Iowa's best high school girls basketball players: Meet the state's top centers

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been taking a position-by-position look at some of the top players in Iowa high school girls basketball. The final list of the series focuses on the centers.

There are hundreds of standout girls basketball players in Iowa and these lists are not intended to be comprehensive. If you know of any other centers worthy of our attention, please email nate@scorebooklive.com.

Anna Bartels, 5-10, Sr., Midland

Bartels is among the top 20 scorers in the state with a 21-point average. She is also good for 6.3 rebounds and 4.7 steals a contest. She was also an ace softball pitcher and state track medal winner.

Brooklyn Baumgardner, 6-2, Sr., Ballard

Baumgardner did not play basketball last season but has performed well for the Bombers this season. The multi-sport standout averages 10.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 3.0 blocked shots per game.

Bliss Beck, 6-0, Sr., Clear Creek-Amana

A Drake University volleyball recruit, Beck was one of the top players in the state for a team that posted a phenomenal 46-1 record. Beck holds her own as the center on Iowa’s top-ranked Class 4A basketball team, averaging 6.8 rebounds and 6.8 points while making just under 60 percent of her shots.

Sadie Cox, 5-11, Jr., Lenox

Cox became her school’s all-time leading scorer and in the process went over 1,000 points for her career. The junior also set a Lenox single season record for kills in volleyball last fall. This season, Cox ranks fourth overall and third in Class 1A with an average of 14.2 rebounds per game, to go along with a team-high 18.6 points, 4.2 assists and 3.5 steals.

Deidra Doeden, 6-1, Fresh., Cherokee

Although just a freshman, the 6-1 Doeden has been a starter all season for the Braves, ranked 12^th in Class 3A. Through 14 games, Doeden was second on the team with 6.9 rebounds per game, while adding 7.8 points. Doeden was also a starter for Cherokee’s state qualifying volleyball squad last fall.

Makayla Farnum, 6-0, Sr., North Scott

A myriad of injuries has limited Farnum’s participation in basketball each of the last two seasons. She recently returned to the court and scored 26 points for the Lancers in a win over Central DeWitt. When she has been able to play, Farnum has been a double-digit scorer and rebounder.

Dasia Foster, 6-4, Jr., Oskaloosa

One of the tallest girls in the state at 6-foot-4, Foster uses her height to her advantage. She is averaging a double-double of 17.5 points and 14.3 rebounds, which ranks fifth in the state. Foster became an improved player over the summer and it has carried over into her junior season as she also averages 2.9 blocked shots per game.

Lauren Frantz, 5-11, Fresh., Saydel

Another player with a promising future, Frantz has started all 17 games for the Eagles as a freshman. She ranks second on the team with an average of 7.9 rebounds per game and scores 7.5 points an outing. One area she needs to improve on is shooting, where Frantz has made just 29 percent of her attempts.

Lindsey Hakens, 5-10, Soph., George-Little Rock

Hakens, a sophomore, leads the state-ranked Mustangs with 18.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. George-Little Rock is ranked No. 15 in Class 1A with an 11-3 record.

Kahlie Hill, 6-3, Sr., Calamus-Wheatland

Hill became her school’s all-time leading five-player scorer last season and recently joined the 1,000-point club. She is a major cog for the Class 1A seventh-ranked Warriors (14-1), averaging 12.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 1.7 blocks per game.

Molly Hulshof, 6-1, Sr., West Sioux

Hulshof has been the lone bright spot for the Falcons, who are suffering through a one-win season. Hulshof, however, averages a double-double of 14.9 points and 12.1 rebounds, while adding 3.5 blocks a game.

Rowan Jacobi, 6-2, Soph., Springville

Jacobi had a strong freshman season for the Orioles, earning all-conference honors after leading the team in scoring with 13 points per game. This season, she ranks fourth in the state with an average of 23.5 to go along with 12.6 rebounds and 2.6 steals through 14 games while shooting 50.3 percent.

Amani Jenkins, 6-2, Jr., Johnston

Jenkins has already committed to Marquette University and transferred to Johnston from Des Moines North. At North last season, she averaged 20 points and 12 rebounds and for the top-ranked and defending Class 5A state champion Dragons, Jenkins is putting up 13.8 points and 6.9 rebounds a game, teaming with fellow all-stater Aili Tanke – an Iowa State recruit – and sophomore sensation Jenica Lewis to help the Dragons win their first 16 games this season.

