STATE TOURNAMENT: Five takeaways from Thursday’s action

Bowen Born Bowen Born 5'11" | PG Norwalk | 2020 State #401 Nation IA gets his, but Norwalk’s role players stepped up

A lot of the talk about Norwalk has been because of the play of Northern Iowa recruit Bowen Born Bowen Born 5'11" | PG Norwalk | 2020 State #401 Nation IA . The 5-foot-11 guard is putting up 37 points per contest, and Born finished with 34 in the win over Ballard, but it was other players who also stepped up and carried some of the scoring for the Warriors. Senior Tyler Johnson may be one of the most underrated players in the state. Johnson, a Nebraska Wesleyan recruit, had 19 points and 9 rebounds on Thursday, and shot 6-of-12 from the field. For a team that lacks height, Johnson plays a lot bigger than his size. He’s a strong finisher around the rim, and is a sneaky good athlete. Senior guard Scott Anderson also had 14 points in the win for the Warriors. It took a while for Born to get going against Ballard, but once the dust settled, Born looked like his usual self, and his teammates followed his lead. Born is obviously the focal point of this team, but when he’s guarded closely or even double-teamed, Johnson and Anderson are more than capable of stepping up and putting points on the board. 

New standard set at CCA 

Not many expected Clear Creek Amana to make it to Des Moines. Almost no one expected the Clippers to defeat Mount Vernon in the quarterfinal round of the state tournament. They did and they were only a few baskets away from an appearance in the 3A title game but ended up losing to Sergeant. Brandon Clubb’s team proved a lot of people wrong this season, and they have a lot to be proud of. Clear Creek Amana has talent, but none of the Clippers are putting up big time numbers nor are on college radars. This team worked well together, and never quit. I’m looking forward to see how Clubb runs this program and if they’ll get back to Des Moines in the near future. This group definitely set a high standard, but with Clubb at the helm, they should compete for a state bid every year. 

How will SBL try to contain Born?

Bowen Born Bowen Born 5'11" | PG Norwalk | 2020 State #401 Nation IA is the toughest player in the state to contain. If he’s not scoring the ball, then he’s getting into the lane and getting open looks for others. Sergeant Bluff-Luton has a lot of size downlow with Daniel Wright Daniel Wright 6'8" | PF Sergeant Bluff-Luton | 2020 State IA , Makok Majour, and Jake Layman Jake Layman 6'7" | SF Sergeant-Bluff Luton | 2021 State IA all standing above 6-foot-6. That may limit some of Born’s opportunities in the paint, but who will be able to guard him out on the perimeter? Will it go zone to try and limit penetration? Will be interesting to see. Norwalk went up against Oskaloosa last year in the state championship. The Indians boasted a frontcourt of Xavier Foster Xavier Foster 7'0" | C Oskaloosa | 2020 State #71 Nation IA and Cole Henry. Born was great in the game, but the Warriors were certainly bothered by the length. The SBL frontcourt may not be as talented as Osky’s was a year ago, but length can be troubling no matter who it is. 

Waukee played like the best team in the state 

The Warriors have been my pick to win 4A since the beginning and they’ve continued to prove me right through the first two games, especially in Thursday's win over Ankeny Centennial. The duo of Tucker DeVries Tucker DeVries 6'7" | SF Waukee | 2021 State #123 Nation IA and Payton Sandfort Payton Sandfort 6'7" | SF Waukee | 2021 State #138 Nation IA combined for 37 points on the night, and were their usual self. Waukee also got big-time contributions from Waytt Heston, who hit three 3-pointers in the third quarter, and Lincoln Swanson as they both tallied 11 points in the win. The player of the game, in my mind, was freshman Pryce Sandfort. The 6-foot-4 Sandfort finished with 9 points, and hit four clutch free throws in the final minute to ice the game. Waukee doesn’t have many scorers coming off the bench, but with how well the starters play together, they can beat anyone. 

Can Ankeny’s run continue?

The Hawks have pulled off two straight stunners over Iowa City West and Cedar Falls. Not many expected this group to get past the first round, but they’ve been playing great basketball in Des Moines and will meet Waukee in the title. On Wednesday, Braxton Bayless Braxton Bayless 6'1" | PG Ankeny | 2020 State IA ’ 41-points were the reason the Hawks were able to run past West. On Thursday, Ankeny was red hot from the 3-point line as it connected on 12-of-22 shots from beyond the arc. Jordan Kumm Jordan Kumm 5'10" | PG Ankeny | 2020 State IA drained six 3’s while Jaxon Smith added in four. Ankeny also hit clutch free throws down the stretch to secure the victory. With all the attention on Bayless driving to the rim, that opens things up for shooters like Kumm and Smith. Bayless is a lot to handle at the point guard position. This CIML matchup is sure to be a fun one.