Introducing Mr. Basketball Candidate #8: Aidan Vanderloo
As part of our preseason content, we’re counting down the top dozen candidates for this year’s Mr. Basketball award, presented annually to the top senior in the state. The list continues with our No. 8 candidate, Sioux City East guard Aidan Vanderloo, a gifted shooter and playmaker.
Name: Aidan Vanderloo
Height: 6-2
Position: G
School: Sioux City East
2017-18 stats: 360 points (16.4/game), 85 rebounds (3.9), 66 assists (3.0), 33 steals (1.5), 52.7 FG%, 52.5 3P%, 78.4 FT%
Career stats: 961 points (13.9/game), 207 rebounds (3.0), 162 assists (2.3), 79 steals (1.1), 53.7 FG%, 53.1 3P%, 82.7 FT%
About Vanderloo: A supremely talented marksman from deep, Vanderloo has established himself as one of the best shooters the state has seen in quite a while, as evidenced by his career 53.1% from behind the arc. He’s a crafty ball handler and playmaker who will be asked to do a lot for a Sioux City East team that has to replace a highly productive scorer in Van Rees. He’ll pace the program that has established itself as the best in western Iowa.
Why he can win Mr. Basketball: He’s been a productive varsity player for one of the state’s best programs for four seasons, helping lead the Black Raiders to back-to-back state tournament appearances. He’s also the best option among the group of western Iowa players, so he could garner some attention from the voters on that side of the state.
Odds he wins Mr. Basketball: It’s highly unlikely that Vanderloo will take home the Mr. Basketball honor, but it’s not a knock on him or his production, but rather a testament to the strength of this 2019 class around the state. Many years, he’d be considered among the front runners after a productive four year career at a 4A school.