Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Basketball season is back.

Girls teams across the state opened practice last week with season openers for some teams looming just a few days away.

Clear Creek Amana, Solon and Liberty High will all open their seasons next Tuesday with West Branch and West High getting into the action on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Before the action really heats up here is a look at some Your Prep Sprots area players to watch this season.

Aubrey Joens

Senior, City High

Joens solidified her status as one of the best players in the state last season ranking ninth in the state scoring at 23 points per game while leading City High to a 19-3 record and Class 5A state tournament berth.

An Iowa State signee, Joens shot a career-best 48 percent from the field last season, including 46-percent from beyond the 3-point line.

The Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division player of the year and a first-team all-state pick Joens led City High with 7.2 rebounds per game, was second on the team with 3.1 steals and third with 1.8 assists per game.

Karsyn Stratton

Senior, Clear Creek Amana

An injury slowed Stratton early last season but nothing was stopping the Clear Creek Amana standout down the stretch.

Stratton scored 20 or more points in nine of her final 10 games on her way to earning second-team Class 4A all-state honors for the second consecutive season.

The 5-foot-9 Stratton averaged 19.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.5 steals and two assists per game last season, leading the WAMAC Conference in scoring and ranking in the top three in Class 4A in scoring for the second year in a row.

Audrey Koch

Junior, West High

Koch followed up a solid debut season with a breakthrough sophomore campaign a year ago.

The 5-foot-10 Koch proved to be one of the most versatile players in the state last season leading West High in scoring and rebounding in her first season as a starter.

Koch averaged 16.3 points and seven rebounds per game while shooting 58 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3-point range on her way to earning third-team all-state honors.

Sasha Koenig

Junior, West Branch

Koenig picked up where she left off during a strong freshman season a year ago averaging career-highs in points, rebounds, assists and steals while helping West Branch to a 15-5 record.

The 5-foot-6 point guard led the Bears in scoring (16.6), assists (4.4) and steals (2.6) a year ago and ranked second on the team with 4.6 rebounds per game.

A Bradley commit, Koenig was a unanimous selection on the River Valley Conference Elite team last season as a sophomore.

Rose Nkumu

Senior, City High

Long considered among the top point guards in the state Nkumu showed she could be more than a facilitator last season raising her scoring production by nearly six points while averaging a career-high 19 points per game.

A Marquette recruit, Nkumu continued to be one of the best playmakers in the state averaging 4.4 assists per game while posting a 2.5 to 1 assist to turnover ratio.

The 5-foot-8 point guard added 5.4 rebounds and 3.7 steals per game while earning second-team all-state honors for the second consecutive season.

Sam Greving

Senior, Regina

Greving had an immediate impact in her first season at Regina ranked second on the team in scoring and leading the Regals in rebounds and blocked shots.

The 5-foot-11 Greving averaged 12.7 points and 7.7 rebounds per game last season while shooting a team-best 45 percent from the field.

Greving was named to the River Valley Conference South Division squad a year ago and should be in for an even bigger season this year.

Paige Rocca

Senior, City High

A Missouri State recruit, Rocca is part of one of the best backcourts in the state giving the Little Hawks three Division I signees.

The 5-foot-8 Rocca averaged 9.6 points while shooting 32 percent from 3-point range and 91 percent from the free throw line a year ago.

Rocca added four rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game.

Makinley Levin

Sophomore, Solon

Levin was one of a number of Solon freshman to get their feet wet at the varsity level a year ago and should be in for a big jump as the Spartans attempt to improve on their three-win season from a year ago.

A 5-foot-8 guard, Levin led the Spartans with 9.7 points per game a year ago while shooting 32 percent from 3-point range.

Levin also ranked third on the team in rebounds (3.3) and steals.

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