By Scott Hansen
MaxPreps.com
Nebraska Player of the Year
Wes Eikmeier, Fremont Archbishop Bergan, 6-3, Sr. (Signed with Iowa State)
Eikmeier could go down in the history books as one of the greatest small-school players to ever grace a playing floor in the state of Nebraska. The 6-foot-3 guard bound for Iowa State averaged 31.1 points per game as a senior, leading Archbishop Bergan to the 2008 Class D1 state championship.
Boy did he ever. Eikmeier equaled Humphrey St. Francis in the state title game with 43 points in a 56-43 victory. Eikmeier scored a Class D1 record 107 points in three state tournament games while leading his team to its first crown since 1987.
Eikmeier set 24 school-records in his career at Bergan. In a state semifinal victory over Mead, Eikmeier hit all 16 of his free throw attempts to set a school record while smarting from a serious back injury. In all, Eikmeier scored 2,195 points in his illustrious career and was named as the Nebraska player of the year by Gatorade two times, including this past season.
“Wes is a coach’s dream. He understands the game so well. He has a great combination of skill and knowledge and then when you combine it with great athleticism and hard work; you have a player of Wes's caliber. He makes everyone around him better when they see how hard he works on his game,” Bergan head coach Chris Paulson said.
In January, Eikmeier drained 10 three-point baskets and scored 59 points in a 94-63 victory over North Bend.
“It’s almost indescribable. Everything I tossed up just went in. Jesse Carr (Ainsworth guard who scored 68 points in a game) and I agreed we shoot like that a lot during workouts. But when it happens in a game, it just happens,” Eikmeier said.
Watch for Eikmeier to make a huge splash for Iowa State in the near future.
Nebraska’s Next Big Thing
Jarrell Crayton, Bellevue East, 6-7, Jr.
Crayton made a huge splash long before the 2008 Nebraska state tournament. Crayton was an honorable mention All-Stater as a sophomore and even skipped summer basketball to concentrate on football. But in the state tournament, Crayton was the talk of Nebraska. He opened by dropping 26 points and 10 rebounds in a first round upset of top-seeded Ralston. Crayton followed it up with 21 points and a whopping 20 rebounds in a semifinal victory over Lincoln High.
Crayton almost propelled his Chieftain team to the unthinkable, an upset over two-time defending champion Omaha Central in the Class A state championship game. Crayton scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a 59-58 loss. Bellevue West entered the tournament as the eighth-seed with nine losses. Nebraska head coach Doc Sadler was in the building to witness Crayton’s gutty performance in the final and three days later, offered Crayton. Crayton also is Bellevue East’s goalkeeper on the soccer team.
The sky is the limit for this sensational talent. Crayton has a soft touch with a bag full of pretty post moves. Crayton can even step out to the 15-foot range and hit the mid-range jumper, which is becoming a lost art in the game of basketball. Crayton was held out of basketball as a freshman to concentrate on school by his mother. Crayton has an incredible head on his shoulders and is all about his team, not individual accolades.
Watch out, America. And remember the name Jarrell Crayton.
1st Team All-State
Josh Jones, Omaha Central, 6-2, Sr. (Signed with Creighton)
Jones was one of the top stories in 2008 in the state of Nebraska after the road towards his senior season took an unexpected turn. Jones went through heart surgery in September 2007 to remove a blockage from a heart valve. Just two months later, Jones joined the Omaha Central basketball team to chase its third straight Class A state title.
Already having signed with Creighton, Jones got off to a slower than normal start to his senior season by his standards. But as March came closer, Jones stepped up his game. Jones hit 10 three-point buckets to tie a Class A record in a victory over Bellevue East in an 82-47 victory. That would not be the last time he would see Bellevue East.
In the 2008 Class A state final, Bellevue East upset Ralston and Lincoln High to get another shot at the Eagles. Jones scored 21 points to give Central a sweet three-peat as Class A state champions. Jones averaged 19.8 points per game as a senior and finished with 1,518 points during his brilliant career.
Antoine Young, Bellevue West, 6-0, Sr. (Signed with Creighton)
During his senior season, it was a different Antoine Young. Young’s junior season saw a 47-point outburst against Omaha Burke and another 40-plus performance in the Class A state final loss to Omaha Central. Young displayed the ability the play point guard as a senior, leading the Thunderbirds to the state semifinals for the fourth straight season. Young finished with 223 state tournament points in his career, third all-time.
Young is lightning quick and will make Creighton fans very happy. Young averaged 17.2 points per game as a senior. After being a member of the 2005 state championship team, Young came up short in his quest for a state title in the final three years of his career. As a sophomore and junior, Young’s team lost in the state final to Omaha Central. The Thunderbirds lost to Central again in 2008, this time in the semifinals.
