[player_tooltip player_id="962616" first="Ty" last="Van Essen"] 3A #8 Spencer (10-2) at 2A #3 Western Christian (12-1) Western Christian won the first meeting between these teams, 64-60, in Spencer on December 16th, and a season sweep would put the Wolfpack in an…
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3A #8 Spencer (10-2) at 2A #3 Western Christian (12-1)
Western Christian won the first meeting between these teams, 64-60, in Spencer on December 16th, and a season sweep would put the Wolfpack in an excellent position in the Lakes Conference race. Since an early-season setback against Estherville Lincoln Central, the Pack have won 10 straight games by an average of 24 points a game. The defending 2A champions have a trio of double-figure scorers, headlined by their senior tandem of
Ty Van Essen
Ty
Van Essen
6'4" | PF
Western Christian | 2022
State
IA
(17.5) and
Wyatt Gulker
Wyatt
Gulker
6'3" | SG
Western Christian | 2022
State
IA
(15.5). Van Essen is a dominant three-level scorer who can take bigger defenders out to the perimeter and knock down shots or blow by them, and he absolutely destroys smaller defenders on the block. Gulker is shooting 50% from the arc and has really improved his ability to get to the rim. As always, this group moves the ball well and plays incredibly efficient offense (53-39-73 shooting splits, 19.7 assists a game).
The Tigers have won six straight games since their loss to Western Christian, and they’ve played really strong defensively during that stretch, allowing just 48 points a game. Senior wing
Karter Petzenhauser
Karter
Petzenhauser
6'4" | SG
Spencer | 2022
State
IA
(19.3) leads a trio of double-figure scorers. He has always been one of the best scorers in the state, and he has really improved his efficiency over the years. He’s one of four regulars shooting above 40% from the arc this season for the Tigers. Owen Olson (11.9, 46.7 3P%),
Evan Schmidt
Evan
Schmidt
6'5"
Spencer | 2022
IA
(10.7, 42.1 3P%), and Devin Dirkx (9.3, 44.1 3P%) join Petzenhauser to give Spencer a dangerous offensive unit.
2A #8 Camanche (12-1) at 2A #9 Mid-Prairie (13-0)
This game will get overshadowed a bit by the huge Waukee Northwest at Ames game, but this is a massive game in 2A, a cross-divisional River Valley Conference matchup between a pair of fantastic defensive teams. Camanche allows just 41.7 points a game, and Mid-Prairie gives up 43.9 a night. The Storm’s lone loss came to another undefeated team, Monticello, by three points a week ago. Despite losing star wing
Zach Erwin
Zach
Erwin
6'4" | SF
Camanche | 2022
State
IA
before the start of the season, coach Josh Davis has the Storm playing at a really high level on both ends of the floor. They’re led by senior wing
Adam Dunlap
Adam
Dunlap
6'2" | SF
Camanche | 2022
State
IA
(16.3), a fantastic athlete who is a terror in transition, and who has really improved as a scorer in the halfcourt. Junior big man
Zane Witt
Zane
Witt
6'8" | PF
Camanche | 2023
State
IA
(14.2, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 blocks) has been excellent in the paint on both ends, allowing the perimeter defenders to play a bit more aggressively because of his ability to protect the rim.
Mike Delzell
Mike
Delzell
6'0" | SF
Camanche | 2022
State
IA
(9.4) is a do-it-all wing, and
Tucker Dickherber
Tucker
Dickherber
5'10" | PG
Camanche | 2022
State
IA
(8.8, 4.9 assists) has taken excellent care of the ball.
The Golden Hawks are led by a trio of double-figure scorers in
Carter Harmsen
Carter
Harmsen
6'5" | SF
Mid-Prairie | 2022
State
IA
(20.9, 7.8 rebounds),
Ethan Kos
Ethan
Kos
6'4" | PF
Mid-Prairie | 2022
State
IA
(10.7), and
Alex Bean
Alex
Bean
6'1" | PG
Mid-Prairie | 2023
State
IA
(10.3). Harmsen is a talented three-level scorer and facilitator who will need to have a big game against the Storm’s staunch defense, and Kos will need to be a major factor in the paint on both ends of the floor against the talented Witt. These two well-coached, defensive-minded teams should play a really tight game tonight, and the edge could go to Camanche, who shoots it better from the charity stripe.
