Miller among top Miss Basketball candidates

DES MOINES - It's not the numbers that Brian Wheatley will remember about Nicole Miller.

'My daughter is a third-grader and adores her to death,” said Wheatley, Miller's coach at North-Linn High School. 'Nicole's an example of what you want your players to be.

'Obviously, she's very gifted, but that's only going to take you so far. She deserves every bit of recognition she gets.”

Miller is on the short list of candidates for Miss Iowa Basketball, which will be voted upon by sportswriters during the selection of the Iowa Newspaper Association all-state teams Saturday and revealed early next week.

'She's a great player,” Western Christian's Jamie Gesink said Thursday after the Lynx outlasted Western in overtime, 73-71, in a Class 2A semifinal. 'She was good last year, but she's improved a lot. She's going to be a great college player.”

A Drake University signee, Miller entered Friday's championship game against Unity Christian with 2,185 career points. She averages 26.7 points per game, tops among all seniors.

Before Friday's final, North-Linn has compiled a 93-9 record during Miller's four years as a varsity player.

'(Miller is) a great teammate. She's never selfish, but she's easy for us to follow,” said Lynx junior Morgan Boer.

Other likely top contenders for the award are Audrey Faber of West Des Moines Dowling and Grace Vander Weide of West Des Moines Valley.

Faber is a Creighton signee who has averaged 18.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Dowling went 21-4 and reached the 5A semifinals this season after winning the title last year.

Vander Weide and the Tigers (23-2) will play for the 5A crown Saturday. The Missouri State University signee averaged 18.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game this season.

CALL TO THE HALL

Former University of Iowa player Wendy Ausdemore headlines the 2015 IGHSAU girls' basketball Hall of Fame class.

Ausdemore was Miss Iowa Basketball 2005 at Tri-Center. finishing her prep career with 1,812 points.

Jill Martin (Norwalk, 2003) and Janet Waterbury (Schaller, 1964) also will be honored.

Martin scored 1,628 points at Norwalk before an all-conference career at Drake. Waterbury tallied 3,390 points in the six-player game.

Inductions will be during halftime of the Class 4A championship game.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com