The best of the best in Eastern Iowa high school basketball

We hope you enjoy the first KCRG/Gazette Communications all-area boys and girls basketball teams and realize what a great collection of talent resides on those rosters.

For instance, the girls player of the year is being recruited by the top two programs in college basketball, Connecticut and Tennessee, and the boys player of the year is a fellow junior who also is being heavily recruited.

As for the coaches of the year, both took teams that were not on the preseason state tournament radar and led those teams to championship games.

The Gazette's Jeff Linder and Jeff Johnson and KCRG's Scott Saville and John Sears picked the teams.

Many qualified players did not make the cut and whether you agree or disagree, we'd love to hear from you.

Coach of the year – boys

SOLON - There was a faction that wanted Brad Randall gone. The lifelong Solonite wasn't winning enough basketball games.

“To be quite honest, about seven years ago there was a group of parents that wanted me out,” Randall said last week.

But the coach received the support of Solon's administration and kept his job. You don't hear much complaining now.

Solon has made the state tournament four of the last five years, including a Class 2A state championship in 2009. Despite a completely new cast, the Spartans finished second this season, losing the 2A title game last weekend to Western Christian.

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Coach of the year – girls

MOUNT VERNON - This year, Bob Kintzel didn't rush.

A week behind in practice in November, Kintzel didn't try to make it up all at once.

“The last two years, because our kids had (advanced to the state volleyball finals), what I had done was rush too much,” said Kintzel, the girls' basketball coach at Mount Vernon High School.

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Player of the year - boys

CEDAR RAPIDS - His interview skills are probably his biggest weakness right now.

It's not that Jarrod Uthoff is disagreeable with the media or anything. He's willing to talk to any newspaper, radio or TV reporter who asks for a minute or two, and usually does it with a smile.

It's just that the Cedar Rapids Jefferson center doesn't have a whole lot to say. That's despite being a 4.0 student and the junior class president.

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Player of the year - girls

MARION - Two weeks later, Kiah Stokes still is coming out of the clouds.

“I'm still kind of on a high,” she said.

Stokes led Linn-Mar to a 26-0 record and a Class 4A girls' state basketball championship. She earned the Gatorade state-player-of-the-year award.

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