5 Class A Dark Horse Teams That Could Stage Together A State Tournament Run

<p>From top to bottom, this may be the most depth we have seen in Class A in a long time. With just one week left of the regular season, there are multiple teams fighting to host their own district or at least host one game in districts. </p> <p>As the post-season approaches quickly, here are a handful of teams that nobody wants to get matched up with, and could find themselves at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln come March 12th.</p> <p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Papillion-LaVista</strong></span></p> <p><span style="color: #000000;">Currently sitting at 14-8, Papio has already proved they can play with the top teams after upsetting the number one seed Central in the Metro Conference Tournament. Papio is one of the more balanced teams in Class A, led in scoring by sophomores <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kyle-ingwerson/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kyle-ingwerson/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kyle-ingwerson/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kyle-ingwerson/">Kyle Ingwerson</a></a></a></a> (11.2) and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/luke-lindenmeyer/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/luke-lindenmeyer/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/luke-lindenmeyer/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/luke-lindenmeyer/">Luke Lindenmeyer</a></a></a></a> (9.5), they also add an experienced senior guard in Owen Mclaughlin to help run the backcourt.To build on that, they have a rebounding machine inside with big man Preston Kellogg and and a pair of juniors in Chase Lett and Joey Hylok who will be a huge part to Papillion Lavista's success. Matchups will play a huge part in whether or not the Monarchs can reach PBA, but the sophomore duo is definitely something to keep an eye on as we approach district play. This team is still quite young, so the Monarchs may have something to prove in the coming years. </span></p> <p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Elkhorn South</strong></span></p> <p>After a rocky 1-6 start, the Storm find themselves at 6-14 with two games remaining in the regular season. After making a few strategic changes earlier in the season, Elkhorn South looks like a much improved team. Wayne State commit Zach Lafave is the star player on this team, but other players are going to have to step up if the Storm want to have a shot at winning their district. Freshman Tate Odvody, who is one of the most impressive youngsters we have seen this year and has been on a roll lately, can put up 20 points on any given night. Everyone should buy stock in this kid sooner rather than later because you will be hearing a lot of his name in the near future. Elkhorn South is not a team that the higher seeds want to see in their bracket when district pairings are revealed.</p> <p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Gretna</strong></span></p> <p>Averaging just 43.7 points per game, Gretna is the lowest scoring team in Class A basketball. However, their offense is pretty efficient as they are top 10 in both 3 pointers made and 3 point field goal percentage, so if Gretna can hit the 3-ball consistently, they can be really tough to beat. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ely-doble/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ely-doble/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ely-doble/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ely-doble/">Ely Doble</a></a></a></a> and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/clay-frost/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/clay-frost/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/clay-frost/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/clay-frost/">Clay Frost</a></a></a></a>, who are both committed to play basketball at Morningside College next year, account for just under 30 points per game combined to lead the Dragons. Senior wing Hershal Vuksich is a player that is crucial to whether Gretna can make a run or not. He's currently shooting an impressive 43% from the 3-point line, so if he can keep knocking his shots down at a steady rate, his team has a chance to do something special. The Dragons go into this weekend on a 5 game win streak, and are looking to keep the momentum going into postseason play.</p> <p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Grand Island</strong></span></p> <p>Grand Island is sitting just outside of the cut-off line to host their own district. If a few things go their way this weekend, they could possibly end up hosting, but for now, they're a 2 seed. When people talk about state contenders this year, the one team that always goes unnoticed is Grand Island. Emerging big man and one of the top uncommitted 2020 prospects, <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/them-koang/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/them-koang/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/them-koang/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/them-koang/">Them Koang</a></a></a></a> has been almost unstoppable in the paint this year and is averaging a double-double. He recently scored a career-high 41 points in January while also grabbing 19 rebounds to add to his remarkable night. 6'8 Isaac Traudt is another huge piece to the Islanders success. Now a sophomore, Traudt has grown about 6 inches from last year, so he plays more of a guard-oriented style. He's able to attack the rim hard, hit pull up jumpers, and knock down triples from just about anywhere on the floor. Grand Island is currently riding a 6 game win streak, so look for them to stay hot as we continue into districts.</p> <p><span style="color: #ff6600;"><strong>Millard South</strong></span></p> <p>Coming off of a heartbreaking loss this past weekend to Westside on Friday night, and a loss at home on senior night on Saturday, the Patriots have an 8-12 record. This team is full of kids that just want to win and may very well be one of the best fundamentally sound teams in the state. Like Papio, this squad is very well-balanced as three different guys average just over 11 points per game. Millard South has one of the more intimidating front courts with the two-headed monster consisting of 6'9 Trevor Albert and 6'6 Jack Cooper. Each of these guys are extremely tough to guard as they not only score in the post, but they are both shooting excellent from beyond the arc this year as well. Majority of the their contributions come from it's starting 5 but if they want a chance, the bench is going to have to step up down the stretch. If the Patriots can execute on both the offensive and defensive end, they definitely have what it takes to get to The Vault. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Other to keep an eye on: Lincoln Southeast, Kearney, Omaha Benson, Omaha North</p>