Playoff Preview: 4A-2
The favorite: No Noah Carter, no problem. Dubuque Senior has put together its fair share of strong wins this season. The Rams were winners of 10 straight at one point in the season before losing games to Waterloo West and…
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Continue ReadingThe favorite: No Noah Carter, no problem. Dubuque Senior has put together its fair share of strong wins this season. The Rams were winners of 10 straight at one point in the season before losing games to Waterloo West and Cedar Falls by less than five points. The one thing that this Senior team does well is score the ball. Junior guard Kendrick Watkins-Hogue is the leading scorer at 11.9 points per game, but balance is what makes this group so good on the offensive end. Daquon Lewis, Jim Bonifas, Tyler Schuster, Cain McWilliams, Cooper Meddinger, and Brock Meddinger are all averaging between 10.9 and 7.0 points per contest. Bonifas, an Iowa State football recruit, is a tough matchup inside and has the capability to put up a double-double every night. Medinger runs the offense from the point and stirs the drink for Senior. As a team, Senior is shooting 49 percent from the field, which is top-10 in Class 4A. This defense is also capable of helping this team if the offense isn’t holding up its end of the bargain.
Biggest Threat: Cedar Rapids Prairie doesn’t have the 1-2 punch of Kris and Keegan Murray this season, but there’s talent on the roster that can help this team stay alive. The leading scorers for Prairie are the 1-2 punch of two sophomores. Guard Elijah Ward and forward Gabe Burkle are averaging 10.9 and 10.8 points per game, respectively. Senior Jonathan Mullins is putting up 8.8 points per contest while another sophomore in Jake Walter is scoring 7.6 points per game. This team doesn’t rely on the 3 to win, but making sure it maximizes its possessions and takes good shots. They’re shooting 48.1 percent from the field as a team. This is a young team, but if they stick around in games, they’re a tough out. I expect Prairie and Senior to face off in the title game.
Darkhorse: Davenport North is another young team that has a lot of upside. Junior wings Jayden Houston and Quincy Wiseman can put up points in multiple ways. Guards Alec Brown and Mekhi Jacobs are also solid factors in the backcourt. North played North Scott tough earlier in the week, and that’s something to note as the Lancers are one of the top teams in 4A. North has made solid progression as the season has progressed, and could be a difficult out for any opponent despite their youth.
Players to Watch
2021 Kendrick Watkins-Gouge, Senior
2020 Daquon Lewis, Senior
2021 Jim Bonifas, Senior
2020 Cooper Meddinger, Senior P
2020 Keshawn Christian, Iowa City High
2020 Lucas Hayes, Bettendorf
2022 Elijah Ward, Prairie
2022 Gabe Burkle, Prairie
2021 Jayden Houston, Davenport North
2021 Quincy Wiseman, Davenport North
2021 Noah Yahn, Muscatine
2021 Josh Dieckman, Muscatine