Upper Iowa Recruit Named Iowa’s 2017 Mr. Basketball

During his career, Joe Smoldt led the Gladbrook-Reinbeck boys basketball team on the greatest run of success in program history. Now, the Upper Iowa signee has collected top honors for his efforts on the court.

The Iowa Newspaper Association (INA) named Smoldt Mr. Basketball while announcing its 2017 All-State Teams for each of the state's four classes on Tuesday (March 14, 2017).

Smoldt led all of Iowa in scoring and three-point field goals, while averaging 29.8 points per game. According to Quik Stats Iowa, Smoldt tallied 865 points -- 197 more than Muscatine's Joe Wieskamp -- and was the only player to make more than 100 three-pointers (109-of-222). The 6-foot-1 senior ends his high school career as Iowa’s seventh all-time leading scorer with 2,358 points, an average of 21.4 points per game.

During his four-year career, Smoldt guided the Rebels to a 100-10 overall record, three-straight Class 1A state tournament appearances and four-straight North Iowa Cedar League (NICL) West Division championships. He was voted captain of the state's all-tournament team three times as Gladbrook-Reinbeck finished first, fourth and second in consecutive seasons. Smoldt led a group of six seniors who went 51-1 in conference games and ended their careers with a 48-game league winning streak.

"What has he meant to this program? Everything," Gladbrook-Reinbeck Scott Kiburis said after the Rebels' 61-50 loss to Grand View Christian in the 1A championship game Friday night. "You can put all the numbers out there, but he doesn't care about that. He cares about winning.

"I respect him so much for how he competes and how he conducts himself. I have him in class and he listens to everything I say. He's a class act. I appreciate everything he's done. We would not get this opportunity if it wasn't for that group of six seniors, especially Joe."

Gladbrook-Reinbeck went 26-3 with a starting line-up that included three seniors -- Smoldt, Tyler Pierce and Matt Roeding. Classmate Thomas Mussig was one of the Rebels' top reserves. Deagan Haack and Jed Peterson also got some playing time off the bench.

That group of a half-dozen players set a standard for others to follow at Gladbrook-Reinbeck.

"The success is the legacy we've left and that's what we're most proud off," Smoldt said Friday. "All six seniors coming together, and it's not just me because I'm not the only leader. Tyler Pierce, Matt Roeding, Thomas Mussig and all of those other guys contributed so much to the team.  A lot of people doubted we could do as much as we did this year, but everybody in the locker room believed in each other."

Several players from the Cedar Valley and northeast Iowa were recognized as All-Staters by the INA. The 2017 Boys Basketball All-State Teams are listed below.

Iowa Newspaper Association Boys Basketball All-State Teams

First Team – Class 1A
Front Line: - Nicholas Ruden - St. Mary’s, Remsen (6-4, Jr.)
Front Line: - Riley Van Wyhe - Central Lyon, Rock Rapids (6-3, Sr.)
Front Line: - Brady Gavin - Martensdale-St. Mary’s (6-7, Jr.)
Back Court: - Joe Smoldt - Gladbrook-Reinbeck (6-1, Sr.)
Back Court: - Jake Hilmer - North Linn (5-11, Soph.)
Back Court: - Grant DeMeulenaere - Grand View Christian (6-0, Jr.)
Utility: - Jovonte Squiers - Lone Tree (6-1, Sr.)
Utility: - Jesse Van Wyk - Lynnville-Sully (6-3, Jr.)

Second Team – Class 1A
Front Line: Seth Weiland - West Hancock, Britt (6-7. Sr.)
Front Line: Nathan Karsjens - AGWSR, Ackley (6-7, Sr.)
Front Line: Seth Moeller - Prince of Peace Prep,Clinton (6-3, Sr.)
Back Court: Christian Kyles - Siouxland Christian (6-0, Sr.)
Back Court: Mason Porter - New London (6-2, Soph.)
Back Court: Dakota Strong - Montezuma  (6-1, Sr.)
Utility: Kaleb Anderson - Lenox (5-9, Sr.)
Utility: Zach Martinek - West Fork, Sheffield (6-4, Soph.)

Third Team – Class 1A
Front Line: Colby Seuntjens - Maple Valley-Anthon Oto (6-3, Jr.)
Front Line: Jarod Nichols -Colfax-Mingo (6-4, Jr.)
Front Line: Niko Gosnell - Lone Tree (6-8, Sr.)
Back Court: Paul Rundquist - Wapsie Valley, Fairbank (5-10, Soph.)
Back Court: Ryan Miller - North Linn (5-10, Jr.)
Back Court: Dylan Eckels - West Hancock (6-0, Sr.)
Utility: Brett Kelting - Calamus-Wheatland (6-3, Sr.)
Utility: Stephen Glenn - Grand View Christian (6-2, Sr.)

First Team – Class 2A
Front Line: Colin Hill - South Hamilton, Jewell (6-6, Sr.)
Front Line: Matt Dentlinger - Kuemper Catholic, Carroll (6-7, Sr.)
Front Line: Cooper Kabela - West Branch (6-4, Sr.)
Back Court: Ethan Wyant - Jesup (6-0, Sr.)
Back Court: Levi Jungling - Pella Christian (5-11, Sr.)
Back Court: Ben Gesink - Western Christian, Hull (6-3, Sr.)
Utility: Jesse Jansma - Western Christian, Hull (6-3, Sr.)
Utility: Jay Small - Hinton (6-3, Sr.)

