Jefferson senior Jarrod Uthoff, who burst onto the national recruiting scene last summer on the AAU circuit then went out and led the state in scoring this winter, has been named the 2011 Iowa Mr. Basketball by the Iowa Newspaper Association.

Uthoff, a 6-foot-8 forward who is wiry strong on the inside rebounding yet possesses a light, almost delicate touch shooting from the outside, is the sixth Metro prep to win the award and the first since Linn-Mar's Jason Bohannon won it in 2006. Like Bohannon did, Uthoff is headed to Wisconsin to play for the Badgers.

Uthoff led the state in scoring with a 26.2 average, despite often being double- and triple-teamed by opponents. He led the J-Hawks to a 17-6 record and back-to-back state tournament appearances.

Uthoff is the first Jefferson player to win the Mr. Basketball award. Linn-Mar has had two (Bohannon and Tod Lumsden), and Kennedy (Al Lorenzen), Regis (Adam Spanich) and Prairie (Justin Wessel) have had one apiece.

Twice the Metro has had winners in consecutive years. Lumsden and Lorenzen won back-to-back in 1983 and '84, and Spanich and Wessel did likewise in 1995 and '96.

Past Iowa Mr. Basketball winners

2010 Harrison Barnes, Ames
2009 Brennan Cougill, Bishop Heelan, Catholic, Sioux City
2008 Matt Gatens, Iowa City, City High
2007 Clayton Vette, Waverly-Shell Rock
2006 Jason Bohannon, Linn-Mar, Marion
2005 Josh Van Es, MOC-Floyd Valley
2004 Carlton Reed, Waterloo East
2003 Brooks McKowen, Wapsie Valley, Fairbank
2002 Jeff Horner, Mason City
2001 Tyler McKinney, Urbandale
2000 Glen Worley, Iowa City West
1999 Kirk Hinrich, Sioux City West & Nick Collison, Iowa Falls
1998 David Newman, Des Moines Hoover
1997 Dean Oliver, Mason City
1996 Justin Wessel, Prairie, Cedar Rapids
1995 Adam Spanich, Cedar Rapids Regis
1994 Raef LaFrentz, MFL Mar-Mac, Monona
1993 Jess Settles, Winfield-Mt. Union
1992 Eric Pothoven, Pella Christian
1991 Fred Hoiberg, Ames
1990 Mike Davis, Waterloo East
1989 Mike Bergman, Waverly-Shell Rock
1988 Wade Lookingbill, Fort Dodge
1987 Robert Johnson, Des Moines Lincoln
1986 Chris Gaines, Waterloo West
1985 Brian David, Kuemper Catholic, Carroll
1984 Al Lorenzen, Cedar Rapids Kennedy
1983 Todd Lumsden, Linn-Mar, Marion
1982 Randy Kraayenbrink, Paullina & Ted Burbach, Wahlert, Dubuque