Martensdale-St. Marys (12-0) at Mount Ayr (12-1)
This is probably the game that will decide the Pride of Iowa race, as both teams come in with an 8-0 league record. Despite losing a ton of production to graduation, Martensdale-St. Marys has picked up right where they left off, rolling to 12 straight wins to open the year and winning by an average of 25.8 points a game. They’re led by a trio of double-figure scorers in seniors Hogan Franey Hogan Franey 6'0" | CG Martensdale-St. Mary's | 2022 State IA (22.2, 7.5 assists), Gavin Stott Gavin Stott 5'10" | SG Martensdale-St. Marys | 2022 State IA (16.7), and Chase Boelling (10.4). Franey was a key contributor for the last several years, but Stott and Boelling have stepped into much larger roles than they were accustomed to this season and thrived. The Blue Devils have won three straight in this series.
Mount Ayr dropped their season-opener against Clarke but has won 12 straight games since then. They haven’t allowed any team to score more than 54 points in those wins, but they’ll have their hands full against a potent Blue Devils offense. Junior guard Jaixen Frost Jaixen Frost 6'2" | PG Mount Ayr | 2023 State IA (24.1, 8.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists) is a force to be reckoned with on both ends of the floor, and it will be interesting to see if he can be more productive this season than he has the last few times they’ve met up with the Devils. Braydon Pierson (13.8, 7.4 rebounds) gives them an additional scoring option, but this team will go as Frost goes.
4A #2 Waukee Northwest (11-1) at 4A #1 Ames (7-1)
The game of the year takes place on Friday night in Ames when the top-two teams in 4A meet. Northwest has won 11 straight games following a season-opening loss to Valley, using a high-powered offensive attack that is putting up 73.1 points a game and shooting over 40% from behind the arc. They’ll run into arguably the best defensive team in the state in Ames, who is holding teams to 42.9 points a night, so this should be a very interesting contrast in styles on display. The Wolves are led by junior wing
Pryce Sandfort
Pryce
Sandfort
6'7" | SF
Waukee Northwest | 2023
State
#123
Nation
IA
(28.5, 11.2 rebounds, 3.0 blocks), who has been other-worldly this season. The 6-7 sharpshooter is posting 53-45-89 shooting splits and has been absolutely dominant on both ends of the floor. Junior guard
Cade Kelderman
Cade
Kelderman
6'0" | PG
Waukee Northwest | 2023
State
IA
(17.8, 5.7 assists) has emerged as a fantastic secondary option and lead ball-handler, and they’ve gotten outstanding production from junior wing
Henry Manning
Henry
Manning
6'1" | SG
Waukee | 2023
State
IA
(12.0, 38.8 3P%) and sophomore forward
Grant Tigges
Grant
Tigges
6'4" | SG
Waukee Northwest | 2024
IA
(8.4, 51.9 3P%). This is a high-octane offense led by the state’s best player.
The Little Cyclones entered the season as our top-ranked team in 4A, and they’ve been dominant against in-state competition. Their lone loss came to Christian Brothers College (MO), one of the top teams in Missouri, and they’ve beaten their seven Iowa foes by an average of 19.9 points a game. Always one of the top defensive teams in the state, this year has been no exception, as they’ve used their quickness and length to suffocate opposing teams. Future Iowa State point guard
Tamin Lipsey
Tamin
Lipsey
6'1" | PG
Ames | 2022
State
#163
Nation
IA
(16.3, 6.5 assists) leads an efficient offensive attack and is arguably the best on-ball defender in the state. Senior forwards
Trevion Labeaux
Trevion
Labeaux
6'3" | SF
Ames | 2022
State
IA
(11.6) and
Corey Phillips
Corey
Phillips
6'5" | PF
Ames | 2022
State
IA
(10.4) are undersized for traditional bigs, but are both excellent athletes and strong players who will be looking to throw their weight around against an undersized frontline from Northwest. It will be interesting to see how the Little Cyclones try to defend Sandfort, and they’ll likely throw a number of different looks and defenders at him. Elite offense against an elite defense, two of the top three players in the state, and the two best teams in the state going at it. What more could you ask for?
