Your Prep Sports Area Girls Basketball Players to Watch
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
The girls basketball season officially got underway last week with teams across the state opening practice on Monday.
Games start on Friday and one area team will be in action on the first day of competition with Solon hosting Martensdale St. Marys in a home game.
The goal for all teams as the season starts is a spot at the 2023 state tournament which will be held February 27 to March 4 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
Before the season gets rolling we take a look at some of the top players in watch this winter in the Your Prep Sports area.
Meena Tate
West High, Senior
Tate secured her status as one of the best all-around players in the state last season with a huge junior season in which she led West High in scoring, assists and steals while earning second-team all-state honors.
The 5-foot-10 Tate averaged team-highs of 15 points, 3.1 assists and 2.1 steals last season while shooting 47 percent from the floor, including 33 percent from 3-point range and 76 percent from the free throw line.
A Dartmouth recruit, Tate had seven games with at least 20 points last season and scored in double figures in 19 of 23 games.
Jasmine Barney
Liberty High, Senior
In her first season at Liberty High Barney helped the Lightning to the best season in program history while climbing into the conversation of the state’s most productive players.
A 5-foot-8 lead guard, Barney can do it all as she led Liberty High in scoring (18.4), rebounds (6.9), assists (4.5) and steals (2.8) per game last season while helping the Lightning set single-season program records for total wins and conference wins and led Liberty High to its first ever postseason victory.
A Minnesota State recruit, Barney earned first-team Class 5A all-state honors from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association after a junior season in which she was one of only three players state-wide and the only 5A player to average 18 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game.
Callie Levin
Solon, Junior
After committing to Iowa after a stellar freshman season Levin continued to show last season why she is widely considered one of the top players in the state.
Levin averaged career highs in points, assists and steals as a sophomore while shooting a career-best from both 3-point range and the free throw line.
The 5-foot-9 point guard led Solon in scoring at 21 points, 4.3 steals and 4.2 assists per game and was one of only two players in the state to average at least 21 points, four steals and four assists per game.
Levin shot 44 percent from the field, including 37 percent from 3-point range and shot 78 percent from the free throw line while raking in the top 12 in Class 4A in both free throw attempts (122) and makes (95).
Ava Locklear
Clear Creek Amana, Junior
Following a solid freshman season Locklear wasted no time proving herself as one of the top post players in the state last season as a sophomore.
The 5-foot-10 Locklear averaged 14.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game last season while earning third-team Class 4A all-state honors from the Iowa Print Sports Writers Association.
During her breakthrough campaign last season Locklear showed a versatile offensive game with the ability to score in the post or with a face up mid-range game.
Locklear shot 51 percent from the floor and 65 percent from the free throw line while leading the Clippers in free throws made (65) and attempted (104) and also averaged 1.6 assist, 1.9 steals and 1.4 blocks per game.
Grace Gaarde
Regina, Senior
A four-year starter Gaarde is the unquestioned leader on and off the court for a Regina team seeking a second consecutive state tournament appearance.
The 5-foot-3 Gaarde is small in stature but big in production leading Regina in scoring, assists and steals a year ago while helping the Regals to a 20-5 record, a River Valley Conference South Division title and the first state tournament trip since 2018.
Gaarde averaged 11.1 points and 3.1 steals per game and ranked 13th in the state with 5.4 assists per game on her way to being named third-team all-state from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association.
Kylie Pickett
West Branch, Junior
In her first season of extended varsity action Pickett emerged as a solid scoring option for the Bears ranking third on the team with 7.8 points per game.
With the top two scorers from last season gone look for Pickett to pick up her production this season as she takes on a larger role in the West Branch offense.
As a sophomore Pickett shot 33 percent from 3-point range and made a team-high 51 triples and also averaged 3.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.
Emmy McComas
City High, Sophomore
McComas got her feet wet at the varsity level last season as a role player on a talented City High team that advanced to the Class 5A state tournament.
This season should be the breakthrough for McComas who will be a focal point for the Little Hawks on both ends of the court under first-year head coach Lyndsey Barnard.
McComas averaged 3.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game last season while shooting 39 percent from the floor.
A tremendous athlete that also excels in volleyball, McComas is in for a big boost in production as she takes over as a leader on a young City High team.
Bliss Beck
Clear Creek Amana, Junior
Beck had her own breakthrough season a year ago while playing alongside Locklear and together the two give Clear Creek Amana one of the best and most unique front court combinations in the state.
The 6-foot-2 Beck averaged 9.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while being named to the WAMAC West Division first team.
Beck shot an impressive 57 percent from the field and ranked second on the team with 18 blocked shots helping the Clippers to a 16-7 record that included a 9-2 WAMAC mark and a West Division title.
Augie Palmer
City High, Sophomore
Following a strong debut season in which she led West Branch in scoring Palmer will look to make a similar impact after transferring to City High.
The 5-foot-9 guard averaged 14.8 points and 6 rebounds per game last season for West Branch helping the Bears to a 15-8 record.
Palmer shot 33 percent from 3-point range and 63 percent from the free throw line (50-for-80) and also averaged 2.3 assist and 2.4 steals per game.
Ava Meyer
Liberty High, Senior
A four-year contributor Meyer has been one of the foundational pieces within a Liberty High program that is coming off the best season in its short history.
Meyer had the best season of her career last season averaging 7.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as the Lightning won a program-best 12 games.
A 6-foot-2 forward Meyer is an intriguing player that has the ability to affect the game all over the court.
Last season the Dakota State recruit blocked 18 shots and made 28 3-pointers.
Anna Prouty
West High, Senior
Following a solid sophomore season Prouty had a breakthrough junior campaign last winter averaging career-highs of 10.8 points and 8.9 rebounds while earning first team all-Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division honors.
Prouty was a role player as a sophomore averaging 4.9 points and 5.2 points per game but became a focal point for West High last season alongside Tate.
The 5-foot-10 forward shot 58 percent from the floor last season and 60 percent from the free throw line (50-of-83).
Morgan Miller
Regina, Sophomore
Miller burst onto the scene as a freshman last season ranking third on the team in soring and second in assists as Regina returned to the state tournament for the first time since 2018.
The more Miller played the better she got during her prep debut season.
The 5-foot-5 guard averaging 10 points, 4.1 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game last season while sharing the bulk of the ball handling duties with Gaarde.
Miller shot 32 percent from 3-point range as a freshman while making a team-high 51 triples.
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