Top Scorers In The Class Of 2021

While we say goodbye to an incredible group of seniors, the state of Iowa will usher in the Class of 2021 - and it is filled with great ones. The current juniors will be looking to take over as team leaders in their final prep season on the hardwood this coming winter. And, they’ll also be primed for big summers assuming the sports world gets back to some normalcy. Here is a look at the top scorers in the Class of 2021: <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="131136" first="Mya" last="Merschman"], Central Lee (2021)</strong> One of the state’s Top-5 scorers last year, [player_tooltip player_id="131136" first="Mya" last="Merschman"] looks to finish off her excellent career with a bang. Merschman averaged 25.3 points per game last year, doing her damage from inside the 3-point line. She shot 58 percent and made 137 of 165 free throws, adding in 28 triples for good measure. <em>Analysis</em>: Mershman was too much to handle most nights, adding 257 rebounds, 55 steals, 33 blocks and 33 steals to her season totals. Look for even more out of her as a senior this coming year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="131131" first="Rachel" last="Leerar"], West Hancock (2021)</strong> Following her junior season, [player_tooltip player_id="131131" first="Rachel" last="Leerar"] received many honors, all of which added up to her deciding to continue playing at Nebraska-Kearney in 2021. First, though, Leerar will try to get West Hancock back to state once again after reaching the semifinals this past winter. She posted just under 20 points per game while shooting 47 percent from the floor with 59 made 3-pointers. <em>Analysis</em>: While Leerar’s scoring is at a high-level, her incredible 127-to-44 assist-to-turnover ratio stands out even bigger. She also had 134 rebounds and 96 steals last year. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="64760" first="Maggie" last="Wilkins"], Knoxville (2021)</strong> In the final weeks of the season, [player_tooltip player_id="64760" first="Maggie" last="Wilkins"] added her name to the 1,000-point scorer list for Knoxville. Now, she’ll enter her senior season with bigger goals on the horizon. Wilkins averaged 23 points per game this past winter, which was just behind teammate [player_tooltip player_id="135003" first="Katie" last="Keitges"]’ 23.2. Keitges, however, graduates, leaving the role of leading scorer to Wilkins, who shot 53 percent from the field and buried 41 triples. <em>Analysis</em>: The pressure will be on Wilkins without Keitges to balance the scoring, but she has proven herself in the past to be able to handle it. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="13861" first="Grace" last="Larkins"], Southeast Polk (2021)</strong> Before her junior season started, [player_tooltip player_id="13861" first="Grace" last="Larkins"] knew where she wanted to end up. Larkins, a member of the Southeast Polk team, committed to the University of South Dakota. She followed that decision up by averaging 21.4 points per game in helping the Rams reach the Class 5A state tournament. <em>Analysis</em>: Larkins shot almost 53 percent from the floor and 85 percent at the charity stripe, adding in 18 made 3-pointers to go along with 129 rebounds, 92 assists, 67 steals and 18 blocks. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="164998" first="Hayden" last="Heimensen"], Central Lyon (2021)</strong> An all-stater, [player_tooltip player_id="164998" first="Hayden" last="Heimensen"] has a state tournament in her sights heading into her final season at Central Lyon. Heimensen did all she could last year, averaging 20 points per game on 43 percent shooting from the floor. She also knocked down 44 three-pointers and got to the free throw line 141 times. <em>Analysis</em>: Central Lyon will need more of the same from Heimensen if they want to punch that ticket to Wells Fargo Arena. Along with her 483 points, she also had 99 rebounds, 71 assists and 59 steals. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="164930" first="Moriah" last="Prewitt"], Des Moines Christian (2021)</strong> Recently, [player_tooltip player_id="164930" first="Moriah" last="Prewitt"] made her college choice, as the Des Moines Christian junior will attend Northern Illinois University. Prewitt brings with her to the Div. I level a wealth of talent and experience. This past winter, Prewitt helped lead Des Moines Christian to the state tournament, averaging 18 points per game. She was effective from long-range, burying 67 triples, while also adding 100 rebounds, 80 assists and 63 steals. <em>Analysis</em>: With the pressure of deciding on what would be next behind her, look for Prewitt to have a strong conclusions to her high school career before joining the MAC.