3A Substate Quarterfinal Preview

<p><em>Class 3A postseason action gets started tonight, with all 64 teams taking the court. We’ll be down to 32 teams in a matter of hours. We take a look at some of the top games, teams who should be on upset alert and pick each of the 32 games.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="text-align: center;">The Top Five Games</h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> [caption id="attachment_1070713" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Terrell-Fowler.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1070713" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Terrell-Fowler-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Fowler[/caption] <p><strong>Wahlert Catholic at Waverly-Shell Rock</strong></p> <p>Wahlert got off to a strong 5-1 start this year, including some solid wins over Senior and Central DeWitt. Eventually, injuries and playing in the MVC caught up to them and they finished with an 8-9 overall record, but the Golden Eagles are dangerous. Senior wing <strong>Nathan Donovan</strong> (13.5) leads the team in scoring, while junior guards <strong>Ben Freed</strong> (10.9) and <strong>Carson Cummer</strong> (9.8) and senior [player_tooltip player_id="964839" first="TJ" last="Fowler"] (9.8) give them solid perimeter shooting threats. Their ability to knock down 3s will be key against a Waverly-Shell Rock team that has one of the state’s best rim protectors in the paint. Like Wahlert, W-SR got off to a hot 7-1 start before stumbling down the stretch. The Go-Hawks are led by senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="796182" first="Caleb" last="Burks"] (12.3, 8.7 rebounds), who blocks 4.4 shots a game and completely changes the way teams can attack Waverly. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="962680" first="Keaton" last="Farmer"] (12.1, 40.2 3P%) is a good perimeter shooter, and [player_tooltip player_id="682272" first="Hogan" last="Hansen"] (10.1, 4.5 assists) has really developed as a playmaker for this group. Wahlert’s strength of schedule is a major edge here, and may be the deciding factor in this one. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Center Point-Urbana at Central DeWitt</strong></p> <p>These former league rivals were both trending in the wrong direction at the end of the regular-season, but have the talent to make some noise in substate. CPU is led by senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="964857" first="Trey" last="Johannes"] (14.4), a versatile player who can score inside and out with efficiency. Senior forward <strong>Keegan Koppedryer</strong> (7.0, 7.1 rebounds) will be key in this one, as they’ll need to rely on him to help control the glass. Central DeWitt moved to the MAC this season and is playing 4A schools regularly as a result. The Sabers are led by 6-6 junior forward <strong>Shawn Gilbert</strong> (14.3), a massive young man with impressive footwork and touch on his jumper. He shot nearly 45% from 3 and is a handful in the paint as well. CPU will have to throw a number of different looks at him. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="964921" first="Henry" last="Bloom"] (13.4) is the other key contributor for DeWitt. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> [caption id="attachment_1066243" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/40-Brayson-Laube.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1066243" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/40-Brayson-Laube-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Laube[/caption] <p><strong>Xavier at Marion</strong></p> <p>These two schools separated by just over eight miles don’t meet very often, but these kids are very familiar with each other and it should make for an entertaining game. Like the Wahlert/Waverly-Shell Rock game, Xavier will have a major edge in strength of schedule here, playing in the MVC. The Saints are led in scoring by sophomore wing <strong>Aidan Yamilkoski</strong> (10.1), the lone player in double-figures, but this is a team that plays a lot of guys and they like to get after teams on the defensive end, using their depth to play tough man-to-man. Marion enters postseason play on fire, winning eight straight games to close out the regular season. The Indians are led by sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="956878" first="Brayson" last="Laube"] (15.8, 45.7 3P%), an elite shooting threat who has thrived this year and emerged as a go-to scorer. Senior point-forward [player_tooltip player_id="964866" first="Gage" last="Franck"] (12.4, 6.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists) can do a little bit of everything and has a ton of experience. The experience edge goes to Marion, and they’re the hotter team, but Xavier has gone through the meat-grinder of the MVC this year, so this one should be fun. