He was nervous as a sophomore at the 2010 state tournament and injured as a junior last year.

Now Taylor Olson hopes his third straight trip to the state tournament with the Jefferson J-Hawks has a happier ending.

Jefferson (15-8) will face top-ranked Ankeny (23-0) in the opening round at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Olson, a 6-foot-1 guard, leads the J-Hawks in scoring (18.7) and assists (85), is tied for the team lead in steals (44) and ranks second in blocked shots (10).

He'd gladly trade those numbers for a "W" in the win column at the state tournament. Jefferson lost to Sioux City East, 51-43, in the first round in 2010 and was vanquished by Des Moines Hoover, 45-39, in the opening round last year.

Olson has played in a series of big games during his career, including a 67-65 victory over No. 3 Cedar Falls in the substate finals last week in Cedar Falls. He hit the game-winning shot against the Tigers in overtime to earn the trip to state.

"Being in big games like that - games at home, games away - it makes them that much easier," he said. "We know pressure now. I don't feel as much pressure as I used to, especially when I went to the state tournament my sophomore year. I was really nervous."

Olson scored 12 points in the state tournament against Sioux City East as a 10th grader, despite being nervous. He was hampered at the state tournament last year with a back injury and scored only three points, shooting 1 for 11 from the field.

Jefferson is seeded eighth in the eight-team field and faces a stiff challenge against No. 1 seed Ankeny, but most of the J-Hawks have faced the bright lights in Des Moines.

"Just having that experience, it makes me not nervous right from the beginning," said Olson. "You can actually play the game like it's a regular game."

Jefferson senior Alec Saunders also will be starting for the third straight time in the state tournament. He scored two points in 2010 and was blanked last year, so he's looking for a better experience this time around.

Saunders thinks the victory over Cedar Falls will help the J-Hawks against No. 1 Ankeny. "I feel like we can pull off an upset, as long as we play together and keep doing what we did the last time (against Cedar Falls)," he said.

Saunders, a 6-foot forward who plays bigger than his size, is averaging 9.0 points and 3.6 rebounds. He missed three games at the end of the regular season with a sprained ankle, but returned for the playoffs and helped Jefferson make it to Des Moines.

"I feel pretty good now," he said.

Ky Kramer, a 6-2 junior, will be starting in his second straight state tournament. He's averaging 9.5 points and 4.8 rebounds, second on the club in both departments, and is Jefferson's top 3-point shooter with 41 in 23 games.

Kramer said playing in the 2011 state tournament should be a benefit in this year's event.

"Last year I just tried to take in the experience, because I didn't know if I'd ever get this chance again," he said. "I took it seriously last year, but it feels way better (this time).

"I feel like nobody expected us to go to state, so I feel like if we work hard we can pull some upsets."

Kramer agrees with his teammates: The victory over Cedar Falls last week should give the J-Hawks a boost in Des Moines.

"It just shows that we can beat anybody, anywhere," he said. "It gave us a lot of confidence, and we're going to go in thinking we can win."

Ankeny has a balanced ballclub, with six players averaging between 5.9 and 11.6 points per game. Cole Myers, a 6-foot-2 senior, is the leading scorer.

Ted Friedman, a 6-9 junior, averages 10.7 points and 6.3 rebounds. Justin Underwood, a 6-4 junior, is the tallest player in Jefferson's lineup, giving Friedman a five-inch advantage in the post.