Scheels Prep of the Week: Crompton More Than A Shooter

Regina junior Mary Crompton dribbles against Benton. Jeff Yoder/For Your Prep Sports.

Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Mary Crompton could pretty much write her own scouting report last season.

“Last year most teams classified me as a shooter,” Crompton explained.

Crompton carries the shooter tag for a reason.

A 46 percent 3-point shooter in her first two varsity seasons Crompton established herself as one of the top shooters in the state.

This season Crompton has demonstrated she is much more than just a long ball specialist.

The 5-foot-8 junior has used an expanded offensive repertoire to get off to the best start of her career this season.

“It’s easy to guard someone when they are just a shooter,” Crompton said. In the offseason I put a lot of focus into getting to the basket and finishing with contact so over and over again I’d have someone pushing me or hanging on my arm as I was finishing.”

That work has paid off the season with the most efficient offensive season of her career.

Crompton is averaging 19.5 per game for Class 2A top-ranked Regina helping the Regals to an 8-0 start.

She is shooting 63 percent from the field and better than 50 percent from 3-point range on the season while averaging a career-high in scoring.

“My teammates are doing a good job of finding me and shots are going down,” Crompton said. “Definitely you just need to see the ball go through the hoop a couple of times and then the rest builds off that.”

Hitting shots has always been a big part of Crompton’s game.

This year Crompton is doing it all for Regina on both ends of the court.

Crompton averaged 21 points in back-to-back wins over Monticello and West Branch but more importantly turned in a pair of standout defensive efforts on standouts Lauren Ries and Tatum Koenig.

“Mary doesn’t get enough credit for her defense but she is a tremendous defensive player,” Regina coach Jeff Wallace said.

Crompton shadowed Ries during a 74-45 Regina win holding the junior standout to a season-low seven points.

She helped hold Koenig to 13 points, nearly seven below her season average in a 70-50 win.

“I enjoy the challenge that my coach puts on me with guarding one of the other team’s leading scorers,” Crompton said. “I just try to put the pressure on and make them as uncomfortable as possible.”

Defense isn’t the only area in which Crompton has improved this season.

Coming off an all-state sophomore season in which she averaged better than 16 points per game Crompton has become even more difficult to defend with her ability to attack defenders off the dribble.

Over the last three games Crompton has averaged 19 points per game while shooting 71 percent from the field.

“It’s hard to guard someone when they can shoot and drive,” Crompton said. “I think that’s become a good part of my game.”

Scheels Athlete of the Week: Joens Posts Back-to-Back Big Games

City High junior Ashley Joens

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – It took half a dozen stiches to close the cut Ashley Joens got following a fall in the second half of a win over Muscatine.

Those stitches were set to be removed Saturday morning.

Following Friday’s win over Cedar Falls someone joked that the way Joens place last week the City High junior might want to leave the stitches in for a little while longer.

Joens posted back-to-back strong performances last week following a six-point outing against Muscatine that was cut short by her trip for stitches.

The 5-foot-11 Joens had 30 points and 13 rebounds in a 77-47 win over Cedar Rapids and had 27 points and nine boards in 62-40 win over third-ranked Cedar Falls.

“I think we are getting better every game,” Joens said. “Those were two good wins for us, the second half (against Cedar Falls) was definitely the best half we have played.”

Already a two-time all-state selection Joens is on her way to another strong season as a junior.

She is averaging 18.4 points and 9.6 points per game while helping City High to a 5-0 record and a number two ranking in Class 5A.

Joens is shooting 54 percent from the field this season after shooting 60 percent (21-of-35) in the wins over Cedar Rapids Prairie and Cedar Falls.

“The offense runs around her as you can see but she does a great job of passing when she gets double teamed,” City High coach Bill McTaggart said. “She is hitting the open girl.”

A unique talent that can play with the ball in her hands or with her back to the basket, Joens has already been used in a variety of ways this season.

Joens did everything from post up on the low block to break the press against Cedar Falls.

The Iowa State recruit had a team-high three assists against the Tigers and added two steals.

“We have a lot more guards and when she goes to Iowa State she will not be playing as inside as much so she will have a good all-around game because she practices a lot on the outside and she plays a lot on the inside,” McTaggart said. “She can handle the ball, she is a just a good all-around player.

Things don’t get any easier for Joens and the Little Hawks this week as City High travels to fifth-ranked West High (5-0) on Tuesday.

City High closes out its December schedule by traveling to Dubuque Senior and hosting Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

“There is a lot of energy and enthusiasm in the West High game every year,” Joens said. “It’s always an exciting game and they are a good team so it’s going to be fun.”

Scheels Athlete of the Week: Kabela Adjusting Quickly to Basketball

West Branch senior Cooper Kabela

By Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports

If Cooper Kabela had his way he would have been playing football deep into the month of November and all the way through the Class 1A playoffs.

Instead Kabela swapped his cleats for basketballs shoes in October.

For the first time during Kabela’s varsity career West Branch wasn’t playing football in November this season after an opening-round playoff loss to Regina.

Kabela, who moved from tight end to quarterback midway through the football season, put his rare break between the end of football season and the start of basketball season to good use.

The senior forward took a little time to rest up and then got into the gym to prepare for his final season prep basketball season.

That early worked has shown up so far.

Kabela averaged 26.5 points on 66 percent shooting in his first two games this season helping West Branch get off to a 1-1 start.

“In past years it’s taken a couple of weeks to get into it,” Kabela said. “This year I had those couple weeks at the beginning of the season to get back into the basketball rhythm and get my jump shot going and I think that has helped.”

Kabela scored 21 points in a season-opening win over Wilton and poured in 32 in a 70-56 loss to Monticello last week.

The senior forward has now scored in double figures in 24 straight games dating back to last season.

“I think he’s decided this is my senior year and I want to go out with a bang,” Burger said. “One of the best things that he’s been doing here lately is just showing great leadership. In the locker room, on the court, after the court he’s being a great leader.”

A three-year starter and four-year letter winner, Kabela was named to the River Valley Conference Elite team last year.

This season Kabela has taken his game to another level.

He spent the offseason and the time between sports working on his jump shot and the hard work has paid off so far.

“Last year I was more of an inside player so I tried to make myself harder to guard by developing a better jump shot,” Kabela said. “I worked hard on that.”

An improved jump shot has made the 6-foot-4 Kabela a difficult matchup when he steps away from the hoop.

Kabela was 3-of-5 from 3-point range in the win over Monticello and has three assists this season.

“We want him to face the basket as much as he can,” Burger said. “He is a great guy with his back to the basket but he is also pretty darn good when he faces the basket. He has just done everything he has needed to do to make himself a great player.”

Kabela was almost unstoppable against the Panthers last Friday.

He had 19 of his game-high 32 points in the opening half, finished 11-of-17 from the field and grabbed seven rebounds.

“I think he’s the best post in the conference and he’d be good in any league, any class,” Monticello coach Tim Lambert said. “He’s legit.”