Boys state tournament: Stars of the semifinals

Here are some of the players who shined during the state semifinals

Jayden McGregory celebrates after hitting the game-winner in the semifinals for Valley. / Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Eight games over two days provided basketball fans in Iowa with plenty of exciting finishes and memorable performances.

All four classes hit the court inside Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines this past Wednesday and Thursday for semifinal round action. 

So before we reach Championship Friday, we need to look back at some of those key individual efforts that took place in the final four:

Blake Aalbers, MOC-Floyd Valley

Aalbers started off his senior year with a strong showing on the football field, carrying that over to the basketball court. He helped the Dutchmen punch their ticket to the finals in 3A when he sank the game-winning 3-pointer vs. Cedar Rapids Xavier, finishing with 23 points and five rebounds while knocking down five triples.

Emiliano Barrantes, Grand View Christian

Even in defeat, Barrantes was imposing, scoring 17 points with seven rebounds, seven blocked shots, four assists and a steal over 32 minutes. His ability to alter shots at the point of attack makes him scary for opposing teams. 

Landon Davis, Waukee Northwest

Already holding an offer to Drake University, the 6-foot-8 Davis likely caught the attention of more colleges after an 11-point, nine-rebound, four-block performance over 32 minutes of work vs. top-seed Cedar Falls, who has some high-profile “bigs” of its own in William Gerdes and Leyton Wolf.

Hunter Horn, St. Edmond

Needing their star to rise up, Horn answered the call, scoring nine of his 23 points over the final eight minutes as the Gaels put a scare into Madrid. The junior finish with six rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block. 

Davis Kern of Linn-Mar had a strong week, helping the Lions reach the semifinals. / Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Davis Kern, Linn-Mar

Kern made it difficult for Valley in the semis, blocking three shots while altering many more. He also shined on the offensive end with 16 points while grabbing nine rebounds.

Jayden McGregory, Valley

McGregory, who might end up being the No. 1 football prospect in the Class of 2026, was a human-highlight reel in a win over Linn-Mar to push the two-time defending champ Tigers back into the finals. Along with scoring the game-winning points in overtime, he finished with a game-high 23 while never leaving the court.

Thomas Meyer, Clear Lake

Whoever the head coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes is next year, they need to keep tabs on Meyer, who is headed to Iowa City to join the football team. Because if that doesn’t pan out, the Lion has a future on the hardwood as evident by his 31-point, eight-rebound, four-assist showing in a win over ADM in 3A.

Spencer Roeder, Bellevue Marquette

Nothing came easy for the Defenders vs. Gladbrook-Reinbeck in 1A, but Roeder showed he could overcome anything. With 21 points, six rebounds, two steals and two blocks, he helped Bellevue Marquette reach the finals.

Toryn Severson, Madrid

Severson, who committed to Waldorf University, was a one-man offense vs. St. Edmond, scoring 32 points with six 3-pointers. He had 16 in the second quarter alone to outscore the Gaels by himself. 

Kaden VanRegenmorter, Western Christian

VanRegenmorter was the star as the Wolfpack captured the 2A title last year. This season, he is doing everything he can to make it happen again, scoring 18 points with eight rebounds, three steals, three assists and a block to eliminate Grand View Christian.