The Wolves were led by Pryce Sandfort Pryce Sandfort 6'7" | SF Waukee Northwest | 2023 State #123 Nation IA , who finished with a game-high 27 points (9-16 FG, 3-6 3P, 6-6 FT), 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Cade Kelderman Cade Kelderman 6'0" | PG Waukee Northwest | 2023 State IA added 11 points in the loss.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
Waukee Northwest | 9 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 50 |
Ames | 7 | 16 | 14 | 17 | 54 |
Waukee Northwest:
Pryce Sandfort
Pryce
Sandfort
6'7" | SF
Waukee Northwest | 2023
State
#123
Nation
IA
27,
Cade Kelderman
Cade
Kelderman
6'0" | PG
Waukee Northwest | 2023
State
IA
11,
Henry Manning
Henry
Manning
6'1" | SG
Waukee | 2023
State
IA
6, Cade Rounds 2, Grant Tigges 2, Sam Johnson 2
Ames:
Tamin Lipsey
Tamin
Lipsey
6'2" | PG
Ames | 2022
State
#163
Nation
IA
21,
Trevion Labeaux
Trevion
Labeaux
6'3" | SF
Ames | 2022
State
IA
14,
Corey Phillips
Corey
Phillips
6'5" | PF
Ames | 2022
State
IA
10,
Lucas Lueth
Lucas
Lueth
6'6" | SF
Ames | 2023
State
IA
6, Jamison Poe 3
2022 Tamin Lipsey Tamin Lipsey 6'2" | PG Ames | 2022 State #163 Nation IA (Ames)
The future Iowa State point guard took over the game in the second half for the Little Cyclones, scoring 16 of his team-high 21 points after the break. A 6-2 guard who plays with physicality and speed, he’s one of the most effortless scorers we’ve seen, making everything just look easy. He plays with excellent pace and has the ability to blow by defenders whenever he wants. He sees the floor really well and gets others involved, and he has improved both in his stroke and with his confidence in his shot. He’s a fantastic on-ball defender with quick feet and hands that he uses to make difference-making plays on that end of the floor.
2022 Trevion Labeaux Trevion Labeaux 6'3" | SF Ames | 2022 State IA (Ames)
LaBeaux is a 6-4 power forward who plays bigger than his listed height because of his length and his eye-popping athleticism. He’s a powerful jumper with a great second jump, and he uses his length and physicality to impact the game on the glass and on the defensive end contesting shots. He’s an efficient finisher around the rim, looking to dunk everything around the bucket, and he’s a switchable, versatile defender. He finished with 14 points on 6-12 shooting and 8 rebounds. The next step in his development will be adding some semblance of a jumper, as Northwest really sagged off of him and packed the paint.
2022 Corey Phillips Corey Phillips 6'5" | PF Ames | 2022 State IA (Ames)
A nimble 6-5 big man with excellent feet and hands, Phillips is a physical force on both ends of the floor. He does an excellent job using his big frame to wall up on the defensive end and make it difficult for opposing teams to finish around the rim. Offensively, he can stretch the floor, providing some needed shooting for this team, and he’s a strong finisher around the rim who can power through contact.
2023 Lucas Lueth Lucas Lueth 6'6" | SF Ames | 2023 State IA (Ames)
Lueth won’t get much attention in the box score, finishing with 6 points on 2-5 shooting, but the impact that he made goes well beyond the box score. His size and length at 6-7 is a major problem for opposing teams. He had a pair of blocks on Sandfort stepback jumpers, doing an excellent job staying with him and contesting his shot, which is much easier said than done against a player with the talent and size that Sandfort has. He also had a big block on a Sandfort drive. He showed some confidence as a ball-handler, getting to the rim for a tough finish in the third quarter, and he also made a few big free throws late in the game to help ice it away. His ability on the defensive end is what makes him stand out, but he has some offensive abilities as well.
2025 Jamison Poe (Ames)
A 5-8 guard who will be a key piece of Ames’ future, Poe came off the bench to provide a bit of a spark on both ends of the floor. He showed the ability to shoot it from deep off the catch, and he has the quickness and hands to be an impact defender.
2023 Pryce Sandfort Pryce Sandfort 6'7" | SF Waukee Northwest | 2023 State #123 Nation IA (Northwest)
What more can be said about the 6-7 junior? Everything about his game screams “high-major”. His offensive game is effortless and everything comes within the flow of the offense. He doesn’t force anything, and his efficiency is eye-popping. He finished with 27 points on 9-16 shooting against what is probably the best defensive team in the state. With his size, he’s able to get his shot off pretty much whenever he wants (with the exception of those pair of blocks by Lueth on his jumpers), and he has really improved his ball-handling and ability to break down the defense and get to the rim. With his long strides and incredible length, he’s able to score at difficult angles, and as he continues to add some strength to his frame, his finishing will only improve. He’s automatic from the free-throw line, an incredible rebounder, and he really uses his length well on the defensive end, protecting the rim at a high level. His outstanding two-way ability and the ease with which he plays makes it easy to see why he’s the best player in the state and why he’ll rack up more high-major offers throughout the rest of the season and into the summer.
2023 Cade Kelderman Cade Kelderman 6'0" | PG Waukee Northwest | 2023 State IA (Northwest)
A shifty 6-1 lefty guard, Kelderman had 11 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in the loss. He didn’t have his usual strong shooting night, but showed the ability to score from the arc as well as excellent footwork and finishing ability around the rim. He’s a good ball-handler who sees the floor well, and if a few of his shots that rimmed in-and-out had dropped, this game would have gone another direction.
2023 Henry Manning Henry Manning 6'1" | SG Waukee | 2023 State IA (Northwest)
A 6-1 off-ball guard, Manning has emerged as a solid tertiary scoring threat for the Wolves. He didn’t shoot it well from behind the arc in the loss, but he has good form and a clean, smooth release on his jumper. He showed the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim for tough finishes with good body control around the rim.