Hometown heroes: Iowans playing in NCAA Tournament inspiring next generation of basketball players

SPORTS LEADER. CANNOT WAIT FOR TOMORROW NIGHT. SOME STARS OF MARCH MADNESS WERE FORMED RIGHT HERE IN IOWA. KCCI IS OFELIA JACOBSEN SHOWS US HOW THE HOMETOWN HEROES ARE INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF ATHLETES. THE SOUNDS OF DRIBBLING AND THE SQUEAKING OF SHOES. ON THE COURT ARE SIGNS THESE YOUNG BASKETBALL PLAYERS ARE PUTTING IN THE WORK, SHOOTING BIG AND DREAMING BIG, AND THEY HAVE SOME HOMETOWN HEROES TO LOOK UP TO. BOYS LIKE TUCKER DEVRIES AND TAMEN. THOSE ARE BIG GUYS I LOOK UP TO, AND IT’S COOL TO SEE THEM PLAYING CAITLIN CLARK AND SHE’S INSPIRED ME TO. I WANT TO DO WHAT SHE DOES. ACROSS THE FIVE IOWA TEAMS THAT ARE IN THE TOURNAMENT. THIS YEAR, 19 PLAYERS ARE FROM IOWA DRAKE WOMEN HAS SEVEN IOWANS IOWA WOMEN HAS FOUR, AND IOWA STATE WOMEN ALSO HAS FOUR. ON THE MEN’S SIDE, IOWA STATE HAS THREE. IOWA NATIVES. DRAKE MEN HAS WON. TUCKER DEVRIES. HE WAS TREMENDOUS. YEAH, HE WAS A HARD WORKER. HE WAS ONE OF THOSE KIDS THAT WAS ALWAYS IN THE GYM. JUST AN OLD COACH DEVRIES AT WAUKEE HIGH SCHOOL. HE SAYS IT’S EXCITING TO SEE HIM AND OTHERS FROM THE AREA ON THE BIG STAGE. DEVRIES ISN’T THE ONLY ONE THAT PLAYED HERE AT WAUKEE HIGH SCHOOL. FOUR OTHER PLAYERS ON IOWA TEAMS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT ALSO GOT THEIR START AS WARRIORS. THEY’VE ALL WORKED SO HARD TO GET TO THIS POINT IN THEIR IN THEIR CAREERS AND, UM, THEY’RE JUST GREAT AMBASSADORS, UH, FOR OUR COMMUNITY. GOOD OLE HOPES, YOUNG BASKETBALL PLAYERS WILL BE INSPIRED BY THOSE PLAYERS WHEN THEY WATCH THE MADNESS UNFOLD THIS MARCH. JUST GONNA WATCH THOSE GUYS IN MARCH. AND IT’S KIND OF LIKE WHEN ALL NOTHING’S HOLDING YOU BACK. SO IT JUST ENCOURAGES ME TO PLAY HARDER. IT’S REALLY COOL TO SEE THEM ALL PLAY AND HOW THEIR HISTORY HAS SHOWN AND INSPIRED MY AGE AND THERE’S NO DOUBT THEY’LL BE CHEERING THEM ON HERE AT HOME. GOOD LUCK TO THEM. WE’LL HAVE FUN WITH IT. EMBRACE IT. DON’T SUCK IN WAUKEE, OPHELIA JACOBSON, KCCI EIGHT NEWS. IOWA’S NE

Iowans playing on the big stage of college basketball in the NCAA Tournament are inspiring the next generation of players in the Hawkeye State.Across the five Iowa teams that are in the tournament this year, 19 players are from Iowa this year. Here's a breakdown of how many Iowans each team has:Drake Women: sevenIowa Women: fourIowa State Women: fourDrake Men: oneIowa State Men: threeThe one Iowa native on the Drake Men's Basketball Team is Tucker DeVries. Justin Ohl, assistant activities director at Northwest High School, coached DeVries when he played for Waukee High School."He was tremendous," Ohl said. "He was a hard worker. He was one of those kids that was always in the gym."He said it's exciting to see him and others from the area on the big stage. DeVries isn't the only one who played at Waukee High School, too. Kate Dinnebier and Anna Brown, both players on the Drake Women's Basketball Team, played at Waukee. And Cade Kelderman and Omaha Biliew, both players on the Iowa State Men's Basketball Team, played at Waukee too. "They've all worked so hard to get to this point in their careers, and they're just great ambassadors for our community," Ohl said. All 19 players from Iowa seem to be inspiring the next generation of basketball players. "It's really cool to see them all play and how their history has shown and inspired my age," Maddox Heim, a fourth grader, told KCCI."Just going to watch those guys in March," Payton Policky, a junior in high school, said. "It's kind of like, nothing's holding you back, so it just encourages me to play harder."» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google PlayGet the latest headlines from KCCI

WAUKEE, Iowa —

Iowans playing on the big stage of college basketball in the NCAA Tournament are inspiring the next generation of players in the Hawkeye State.

Across the five Iowa teams that are in the tournament this year, 19 players are from Iowa this year. Here's a breakdown of how many Iowans each team has:

Drake Women: seven
Iowa Women: four
Iowa State Women: four
Drake Men: one
Iowa State Men: three

The one Iowa native on the Drake Men's Basketball Team is Tucker DeVries. Justin Ohl, assistant activities director at Northwest High School, coached DeVries when he played for Waukee High School.

"He was tremendous," Ohl said. "He was a hard worker. He was one of those kids that was always in the gym."

He said it's exciting to see him and others from the area on the big stage. DeVries isn't the only one who played at Waukee High School, too. Kate Dinnebier and Anna Brown, both players on the Drake Women's Basketball Team, played at Waukee. And Cade Kelderman and Omaha Biliew, both players on the Iowa State Men's Basketball Team, played at Waukee too.

"They've all worked so hard to get to this point in their careers, and they're just great ambassadors for our community," Ohl said.

All 19 players from Iowa seem to be inspiring the next generation of basketball players.

"It's really cool to see them all play and how their history has shown and inspired my age," Maddox Heim, a fourth grader, told KCCI.

"Just going to watch those guys in March," Payton Policky, a junior in high school, said. "It's kind of like, nothing's holding you back, so it just encourages me to play harder."

» Download the free KCCI app to get updates on the go: Apple | Google Play

Get the latest headlines from KCCI

Hometown heroes: Iowans playing in NCAA Tournament inspiring next generation of basketball players

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