Jesse Carr, Ainsworth, 6-1, Sr. (Signed with Colorado State)
Carr, who scored 68 points in one game as a sophomore, averaged 24 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds per game. As a junior, Carr led Ainsworth to the Class C1 state title. Carr was unable to help the Bulldogs defend its title after losing in the C1-10 Subdistrict final to O’Neill.
As a sophomore, Carr averaged 29.9 points and 7.9 assists per game, which alone brought attention to the player from the tiny town with a population of 1,862. Carr is taking his triple-double seeking game to Fort Collins, Colo. to play for Colorado State of the Mountain West Conference.
2nd Team All-State
Mike Fox, Beatrice, 6-5, Sr.
Fox led Beatrice to the Class B state championship after averaging 15.8 points and 9.5 rebounds per game as a senior.
Josh Lynch, Elkhorn, 6-8, Sr.
Lynch averaged 15.2 points and 12.1 rebounds while leading Elkhorn to the Class B state title game.
Greg Smith, Ralston, 6-6, Jr.
Smith led Ralston to the Class A state tournament and averaged 18.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game for the Rams.
Josh Riser, Lincoln High, 5-10, Sr.
Riser led the Links to the Class A state semifinals and averaged 16.6 points and seven assists per game.
Shavonte Samuels, St. Edward, 6-0, Sr.
Samuels, who moved to St. Edward from Chicago after his sophomore season, averaged 27.7 points and 10.9 rebounds as a senior. Samuels led St. Edwards to the Class D2 state title as a junior.
3rd Team All-State
John Leverson, Crete, 6-4, Sr.
Leverson, a Nebraska football recruit, averaged 16.6 points per game for Crete.
Kendall Wehrle, Papillion-LaVista South, 6-4, Sr.
Wehrle ended his basketball career nearly leading the Titans to their first-ever state tournament appearance averaging 18.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Wehrle has signed a letter of intent to attend Arkansas for baseball.
Jake Reinders, Omaha Skutt, 6-8, Sr.
Reinders led Skutt to the Class B state title in 2006 and 2007 before being upset in the first round in 2008. Reinders averaged 14 points and 7.1 rebounds for the Skyhawks as a senior.
Jens Scholl, Deshler, 6-4, Sr.
Scholl averaged 21.2 points and 10.9 rebounds for Deshler, leading his team to the Class C2 state semifinals.
Jeff Allgood, Bellevue West, 6-1, Sr.
Allgood averaged 15.2 points per game this past season for the Thunderbirds and has signed with Army.
Players to Watch in 2009
Along with Crayton and Smith, these players are next in line for dominance in Nebraska.
Elliot Eliason, Chadron, 6-11, Soph.
Eliason averaged 12.8 points and 10 rebounds per game for Chadron as a sophomore and has received early Big XII interest.
Denver Klaus, Bennington, 6-5, Jr.
Klaus averaged 15.4 points per game as a junior while leading Bennington to the Class C1 title game.
Jake Hamburger, Hastings St. Cecilia, 6-3, Jr.
Hamburger was the leader for St. Cecilia as they won the Class C1 state title. Hamburger averaged 14.9 points per game as a junior.
Tyler Evans, Waverly, 6-1, Soph.
Evans averaged 16.5 points per game as a sophomore for Waverly this past season.
Dwight Smith, Ralston, 6-3, Soph.
Along with his older brother Greg, Dwight will help make sure Ralston returns to the Class A state tournament. Dwight averaged 16.1 points and six rebounds per game as a sophomore.
Eric Koehlmoos, Pierce, 6-0, Jr.
Koehlmoos led Pierce to an unbeaten regular season while averaging 14.7 points per game before the Bluejays were upset in the Class C1 state tournament.
Vondrae Tostenson, Millard South, 6-4, Jr.
Don’t forget about this high-flying athlete that missed this season with a knee injury. Tostenson has received some major Division I interest in the past.
Pete Uhing, Lincoln High, 6-4, Jr.
With Riser graduating, Uhing will be the top offensive option for a talented Links team. For the state semifinalists this past season, Uhing averaged 10.7 points per game.
John Karhoff, Omaha Creighton Prep, 6-8, Jr.
Karhoff was one of the main reasons Creighton Prep held the top spot in the ratings for a good part of the season. Karhoff is the top returnee on a team that could start next season on top again after averaging 9.5 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
Scott Hansen: maxprepsok@sbcglobal.net
