STATE TOURNAMENT PREVIEW: Class 4A Stars to Watch

<p><em>Over the course of the next two weeks, the Prep Hoops Iowa team will be flooding you with content previewing and covering the State Tournament. Here we take a look at 15 standout players to keep an eye on during the Class 4A State Tournament.</em></p> <p><strong>2020 Cody McCullogh (Centennial)</strong></p> <p>The 6-foot-7 McCullogh is a double-double machine for the Jaguars. The Wayne State recruit is averaging 13.9 points and 11.3 rebounds per game this season and is a tough matchup for any opponents downlow. McCullogh is a traditional big man that does all of his damage in the paint. He’s a good finisher around the rim, and has a proven back to the basket game. McCullogh is also one of the best rim protectors in the state as he’s averaging 2.8 blocks per game. </p> <p><strong>2021 Jaron Crews (Centennial)</strong></p> <p>The junior guard is the straw that stirs the drink for Centennial. Crews is averaging 13.7 points per contest and is almost a guarantee from the free-throw line as he’s shooting 80 percent from the charity stripe. Crews leads the team in assists (5.5) and a good portion of those are to McCullogh and [player_tooltip player_id="674470" first="Micah" last="Johnson"]. Crews is a steady player who is a capable scorer with his pull up game. Crews doesn’t have blow by speed, but he has enough burst to get past his defender and draw extra help. Guards win games in March, and when Crews is on, this team will be tough to beat. </p> <p><strong>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="796114" first="Jayden" last="Houston"] (Davenport North)</strong></p> <p>Houston is the leading scorer for the Wildcats, but he could also be considered a breakout candidate in 4A if North makes a run. Houston can score from all three levels and is a good athlete at 6-foot-2. North may be the underdog in this bracket, but if Houston gets going, then the Panthers could be tough to stop. Houston is the leading rebounder (5.6) for North, and also is shooting an efficient 56 percent from the field. Houston plays taller than he is due to his toughness, and he can put up points in a hurry. </p> <p><strong>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="796122" first="Quincy" last="Wiseman"] (Davenport North)</strong></p> <p>Wiseman has been known as more of a slasher throughout his basketball career, but he’s developed a reliable jump shot over the past year. Wiseman is averaging 14.3 points and is shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc. Like Houston, Wiseman can get hot in a hurry. Wiseman, also a wide receiver on the gridiron, is a good athlete and can defend well. He’s another potential breakout candidate next week. </p> <p><strong>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="727862" first="Tucker" last="DeVries"] (Waukee) </strong></p> <p>Arguably the best player in the field, DeVries has been very good all season long for Waukee. He’s averaging 21.8 points per game and shooting 57 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3. DeVries projects to be a wing in college, but he’s done a great job of carrying the ball-handling duties for Waukee on top of scoring as efficiently as he has. DeVries is a do it all player for the Warriors and he has so much poise on the floor. He’s not an elite athlete, but he knows how to create space and find ways to score by making it look easy. There is no wasted movement with DeVries, too. He knows how to get to his spots. </p> <p><strong>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="727863" first="Payton" last="Sandfort"] (Waukee)</strong></p> <p>DeVries and Sandfort are the 1-2 scoring punch for Waukee. Sandfort plays more off the ball, but is more than capable of scoring 25-30 points every night. Sandfort is averaging 19.6 points per night and shooting at a 55 percent clip from the field and 46 percent from distance. Sandfort can get hot in a hurry, and like DeVries, he doesn’t need much time to get his shot off. Most of Sandfort’s buckets come from off the catch, so he has to move well and run off screens set for him. Sandfort is a willing defender, and has proven he can guard the other team’s best scorer if the matchup makes sense. His length is a big plus, too.</p> <p><strong>2020 [player_tooltip player_id="801832" first="Ty" last="Anderson"] (North Scott)</strong></p> <p>Anderson does a little bit of everything well for the Lancers. He’s the leading scorer at 18.5 points per game, and is a tough matchup for opponents with his length and versatility. Much of the offense runs through Anderson. He primarily plays in the post, but he can step out and hit the 3 if need be. The thing I like about Anderson is you know what you’re going to get with him. He brings it every night, and is consistent on both ends of the floor. Northern Iowa is getting a really good one. