T-R FILE PHOTO - Meskwaki senior guard Taurice Grant (3) attempts a 3-pointer against East Marshall during their Feb. 9 basketball game in Le Grand.

Meskwaki senior guard Taurice Grant was named the 2021 Iowa Star Conference South Division’s Player of the Year, rounding out a sparkling career with a second-straight first-team all-conference selection.

Grant averaged 17 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.2 steals per game in his senior season for the Warriors, fighting through knee and ankle injuries to help the team go unbeaten in conference play and reach the substate finals, the farthest a Meskwaki basketball team has ever gone in the postseason.

Head coach Garrett “Joe” Bear was voted the Coach of the Year, according to his peers. He has taken the Warriors to at least the district finals in three of his four seasons at the helm.

Osceola Tyon, a breakout junior for the Warriors, was also named to the Iowa Star South first team. Tyon averaged 16.6 points per game, 3.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Tyon shot 46 percent from the floor, 32.2 percent form 3-point range and 77.8 percent from the free throw line.

Tiernan Wanatee was given second-team honors, as the senior scored 6.6 points a game while serving as a physical presence inside on the defensive end of the floor. Evan Nelson was listed as an honorable mention, another senior who was key to the Warriors winning 20 games and winning their district in postseason play.

GMG senior Avery Bryant was a first-team selection for the second-straight season, averaging 16.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game as the Wolverines improved greatly on their 2019-20 season.

Freshman Jabari Woodbury, who marked his debut with a game-winner against Baxter, was named to the Iowa Star second team after averaging 8.5 points and 4.1 boards per game. Kooper Gill was named an honorable mention, averaging 8.3 points per game as a junior.

For North Tama, junior guard Gabe Kopriva was named a first team player after leading the way for the Redhawks. Kopriva scored 16.2 points per contest and grabbed 2.6 steals a game to lead a young North Tama squad that has all three entrants who were honored this year returning in 2021-22.

Adam Greiner was named to the second team after scoring 9.5 a game and grabbing 5.9 rebounds a contest. Devin McKinley also scored 9.5 points per game, earning him honorable mention honors.

All-Iowa Star Conference South Division Boys Basketball Teams

Player of the Year — Taurice Grant, sr., Meskwaki

Coach of the year — Garrett Bear, Meskwaki

FIRST TEAM

Taurice Grant, SR, Meskwaki

Osceola Tyon, JR, Meskwaki

Cody Damman, SO, Baxter

Avery Bryant, SR, GMG

Gabe Kopriva, JR, North Tama

Mason Markley, SR, Collins-Maxwell

SECOND TEAM

Tiernan Wanatee, SR, Meskwaki

Rory Heer, JR, Baxter

Jabari Woodbury, FR, GMG

Adam Greiner, JR, North Tama

Luke Huntrods, SO, Collins-Maxwell

Lucas Frohwein, FR, Colo-NESCO

HONORABLE MENTION

Carson Scroggins, SO, Baxter

Weston Kahler, JR, Collins-Maxwell

Tanner Ingle, SR, Colo-NESCO

Kooper Gill, JR, GMG

Evan Nelson, SR, Meskwaki

Devin McKinley, JR, North Tama

Donovan Elmore, JR, Valley Lutheran