State Tournament: Monday's Top Performers

2026 PF [player_tooltip player_id='1643192' first='Landon' last='Davis'] (Waukee Northwest)   Davis was a matchup nightmare for Kennedy in the Wolves' quarterfinal win, using his 6-8 frame and immense length to impact the game on both ends of the floor. He impressed with his ability to operate out of the post and the high-post as a passer, showcasing impressive vision and a willingness to pass out of double teams. On post touches, he showed good patience and impressive footwork, including a nice step-through for a powerful dunk. Defensively, however, is where he can truly shine. He moves his feet really well laterally, allowing Northwest to do some interesting things defensively with his ability to guard smaller players and not get lost. He's a high-level shot blocker with great timing. Davis finished with 14 points on a perfect 6-6 shooting to go with 5 assists and a block.   2026 SF [player_tooltip player_id='1978099' first='Colin' last='Rice'] (Waukee Northwest)   The other piece of Northwest's dynamic 2026 duo, Rice is another game-changing athlete on the wing with elite length and size that he uses to impact the game on both ends of the floor. He has great body control around the rim and can finish with either hand, and his length is a major asset on the defensive end, allowing him to defend multiple positions. He attacks the glass hard on both ends of the floor, using his long wingspan to routinely tip the ball until he's able to finally corral it or direct it to a teammate. He showed a willingness to post up smaller defenders, and he can create looks off the dribble. He finished with 26 points on 10-13 shooting (4-5 3P, 2-2 FT), 9 rebounds, and 3 assists.   2025 PG [player_tooltip player_id='2119115' first='Peyton' last='McCollum'] (Waukee Northwest)   The son of Drake head coach Ben McCollum was really good in his state tournament debut, showcasing his high-level basketball IQ and shotmaking throughout the Wolves' blowout win over Kennedy. He's a really good shooter, especially off the catch, and he's a quality playmaker off the dribble, putting pressure on the defense with his ability to get into the paint and then find open teammates. He's not an overwhelming athlete, but with his positioning and movements, he puts himself in the right spots to be an effective team defender. McCollum had 14 points on 5-10 shooting (4-8 3P) with 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal in the Wolves win.   2025 PG [player_tooltip player_id='1381415' first='Trey' last='McKowen'] (Kennedy)   Playing in his final game in a Kennedy uniform, you knew McKowen wasn't going to go down without a heck of a fight, and he delivered just that in the second half for the Cougars, scoring 21 of his game-high 31 points, including 19 in a frantic fourth quarter. It took him 29 shots to get his 31 points, but he was the only offense Kennedy had for large stretches of the game against Northwest. His shot creation has only continued to improve throughout his high school career, and he's going to be an outstanding player for his uncle at Upper Iowa.   2025 PG [player_tooltip player_id='1199979' first='Anthony' last='Galvin'] (Cedar Falls)   The newly bleached-blond senior guard was fantastic in the Cedar Falls blowout win, torching the Rams from the 3-point line and doing so in a variety of different ways. A smart guard who is always in control, he shoots it at a high clip off both the dribble and the catch, has unlimited range, and is playing with supreme confidence. He made his first six attempts from the 3-point line en route to finishing with a game-high 26 points on 9-12 shooting (7-8 3P).   2026 SF [player_tooltip player_id='2204894' first='Tyler' last='Hilton'] (Linn-Mar)   The junior wing has improved tremendously over the course of the year, and he was great against Waukee in the quarterfinal win, delivering a double-double of 16 points and 17 rebounds on 6-11 (0-1 3P, 4-6 FT) shooting. A long, athletic wing who can attack off the dribble, he did a great job utilizing his length on the defensive end, jumping passing lanes and contesting shots. He has gotten noticeably stronger and is able to power through contact around the rim to finish and showed impressive footwork when posting up smaller defenders, leading to finishes with either hand.   2025 PF [player_tooltip player_id='1381412' first='Davis' last='Kern'] (Linn-Mar)   The future South Dakota State big man had a rough opening half, scoring just 3 points on 1-8 shooting. But he exploded in the second half, going a perfect 6-6 from the floor and scoring 21 second half points to help lead Linn-Mar to a win over Waukee. His footwork, toughness, and touch around the rim are rivaled by few in the state, and he did a great job taking the physicality of Waukee and getting to the free-throw line. He finished with 24 points on 7-14 shooting (1-2 3P, 9-13 FT) with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, and a steal.   