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="796127" first="Landon" last="Wolf"] (Cedar Falls)</strong></p> <p>Wolf is the leading scorer for Cedar Falls, but I feel like no one is talking about how good this kid is. Wolf is listed at 6-foot-3 and does a lot well on the basketball court. He’s a reliable ballhandler and a sneaky good athlete. He has the makeup of a D1 guard, and a lot of the intangibles. He can drop 30 on you like he did in the substate semifinals. I really like Wolf’s game, and will be one to watch in Des Moines this week. Wolf could breakout next week if the Tigers make a run. </p> <p><strong>2020 [player_tooltip player_id="801835" first="Josh" last="Ollendieck"] (Cedar Falls) </strong></p> <p>The Truman State recruit has a burner. Ollendieck can get hot from the field, and is consistent for the most part on the offensive end. Ollendieck does a lot that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, too. He’s often tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player, and did a fine job of guarding Hempstead’s [player_tooltip player_id="796097" first="Michael" last="Duax"] in the Substate title game. Cedar Falls will need Ollendieck to be at his best in Des Moines for this team to go. </p> <p><strong>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="796103" first="Ryan" last="Riggs"] (Dowling) </strong></p> <p>The 6-foot-9 Riggs is a versatile forward with a high ceiling. He’s still fairly raw, but he’s getting better around the rim with his finishing ability. Riggs has a chance to compete with two of the best bigs in the state in Cedar Falls’ [player_tooltip player_id="796099" first="Chase" last="Courbat"] and [player_tooltip player_id="727896" first="Joe" last="Knutson"] in the first round. If he can win the matchup, then that’ll put Dowling in a good spot. </p> <p><strong>2023 Omaha Biliew (Dowling) </strong></p> <p>Biliew will be able to display his talents on the big stage in Des Moines. While Biliew is not putting up crazy offensive numbers (6.3 PPG), he finds ways to show his ability in other ways. Biliew takes great pride in his defense. He’s tasked with guarding the opponent’s best player and he’s effective with his length and athletic ability. He’s made progress throughout the season, and continues to get better. Looking forward to seeing what he can do at Wells Fargo. </p> <p><strong>2020 [player_tooltip player_id="721180" first="Even" last="Brauns"] (Iowa City West) </strong></p> <p>The Belmont signee has come a long way over the course of his high school career. Brauns is averaging 15.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game while shooting 68 percent from the field. Brauns is the most complete post player in the state. He has great footwork, and a fantastic touch around the rim. If he stays out of foul trouble, West can beat anyone. </p> <p><strong>2021 [player_tooltip player_id="796101" first="Marcus" last="Morgan"] (Iowa City West) </strong></p> <p>After sitting out a number of games due to injury, Morgan seems to be back at 100 percent for the Trojans. Morgan, a three sport star, may be the most important player for West. Morgan has one of the purest jump shots in the state, and it goes in at a high clip (44 percent from 3). Morgan primarily plays off the ball, but he can handle the rock and run the offense if need be. He’s a shot creater, and has a great feel for the game with good size that helps him out. It’ll be good to see him fully healthy. </p> <p><strong>2020 [player_tooltip player_id="801834" first="Braxton" last="Bayless"] (Ankeny) </strong></p> <p>The senior guard is one of the top scorers in the state as he’s averaging 22.9 points per contest. Bayless is shooting 55 percent from the field, which is impressive considering how many points he’s putting up a night. Bayless is averaging a little over four assists per game, and can feed his teammates. Bayless is a tough guard with a high basketball IQ. He’s crafty with the dribble, and can keep his team in games with his scoring ability. The Iowa City West guard duo will have their hands full. Bayless has a couple of JUCO offers. </p> <p><strong>2020 Jaxon Smith (Ankeny) </strong></p> <p>Bayless’ right hand man is classmate Jaxon Smith, who is Ankeny’s second-leading scorer at 14.9 points per game. Smith likes to shoot the ball, and can also attack the rim. He’s got some bounce to him, too, and can make things happen with his athleticism. He and Bayless are a fun duo to watch. </p>