By Bob Bakken
MaxPreps.com
Ames High School basketball star Harrison Barnes is a popular guy right now. Fans chanted his name at a recent Iowa State-Kansas basketball game he attended at Hilton Coliseum. Even Kansas coach Bill Self was hoping to catch his eye.
Iowa State coach Greg McDermott offered him a scholarship two years ago, but now most of the elite college basketball programs in the country are tailing him hard.
Through all of it, the leader of Iowa’s top-ranked Class 4A boys basketball team is not letting on about where he might be taking his talents. The 6-foot-6 forward says he’ll be focusing on his college direction once his high school season is over.
"I'm just focused on trying to get a state championship and trying to make my high school team the best we can be,” Barnes told the Cedar Rapids Gazette. “So I've put my recruiting on the side. But after my high school season is over, I'll re-evaluate."
Barnes is one of the most highly-coveted high school juniors in the country. The son of former Iowa State player Ronnie Harris also has Doug McDermott, the son of Iowa State’s coach, among his teammates.
Girls Basketball: Springville wins battle of No. 1’s
The U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids hosted a pair of games pitting No. 1-ranked teams Saturday.
Class 1A Springville was a winner in one contest over Class 2A MFL/Mar-Mac, 44-38.
Springville all-stater Katie Eiben led the way with 20 points, including 13 in the second half. Carly Martin added five free throws in the final quarter.
Chelsey Lamker was MFL’s leading scorer with 17 points, including five 3-pointers.
MFL/Mar-Mac fell to 14-1 for the season, while the defending 2A state champs Springville improved to 15-0.
In the second match-up, Class 4A No. 1 Linn-Mar defeated 3A No. 1 Ballard of Huxley, 59-41. Kiah Stokes led unbeaten Linn-Mar (14-0) with 15 points and 15 rebounds for the Lions.
Football: Davenport North coach resigns
Davenport North will be seeking its fourth coach in the last eight years with the resignation of Jon Flynn, a 33-year old who also serves as the school’s activities director.
Flynn leaves the football program with a 6-30 record in four seasons at the school, but he says his choice was a family decision.
“As the athletic director and head football coach (at North), it was very time consuming,” Flynn told the Quad City Times. “I didn’t feel like I was doing my job as a father. So it was very much a family decision.”
North has had losing seasons in all but one campaign since it opened in 1985.