2026 PF [player_tooltip player_id='1765524' first='Evan' last='Jacobson'] (Waukee)   Jacobson went shot-for-shot with Kern, scoring 27 points of his own for Waukee on 8-16 shooting (4-6 3P, 7-10 FT) with 7 rebounds, an assist, 2 blocks, and 2 steals. His future is on the gridiron, but he's making a strong case for a basketball future as well. A mobile, skilled, and physical 6-7 forward who can space the floor and create looks for himself and his teammates off the dribble, his toughness and athleticism make him an extremely difficult matchup at his size.   2025 PF [player_tooltip player_id='1759895' first='Trevin' last='Jirak'] (Valley)   The future Northern Iowa big man was dominant on both ends of the floor for the Tigers as they began their quest to 3-peat. A big, physical, skilled 6-9 forward with soft touch around the rim, great footwork, and the ability to step out and stretch the floor. At times his vision and passing make him look like a baby Jokic, firing passes across the court that most other high school players, especially high school bigs, wouldn't be able to recognize or see. He had 20 points on 8-14 shooting (1-2 3P, 3-5 FT) with 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks.   2025 SF [player_tooltip player_id='1951821' first='Manny' last='Lueth'] (Ames)   Lueth, a 6-5 wing, has come off the bench to provide the Little Cyclones with some shooting and scoring punch all year, and he did just that in the loss to Valley, going 5-10 from the arc en route to a team-high 20 points. With his size and high release, it's difficult to contest his shot and he shoots with a ton of confidence.   2026 SG [player_tooltip player_id='1765532' first='Jayden' last='McGregory'] (Valley)   An explosive athlete who loves to attack downhill and put pressure on opposing defenders, McGreogy was really good on both ends of the floor in Valley's win over Ames, finishing with a game-high 21 points. He's a tough, athletic finisher through contact. His ability to pull down a defensive rebound and go coast-to-coast is rivaled by few in the state. He has great footwork on his drives and utilizes a beautiful Euro step to his advantage routinely.   2025 PF [player_tooltip player_id='1381416' first='Thomas' last='Meyer'] (Clear Lake)   Central DeWitt simply had no answer for the future Iowa tight end's strength and athleticism in the paint. He was dominant on the glass, as an interior scorer, and was the anchor of a defense that stymied the Sabers all night long. A physically imposing player who embraces contact, he was a huge difference-maker in the Lions quarterfinal win.   2026 SF [player_tooltip player_id='1765515' first='Jaidyn' last='Coon'] (Storm Lake)   Coon didn't have a great shooting game in his state tournament debut, going just 5-16 from the floor, but the incredible talent and athleticism that he possesses was on full display. He's a long, rangy defender who does a great job rotating over and contesting shots, and he was fantastic on the glass, using his explosive jump and second jump to control the glass on both ends of the floor. He finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 blocks in the Tornadoes' loss.   2025 PF [player_tooltip player_id='2811916' first='Cade' last='Fisher'] (ADM)   The 6-5 big man was tremendous on both ends of the floor for the Tigers in their win over Storm Lake, finishing with 12 points on 5-8 shooting, 19 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, and a steal. A physical, athletic forward with soft hands, he did a great job competing on the glass against the hyper-athletic Tornadoes front line, and his playmaking and passing out of the high post when they started to use him to pull Coon away from the basket was a major difference maker.   2026 PG [player_tooltip player_id='1978115' first='Trey' last='Bryte'] (ADM)   A 6-5 lead guard, Bryte is able to see over the defense and he's a skilled passer who does a great job putting his teammates in positions to succeed. He didn't have a great shooting night, going just 4-16 from the floor, but he still finished with a team-high 13 points and stuffed the stat sheet with 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals.

2026 PF Landon Davis Landon Davis 6'8" | PF Waukee Northwest | 2026 State IA (Waukee Northwest)