Second Team – Class 2A
Front Line: Austin Roetman - Pocahontas Area/L-M (6-7, Sr.)
Front Line: Dylan Hundley - Camanche (6-4, Sr.)
Front Line: Isaiah Humphrey - Underwood (6-2, Sr.)
Back Court: Ben Juhl - Des Moines Christian (6-1, Sr.)
Back Court: Dakota Soenksen - Camanche (6-3, Sr.)
Back Court: Trenton Massner -Wapello (6-1, Jr.)
Utility: Ben Latusek - Dike-New Hartford (6-4, Sr.)
Utility: Riley LeGrand - Beckman Catholic, Dyersville (6-3, Sr.)

Third Team – Class 2A
Front Line: Zane Johnson - East Marshall (6-4 Jr.)
Front Line: David Kacmarynski - Pella Christian (6-3 Sr.)
Front Line: James Betz - Garner-Hayfield-Ventura (6-7 Soph.)
Back Court: Drew Olson - Osage (6-2 Jr.)
Back Court: RJ Harris - AHSTW, Avoca (6-2 Jr.)
Back Court: Gannon O’Brien - Cascade, Western Dubuque (6-0 Jr.)
Utility: Marco Balderas - South Hamilton, Jewell (5-7 Jr.)
Utility: Isaac Heyer - West Lyon, Inwood (6-3 Sr.)

First Team – Class 3A
Front Line: Ryan Van Wyk - Pella (6-5 Sr.)
Front Line: Garrett Franken - Atlantic (6-7 Sr.)
Front Line: Austin Phyfe - Waverly-Shell Rock (6-10 Sr.)
Back Court: Brady Sartorius - Mount Pleasant (6-0 Jr.)
Back Court: Elijah Hazekamp - Bishop Heelan Catholic, Sioux City (6-5 Jr.)
Back Court: Luke Vaske - Norwalk (6-1 Jr.)
Utility: Matt Mims - Xavier, Cedar Rapids (6-0 Jr.)
Utility: Chris Kroll - Seargant Bluff-Luton (6-1 Sr.)

Second Team – Class 3A
Front Line: Cade McKnight - Grinnell (6-9, Sr.)
Front Line: Sam Snyder - Forest City (6-5, Jr.)
Front Line: Derek Krogmann - West Delaware, Manchester (6-7, Soph.)
Back Court: Nate Mohr - Glenwood (6-1, Jr.)
Back Court: Trenton Hilbrands - Le Mars (6-0, Sr.)
Back Court: Trey Tucker - Greene County (6-0, Sr.)
Utility: Sam Allen - Grinnell (6-3, Sr.)
Utility: Austin Ash - Mount Vernon (6-2, Sr.)

Third Team – Class 3A
Front Line: Trevor Grove - Dallas Center-Grimes (6-6, Sr.)
Front Line: Andrew Blum - Glenwood (6-4, Jr.)
Front Line: Jackson Wright - Seargant Bluff-Luton (6-5, Sr.)
Back Court: Jack Molstead - Charles City (5-9, Soph.)
Back Court: Trenton Wallace - Assumption, Davenport (6-1, Sr.)
Back Court: Tajen Ross - A-D-M, Adel (6-3, Sr.)
Utility: Lim Chuol - Chariton (6-3, Sr.)
Utility: John Nagel - West Delaware, Manchester (6-6, Sr.)

First Team – Class 4A
Front Line: Joe Wieskamp - Muscatine (6-6, Jr.)
Front Line: Van Rees - Sioux City, East (6-6, Jr.)
Front Line: Douglas Wilson - Des Moines, Hoover (6-6, Sr.)
Back Court: A.J. Green - Cedar Falls (6-2, Jr.)
Back Court: Tyreke Locure - Des Moines, North (5-10, Soph.)
Back Court: Devontae Lane - Iowa City, West (6-2, Sr.)
Utility: Connor McCaffrey - Iowa City, West (6-6, Sr.)
Utility: Garrett Sturtz - Newton (6-2, Jr.)

Second Team – Class 4A
Front Line: Jacob Rau - Waukee (6-7, Sr.)
Front Line: Noah Carter - Dubuque, Senior (6-5, Soph.)
Front Line: Patrick McCaffrey - Iowa City, West (6-6, Soph.)
Back Court: Sam Ingoli - Dowling Catholic, West Des Moines (6-3, Jr.)
Back Court: Ray Miller - Davenport, Central (6-0, Sr.)
Back Court: Kyle Lang - Mason City (6-0, Sr.)
Utility: Drew Maschoff - Ankeny (6-3, Sr.)
Utility: Bailey Basala - North Scott, Eldridge (6-5, Sr.)

Third Team – Class 4A
Front Line: -  Quinton Curry - Valley, West Des Moines (6-6, Sr.)
Front Line: -  Joe Evans - Ames (6-3, Jr.)
Front Line: -  Jal Bijiek - Des Moines, North (6-7, Sr.)
Back Court: -  Max Smith Drahos - Prairie, Cedar Rapids (6-1, Sr.)
Back Court: -  Aidan Vanderloo - Sioux City, East (6-1, Soph.)
Back Court: -  Connor Gholson - Newton (6-3, Sr.)
Utility: - Connor Kasperbauer - Ankeny Centennial (6-3, Sr.)
Utility: - Chad Moran - Lewis Central (6-4, Sr.)

Source: Iowa Newspaper Association