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> [caption id="attachment_1073025" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Kieren-Nichols.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1073025" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Kieren-Nichols-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Nichols[/caption] <p><strong>Knoxville at Newton</strong></p> <p>Expect some fireworks in this one, with a pair of teams that can really fill it up. Knoxville is led by senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="796123" first="Kieren" last="Nichols"] (19.4, 4.6 assists), a quick lead guard with a lethal mid-range game and the ability to get to the bucket. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="964804" first="Spencer" last="Hixson"] (15.4, 38.9 3P%) is a long scorer who can score from all three levels, and sophomore forward<strong> Luke Keitges</strong> (13.9, 8.8 rebounds) has been really strong this year. Newton stumbled down the stretch, but the Cardinals played in arguably the toughest 3A league in the state, the Little Hawkeye. The Cardinals are led by junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="682281" first="Adam" last="Mattes"] (14.7), who pairs with sophomores <strong>Jake Ingle</strong> (10.1) and <strong>Brody Bauer</strong> (9.4) to give them some really strong perimeter shooting threats. Knoxville will need to defend the 3-point line hard against the Cardinals. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> [caption id="attachment_1073021" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Jevin-Sullivan.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1073021 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Jevin-Sullivan-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Sullivan[/caption] <p><strong>North Polk at Gilbert</strong></p> <p>These teams met on January 22 and played a one-point game, with Gilbert escaping with a 50-49 win. North Polk star junior [player_tooltip player_id="682289" first="Jevin" last="Sullivan"] (19.1, 7.1 rebounds) had 19 points in that game, but shot just 3-11 from the floor (13-14 from the FT line). The Comets will need to get more efficient production out of Sullivan, a big, physical scoring wing, if they want to advance to the semifinals. Gilbert is led by senior [player_tooltip player_id="796143" first="Tanner" last="Henningsen"] (12.8) and junior <strong>Birk Hanson</strong> (12.7), each who can score from anywhere. They need to take much better care of the ball (16.8 turnovers a game), if they want to try and make a postseason run. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="text-align: center;">Upset Alert</h3> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>ADM:</strong> The Tigers are the higher-seeded team and get their quarterfinal game at home, but Harlan is a tough matchup for them. Mitch Osborn generally gets the most out of his teams at this time of year, and in junior wing <strong>Connor Frame</strong> (15.3), they have the best player on the floor. </p> <p><strong>Waverly-Shell Rock:</strong> Both teams started off strong before stumbling in the second-half of the year. Wahlert’s ability to knock down shots from 3 will be key here, as they don’t want to test Burks on the inside. </p> <p><strong>Marion:</strong> Marion is the better team and will have the best player on the floor, but Xavier is battle-tested, going through the MVC. Look for them to throw a number of different looks at Laube to throw the Indians out of rhythm. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Picking all 32</span><br /> <strong>Substate 1:</strong> Carroll over Sioux Center, Storm Lake over MOC-Floyd Valley, LeMars over Bishop Heelan, Sergeant Bluff-Luton over Denison-Schleswig<br /> <strong>Substate 2:</strong> Clear Lake over Hampton-Dumont-CAL, Spencer over Esterhville-Lincoln Central, Algona over Boone, Humboldt over Webster City<br /> <strong>Substate 3:</strong> Western Dubuque over Benton, Wahlert Catholic over Waverly-Shell Rock, Crestwood over Charles City, Decorah over Independence<br /> <strong>Substate 4:</strong> Solon over South Tama, West Delaware over Maquoketa, Monticello over Vinton-Shellsburg, Central DeWitt over Center Point-Urbana<br /> <strong>Substate 5:</strong> Assumption over Fairfield, Marion over Xavier, Mount Vernon over Fort Madison, Keokuk over Mount Pleasant<br /> <strong>Substate 6:</strong> Pella over Centerville, Newton over Knoxville, Washington over Oskaloosa, Clear Creek-Amana over Grinnell<br /> <strong>Substate 7:</strong> Ballard over Saydel, North Polk over Gilbert, Winterset over Carlisle, Bondurant-Farrar over Nevada<br /> <strong>Substate 8:</strong> Dallas Center-Grimes over Perry, Harlan over ADM, Glenwood over Clarke, Atlantic over Creston</p>