Iowa high school boys basketball: Introducing the 2021 All-Iowa basketball team
The Des Moines Register's All-Iowa boys' basketball teams have been announced.
They consist of a six-person all-class Elite Team, one six-person First Team for each of the four classes and a 20-person honorable mention list. The Elite Team members are invited to the Des Moines Register’s virtual All-Iowa Sports Awards in Des Moines this June, featuring multiple celebrity guest presenters such as Aaron Rodgers, Alex Morgan and Katie Ledecky.
Selections were made based on in-season results, Register staff observations and consultations with high school, college and recruiting contacts.
Elite Team
Payton Sandfort | Senior | Waukee
Sandfort, who will play his college basketball at Iowa, helped lead Waukee to its first boys' basketball state title with his lights-out shooting and tenacious rebounding. The 6-foot-8 wing averaged 16.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game while shooting 56.2% and 45.8% from 3-point range.
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Tucker DeVries | Senior | Waukee
DeVries was the only non-senior on last year's Elite Team, and the Drake signee fared even better this year. The 6-7 wing averaged 18.5 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 2.9 steals per game en route to the Warriors' state title. He shot 52.9% overall and 43.7% from beyond the arc.
Emarion Ellis | Senior | Davenport Assumption
Ellis, who will play his college basketball at Texas, averaged 17 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in a season where he missed 11 games due to a broken hand. But the 6-5 combo guard played his best at the state tournament, where he led the Knights to the Class 3A semifinals.
Michael Duax | Senior | Dubuque Hempstead
There's not much Duax, a 6-5 wing signed with Northern Iowa, can't do. Although the Mustangs came a couple games short of the state tournament this season, Duax wowed with his 21.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 steals per game while shooting it 59.2% from the field.
Tamin Lipsey | Junior | Ames
Lipsey, a 6-1 point guard who holds offers from Iowa State, Nebraska and Minnesota, led the Little Cyclones to the Class 4A semifinals after missing last year with a torn ACL. He logged 16.3 points, five assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 51.6% overall and 37.9% from long range.
Josh Dix | Junior | Council Bluffs Lincoln
Dix, a 6-4 shooting guard with a handful of mid-major offers, led the Lynx to their first state tournament appearance since 2016. He averaged 19.4 points, 7.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.5 steals, 1.3 blocks and just 1.1 turnovers per game while shooting 54.5% overall and 37.8% from long range.
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Class 4A First Team
Payton Sandfort, sr., Waukee
Tucker DeVries, sr., Waukee
Michael Duax, sr., Dubuque Hempstead
Tamin Lipsey, jr., Ames
Josh Dix, jr., Council Bluffs Lincoln
Landon Wolf, sr., Cedar Falls
Class 3A First Team
Emarion Ellis, sr., Davenport Assumption
Connor Drew, sr., Ballard
Luke Rankin, sr., Dallas Center-Grimes
Keaton Kutcher, sr., Mount Vernon
Grant Nelson, sr., Pella
Ryan Blum, sr., Glenwood
Class 2A First Team
Tanner Te Slaa, jr., Boyden-Hull
Ty Van Essen, jr., Western Christian
Cooper DeJean, sr., OABCIG
Lucas Lorenzen, jr., Okoboji
Karson Sharar, sr., Iowa Falls-Alden
Jayden Mackie, jr., Aplington-Parkersburg
Class 1A First Team
Daniel Tobiloba, so., Grand View Christian
Angelo Winkel, sr., Bishop Garrigan
Trey Shearer, sr., Montezuma,
Austin Hilmer, jr., North Linn
Dashawn Linnen, sr., Lake Mills
Kaleb Cornilsen, sr., Easton Valley
Honorable mention
Omaha Biliew, so., Waukee
Pete Moe, jr., Iowa City West
Ryan Riggs, sr., Dowling Catholic
Trey Campbell, jr., Cedar Falls
Steven Kramer, jr., Johnston
DaVares Whitaker, jr., Sioux City East
Caleb Schlaak, sr., Cedar Rapids Kennedy
Diondre Taylor, sr., Des Moines North
Reid Grant, sr., Johnston
Trey Lewis, jr., Johnston
Ty Walker, sr., West Des Moines Valley
Alex Koppes, sr., Springville
Andrew Formanek, sr., Clear Lake
Justin Recker, sr., Monticello
Marcus Kelderman, sr., Boyden-Hull
Blaise Porter, so., New London
Cole Glasgow, jr., Dallas Center-Grimes
Karter Petzenhauser, jr., Spencer
Camden Schroeder, sr., East Sac County
Ashton Hermann, jr., Ballard
Matthew Bain covers recruiting and pretty much anything else under the sports sun for the Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Network. Contact him at mbain@dmreg.com and follow him on Twitter @MatthewBain_.