Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

 

The All-Your Prep Sports boys basketball team recognizes five of the top players in the area for their performance this season.

For the second year in a row the Your Prep Sports squad features three players from a West High team that advanced to the Class 4A state title game.

The team features a nationally ranked recruit, all-state and all-conference performers and a 1,000-point scorer.

West High junior Patrick McCaffery is the captain of the 2018 team and is the only repeat selection among the five honorees.

Patrick McCaffery (Captain)

6-8, Jr., West High

Followed up a breakthrough sophomore season with a junior season that cemented him as one of the best players in the state.

McCaffery led West High and ranked ninth in Class 4A in scoring averaging a career-high 19.9 points per game while leading West High to a 21-5 record and third consecutive 4A title game.

An Iowa commit, McCaffery shot 52 percent from the field and 74 percent from the free throw line while leading West High in both field goal (348) and free throw (184) attempts.

McCaffery scored 20 or more points in half of the Trojans 26 games this season, pouring in a career-high 32 in a win over Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

The 6-foot-8 forward added 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game on his way to earning first team all-state honors.

McCaffery ranked second on the team in both steals (34) and blocks (28) as West High finished runner-up in 4A.

Seybian Sims

6-7, Sr., West High

Part of the success for McCaffery this season came as a result of the strong play from his frontcourt meet Sims.

In his first season as a full-time starter Sims ranked second on the team in scoring at 14.2 points per game and was a unanimous first team pick in the Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division.

Sims was among the most efficient players in the state this season shooting 76.3 percent from the field, second best in the state.

The 6-foot-7 forward led West High with 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game and had a team-high six double-doubles.

Sims averaged 11.3 points and six rebounds a game in three state tournament games and was named to the Class 4A all-tournament team.

AJ Coons

6-4, Soph., Solon

After a solid freshman season Coons established himself as one of the top underclassmen in the state with a breakthrough sophomore campaign.

The versatile 6-foot-4 combo guard averaged a team-high 17.5 points to lead Solon to a 16-8 record and a spot in the Class 3A substate final.

Coons shot 48 percent from the field and 45 percent from the 3-point line while being named to the WAMAC East Division first team.

A 77 percent free throw shooter, Coons led the Spartans in both free throw attempts (120) and makes (92) while more than doubling his scoring average from a year ago.

Coons scored 20 or more points 10 times including a career-high 33 in an overtime loss to Western Dubuque.

He did more than score, ranking second on the team in rebounds (4.4), assists (2.9) and blocks (14).

Beau Cornwell

6-2, Jr., West Branch

Already a three-year starter Cornwell turned in his best season yet as a junior.

A third-team Class 2A all-state and River Valley Conference elite team pick, Cornwell ranked 10th in Iowa in scoring at 23.3 points per game.

Cornwell had three games with at least 30 points and scored 20 or more 14 times while helping West Branch to a 13-10 mark.

The 6-foot-2 point guard did a little bit of everything this season leading the Bears in rebounds (7.4), assists (2.6) and steals (2.8).

Cornwell had seven double-doubles, one with points and steals and shot 77 percent from the free throw line on a team-high 124 trips to the charity stripe.

Dante Eldridge

5-9, Jr., West High

In his first season as the starting point guard for the Trojans Eldridge was the catalyst on both ends of the court for West High during its run to a Class 4A runner-up finish.

Eldridge averaged 10.8 points and a team-high 2.5 assists per game while directing a West High offense that ranked sixth in 4A in scoring at 65.2 points per game.

The 5-foot-9 guard was more valuable for West High on the defensive end where he became a force as an on-ball defender for the Trojans leading the team with 35 steals.

Eldridge shot 49 percent from the field, including 47 percent from 3-point range while leading West High with 51 triples.

He also led West High shooting 86 percent from the free throw line.