Addy Johnson, 6-0, Sr., Westwood

The Wayne State College commit missed all of her junior season because of an injury, but has bounced back to enjoy a stellar senior campaign. Johnson ranks in the top 20 in Class 2A with an 18.2 scoring average and has made 60.1-percent of her shots. She also contributes 3.3 assists and 2.8 steals for the regular season Western Valley Conference champions.

Xada Johnson, 6-0, Sr., Clear Lake

Johnson will play volleyball at Division II Minnesota-Duluth. She has, however, been an all-state basketball player each of the past two seasons, earning second team Class 3A honors as a junior, averaging 12.7 points and 7.9 rebounds for a team that reached a reginal final. This season, Johnson sits at 10.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists an d 2.7 steals through 15 games.

Carlee Julius, 6-2, Sr., Des Moines Lincoln

Julius ranks 13^th in the state with an average of 12.5 rebounds per game, a total of 138 through 11 games this season. Her rebounds per game total ranks her tops in Class 5A and Julius also contributes just under eight points per game.

Desta Hoogedoorn, 6-0, Sr., Central Lyon

Hoogendoorn landed on the Class 2A all-state first team last season after averaging 15.2 points and 8.4 rebounds for the state runners-up. She has more than 1,000 career points and 500 rebounds and has committed to NAIA top-ranked Dordt University. Hoogendoorn averages 18.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 2.0 assists and 2.0 blocks per game for the seventh-ranked and 15-1 Lions.

Isabelle Kremer, 6-2, Soph., Pleasant Valley

Kremer is more well known for her volleyball achievements, having earned second team all-state honors for the 5A state runners-up. However, she has worked her way into the starting lineup for the sixth-ranked Spartans’ basketball team, contributing 7.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Megan Kremer, 5-11, Sr., Bellevue Marquette

Kremer is the third-leading rebounder in the state, pulling down 15.5 per game, which ranks second in Class 1A. In addition, the talented senior is scoring 13.8 points an outing and averaging 2.1 steals.

Aubrey Kroymann, 6-1, Soph., Maquoketa

Maquoketa is 11-2 and ranked 10^th in Class 4A while battling for its first girls conference basketball title in 20 seasons. Sophomores Cora Widel and Kroymann are a big reason why. Kroymann, a gifted athlete for a player her size, scores just under 15 points per game and shoots 52.2 percent. She also averages 5.9 rebounds and 2.4 steals.

Josie Kuper, 6-2, Jr., AGWSR

Kuper has been producing double-doubles at a high rate this season, averaging 17.5 points and 10.2 rebounds, both team highs. The 6-2 Kuper shoots 46 percent from the field, blocks 2.2 shots and dishes out 1.8 assists per game.

Sadie Maas, 6-0, Sr., Waukee Northwest

Maas has committed to Division II Northwest Missouri State. She has averages of 12.6 points and 8.3 rebounds while blocking 2.5 shots a game for the Class 5A No. 10 Warriors.

Ellie Muller, 6-3, Soph., West Des Moines Dowling

Muller earned third team Class 5A all-state honors as a freshman, coming off the bench to contribute 8.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. She has increased that production to 12.1 points and 10.8 rebounds for the 12-4 Maroons this season and blocks 3.1 shots per game.

Payton Petersen, 5-10, Sr., Dike-New Hartford

Although she has signed to play volleyball at the University of Louisville, Petersen has also been a basketball star for D-NH the last four seasons. She was a first team all-stater for the Class 2A state champions last season and this season is averaging a team-high 18.5 points and 10.5 rebounds for the 14-1 and top-ranked Wolverines.

Erica Rust, 6-0, Sr., Harlan

Rust has posted her share of double-doubles this season for the Class 3A seventh-ranked Cyclones. She’s averaging just under that with 12.8 points and 9.7 rebounds per game and Harlan has an 11-2 record.

Asia Thompson, 6-1, Sr., Des Moines East

Thompson operates under the radar, since her team has struggled with just one win in 15 games. Thompson, though, ranks second in Class 5A with 11.9 rebounds per game and fourth in blocks with 3.3. She leads Iowa’s biggest class with 128 defensive rebounds and also averages 12.8 points.

--Barry Poe I @SBLiveIA