Iowa Playoffs: Class 2A, Substate 2 Preview
The favorite: Southeast Valley is the top seed, having won 16 of their last 17 games after starting 1-2, including a win over Pocahontas Area. Conner Conrad (21.3) and Dakota Jaeschke (15.0, 10.1 rebounds) are a solid inside-out duo, and…
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Continue ReadingThe favorite: Southeast Valley is the top seed, having won 16 of their last 17 games after starting 1-2, including a win over Pocahontas Area. Conner Conrad (21.3) and Dakota Jaeschke (15.0, 10.1 rebounds) are a solid inside-out duo, and they’ve got five role players alongside them averaging between 5.4 and 7.1 points. The Warriors are the second highest scoring team in the class, and should have no issues scoring against the rest of the teams in the district.
The biggest threat: Tanner Youngberg (18.0), Austin Roetman (17.1) and Jace Davidson (13.0) lead a talented Pocahontas Area attack. The Indians get to play the district semifinal against G-H/V at home, giving them an edge.
The dark horse: Garner-Hayfield/Ventura boasts one of the top defensive teams in 2A, allowing just 43.9 points per game (good for 5th in the class). The Cardinals are led by 6’6″ forward Sam Cataldo (17.3 points, 8.6 rebounds), a defensive presence on the interior. G-H/V is an efficient offensive team that doesn’t take many threes, rather working the ball inside. They’ll be a tough team to match up with. As a side note, this district may be the most difficult in 2A to pinpoint a difference between the top three teams.
Players to watch
Conner Conrad, Southeast Valley, 2016
Dakota Jaeschke, Southeast Valley, 2017
Sam Cataldo, Garner-Hayfield/Ventura, 2016
Tanner Youngberg, Pocahontas Area, 2016
Jace Davidson, Pocahontas Area, 2019
Austin Roetman, Pocahontas Area, 2017
The favorite: Having (arguably) the state’s best scorer in Granger Kingland (27.5 points, 56.8 FG%) gives Lake Mills the edge in this district. Kingland has made his name known around the state with his shooting prowess, but he’s not even the best shooter on the team this year. That honor goes to Charlie Dugger, who has made 70 3-pointers, and is doing so at a 44.5% clip. The Bulldogs haven’t played as tough a schedule as Clear Lake, but they wouldn’t see them until the district final.
The biggest threat: Clear Lake entered the postseason with just a .500 record, but they played far and away the most difficult schedule in the district, playing a number of 3A teams during league play. The Lions get most of their production from a quartet of double-figure scorers – Thomas Storbeck (20.2), Zach Tatum (11.9), Parker Truesdell (10.7) and Zach Lester (10.0). That type of balance could present opposing teams with some problems.
The dark horse: It may seem odd having the top seed in the district as the dark horse, but Osage’s schedule during the regular season could come back to bite them. The Green Devils have used 2A’s 9th best scoring defense, allowing just 45.8 points a game, to compile a 17-4 record. Led by Collin Havel (12.3 points), they’ll be looking to slow the game down against Clear Lake, and if they make the district final, Lake Mills. Forest City has already beaten Lake Mills once this season (split the series), so they can’t be counted out either. None of the remaining teams in this district winning would be a surprise.
Players to watch
Granger Kingland, Lake Mills, 2016
Charlie Dugger, Lake Mills, 2017
Thomas Storbeck, Clear Lake, 2017
Collin Havel, Osage, 2016
Sam Snyder, Forest City, 2018
SUBSTATE PREDICTION
Southeast Valley vs. Lake Mills
Call it more of a gut feeling than anything, but I expect Granger Kingland to have a huge game to send his Lake Mills team to Des Moines in a very entertaining substate final.