Sleeper Teams: Class 4A

<p>The regular season is coming to an end, and it's almost the best time of year if you're a basketball fan: March. </p> <p>Though we're not done with the regular season, I think it's an appropriate time to take a look at a couple of sleepers in every class. </p> <p>This article will focus on three for Class 4A. The brackets haven't been published yet for Class 3A and 4A, but these teams will be tough outs no matter what their draw is. </p> <p>Let's rock. </p> <p><b>WDM Valley </b></p> <p>I know Valley is in the top-10, but no one really seems to be talking about them. I saw this group beat Waukee on the road last month, and I was impressed at how well they play together. </p> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ty-walker/">Ty Walker</a> is one of the best point guards in the state. The junior, who transferred from Roosevelt, is a do it all point guard that is to contain, especially once he gets in the lane. He uses his body well, and can also hit the outside jumper. When he's playing at his best, Valley is a tough team to beat. He also makes the right play for his teammates. He has a great feel for the game. Guards are so important in March, and Walker will be the key for this unit. </p> <p>The other reason I like Valley is because of senior combo guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jake-auer/">Jake Auer</a>. The 6-foot Auer has a knack for having the ball in his hands in key situations. He's more of a scorer than Walker, but he creates a lot for himself and others. Auer can hit the big shot and is tough to contain coming off screens and moving off the ball. Even when teams are tailing him, he finds ways to impact the offense in a positive way. He and Walker provide a deadly 1-2 punch. </p> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/drew-jirak/">Drew Jirak</a> is another role player that I like for Valley. Jirak isn't a huge scorer, but he provides what the team needs which is extra effort on the defensive end, rebounding, and playmaking ability. </p> <p>Maybe the most important thing for Valley in the postseason is keeping sophomore big man Eli Raridon out of foul trouble. Raridon, a standout tight end, is an athletic specimen who is a tough cover in the post. He's got nice touch around the rim, and can step out and hit the mid-range jumper. </p> <p><strong>Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln</strong></p> <p>Many thought that Lincoln was done before the season when Jadin Johnson transferred to Millard North in Nebraska, but that hasn't been the case. </p> <p>Lincoln is 17-1 on the season, with its lone loss coming against Bellevue West out of Nebraska, which features Wisconsin four-star point guard commit Chucky Hepburn and a number of other future collegiate players. </p> <p>The main player for Lincoln is sophomore guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/josh-dix/">Josh Dix</a>, who is averaging 17.7 points per game and shooting 53 percent from the field and 41 percent from 3-point land. Dix has an offer from South Dakota State, and interest from a couple of other D1 programs. </p> <p>Lincoln may be the best team in western Iowa, but it doesn't seem like it is getitng a lot of respect from the middle and eastern parts of the state. </p> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/matt-evans/">Matt Evans</a> (8.2) and Kaden Baxter (6.8) are also capable scorers for the Lynx. The Lynx have improved on offense this season, but one thing that stands out about this team is the effort on the defensive end. </p> <p>Lincoln has only allowed an opponent to score more than 60 points once this season, and is holding teams to an average of 43.4 points per game. </p> <p><strong>Johnston </strong></p> <p>I had a tough time with this third one. </p> <p>I'm picking Johnston for a couple of reasons. </p> <p>The first one is it played one of the tougher schedules in the state. Only three (Ankeny, Urbandale, Davenport Central) of Johnston's seven losses this season have come against teams outside the top-10 in the current Class 4A rankings. Even then, those are three tough teams. </p> <p><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/reid-grant/">Reid Grant</a> is one of my favorite under the radar players in the state. The junior guard is a tough, blue-collar player who does a little bit of everything well. The sophomore guard duo of <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jacob-runyan/">Jacob Runyan</a> and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/trey-lewis/">Trey Lewis</a> are fun to watch when they're clicking together. </p> <p>Junior big man <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/max-roquet/">Max Roquet</a> will have to be at the top of his game downlow to contend with some of the other big men in Class 4A. Karter Kriegel can also hit the outside shot, and hit a couple in a row to help propel this team. </p> <p>If Johnston gets a favorable draw, look out. </p>