Playoff Preview: 1A-5

<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/1A-9.png"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-1126632" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/1A-9-1024x794.png" alt="" width="849" height="658" /></a> [caption id="attachment_1019895" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Austin-Hilmer-State.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1019895" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/07/Austin-Hilmer-State-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Hilmer[/caption] The favorite: There won’t be a bigger favorite in any district or substate than North Linn is in this district. The Lynx are the top-ranked team in 1A, cruising to a 19-0 record as of time of writing, with an average margin of victory of 46 points a game. Paced by junior lead guard [player_tooltip player_id="682273" first="Austin" last="Hilmer"] (19.5, 8.5 assists, 4.2 steals), the Lynx have 1A’s highest-scoring offense at 81.6 points a game. Sophomore wing Tate Haughenbury (16.0), junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="962641" first="Dylan" last="Kurt"] (15.1), and junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="962658" first="Cade" last="Haughenbury"] (10.2) give the Lynx a quartet of double-figure scorers, and Ben Wheatley (9.8) is another capable scoring threat. This group, in large part because of Hilmer, does a great job sharing the basketball, dishing 20.5 assists a game, and they thrive on creating chaos on the defensive end of the floor. If you can’t protect the ball, you have no chance at beating this group because they turn defense into offense in the blink of an eye. The biggest threat: The most likely opponent for North Linn in the district final is Tri-Rivers rival Alburnett. The Pirates have had an up-and-down year, but they’ll get their first two games at home, and this is a group that really pounds the offensive glass, which will gain them valuable extra possessions. As a team, they pull down 12.5 offensive rebounds a game. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="796131" first="Hunter" last="Caves"] (15.9, 6.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.0 steals) is a big, physical guard who can control the game on both ends of the floor, while the senior forward duo of [player_tooltip player_id="964854" first="Shane" last="Neighbor"] (13.5, 5.1 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id="964853" first="Reed" last="Stallman"] (11.2, 7.1 rebounds) help control the glass. The dark horse: Hillcrest Academy is probably the third-best team in this district, but the Ravens have the unfortunate draw of getting North Linn in the semifinals, so the "dark horse" in this district is English Valleys. The Bears are enjoying one of the best seasons in school history, and are led by junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="962678" first="Kaden" last="Hall"] (19.6, 12.8 rebounds, 2.6 blocks), who is talented enough to carry this team to the district final. He’s a versatile forward who can dominate the game on both ends of the floor. Players to watch 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="682273" first="Austin" last="Hilmer"], North Linn 2023 Tate Haughenbury, North Linn 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962641" first="Dylan" last="Kurt"], North Linn 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962658" first="Cade" last="Haughenbury"], North Linn 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="796131" first="Hunter" last="Caves"], Alburnett 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="964854" first="Shane" last="Neighbor"], Alburnett 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="964853" first="Reed" last="Stallman"], Alburnett 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962678" first="Kaden" last="Hall"], English Valleys 2022 Ben DeMeuleanere, Belle Plaine 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="964859" first="Eli" last="Ours"], Hillcrest Academy   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/1A-10.png"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-1126633" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/1A-10-1024x789.png" alt="" width="849" height="654" /></a> The favorite: The competition that Grundy Center plays in the North Iowa Cedar League is much more difficult than what Meskwaki Settlement sees in the Iowa Star, which is part of the reason that the Spartans are the district’s top seed. A strong defensive team, they’re allowing just 49.6 points a game, and the only 1A team that they’ve played this year is Gladbrook-Reinbeck. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="962675" first="Brayden" last="Sawyer"] (14.1, 45.3 3P%) is a dynamic shooter who can get red hot and carry this group, while senior forwards Wes Willis (11.3, 6.1 rebounds) and Nick Ascher (7.1, 6.4 rebounds) control the glass. If there is something that could hold this team back, however, it’s the free-throw line, as they’re shooting just 53.3% from the charity stripe as a team. That will hurt in tight postseason games. The biggest threat: Meskwaki Settlement will get their first two postseason games at home, and they’ve swept likely semifinal opponent, Baxter. The Warriors are led by senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="796181" first="Taurice" last="Grant"] (15.4, 6.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2.9 steals), a versatile threat who can impact the game on both ends of the floor. Junior wing Osceola Tyon (17.7) leads the team in scoring, but this team goes as Grant goes. They like to apply constant pressure on teams, and if they can force some turnovers, they are certainly capable of winning this district. The dark horse: Baxter was swept by Meskwaki Settlement, but those losses were competitive, coming by 8 and 4 points. The Bolts are led by sophomore forward Cody Damman (14.3), who can do a little bit of everything, and they crash the offensive glass pretty hard. Players to watch 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962675" first="Brayden" last="Sawyer"], Grundy Center 2021 Wes Willis, Grundy Center 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="796181" first="Taurice" last="Grant"], Meskwaki Settlement 2022 Osceola Tyon, Meskwaki Settlement 2023 Cody Damman, Baxter     <h3 style="text-align: center;">SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION</h3> North Linn vs. Grundy Center Grundy Center won’t be intimidated by the Lynx here, but they may struggle to execute against the constant pressure that North Linn puts on teams on both ends of the floor. North Linn punches their ticket to State fairly easily here, and move on to Des Moines, where they’ll be the favorite to take home their second state title in the last three years (won 2A in 2019).