Denver (12-3) at 2A #2 Aplington-Parkersburg (11-1)
Expect a ton of points in this one, as these two teams combine to average 156.8 points a game. Aplington-Parkersburg leads 2A, putting up 86.6 points a night, and their numbers have taken off in the last six games, averaging 92.3 points a game with 56-43-78 shooting splits as a team. (Their three-point shooting in the last three games has been remarkable, going 45-94 from the arc, 47.9%). Simply put, this is an offensive juggernaut that is playing at an incredibly high level right now. They’re headlined by senior guard
Jayden Mackie
Jayden
Mackie
6'2" | PG
Aplington-Parkersburg | 2022
State
IA
(22.1), an Upper Iowa commit who can fill it up from all three levels, but he’s far from alone, as the Falcons have a quartet of double-figure scorers –
Garrett Hempen
Garrett
Hempen
6'1" | PG
Aplington-Parkersburg | 2023
State
IA
(16.4),
Gavin Thomas
Gavin
Thomas
6'0" | SG
Aplington-Parkersburg | 2024
State
IA
(14.3), and
Christian Haugstad
Christian
Haugstad
6'7" | C
Aplington-Parkersburg | 2022
State
IA
(13.1). This is a team that shares the ball incredibly well and has a number of options that can destroy teams on a given night.
Denver has been led by the dynamic senior tandem of Caylor Hoffer Caylor Hoffer 5'11" | SG Denver | 2022 State IA (25.3) and Mitchell DeVries Mitchell DeVries 6'1" | SF Denver | 2022 State IA (14.4), who have paced an offense that is averaging over 70 points a game. They have been asked to step into primary scoring roles following the graduations of four seniors off of last year’s team, and they have delivered in a major way. Both are good shooters and capable three-level scorers, and sophomore guard Eli Ricketts (7.8, 47.1 3P%) has emerged as a strong 3-point shooting threat.
Osage (11-2) at 1A #7 Lake Mills (13-0)
This is a big cross-divisional game in the Top of Iowa Conference, as Osage sits at the top of the East Division, and Lake Mills headlines the West. The Green Devils have a balanced attack, with three players averaging between 12.5 and 14.5 points a game – Nathan Havel Nathan Havel 6'2" | PF Osage | 2022 State IA (14.5), Tyler Oberfoell Tyler Oberfoell 5'9" | PG Osage | 2022 State IA (13.2), and Max Knudsen (12.5). They’re always a strong defensive team, and this year has been no exception, allowing 45.0 points a game.
The Bulldogs have become one of the best programs in 1A basketball over the last handful of years, and despite a number of key losses off of last year’s team, they’ve been just as dominant as previous iterations, starting off 13-0 and winning games by an average of 36.1 points a game. This may be the best defensive team Lake Mills has had, as they are long, physical, and athletic. Senior forward
Wyatt Helming
Wyatt
Helming
6'6" | SF
Lake Mills | 2022
State
IA
(18.3, 9.3 rebounds, 3.5 blocks) is the headliner on both ends of the floor, a long, switchable defender who can score from all three levels. He’s a major matchup problem at the 1A level, and he should have another big night.
Bennett Berger
Bennett
Berger
6'2" | PG
Lake Mills | 2022
State
IA
(11.8, 6.5 assists) has emerged as one of the top ball-handlers and decision-makers in the class, posting a 6.5-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, and Denton Kingland (11.2, 42.4 3P%) has provided some additional scoring punch and shooting on the perimeter. The ’Dogs are deep and talented.
Indianola (7-3) at 3A #1 Pella (10-3)
Pella has won three straight meetings between these teams, with those three wins coming by a combined eight points (63-60, 65-63, 64-61). This is a big game in the Little Hawkeye Conference, as Pella comes in with a 6-1 record, and Indianola enters at 5-2 in league play (Dallas Center-Grimes sits between them at 5-1). An Indianola loss would make it really tough for the Indians to climb back into contention, while an Indianola win would make things very interesting in the LHC. After getting off to a 2-3 start, Indianola has things clicking now, building up some momentum against some lower-level competition. They’ve won five straight by an average of 25.2 points a game. Junior wing
Drew Kingery
Drew
Kingery
6'4" | SF
Indianola | 2023
State
IA
(15.5) is the headliner here, a future Division I wing who can fill it up from all three levels and has really improved as a playmaker. The backcourt of
Brayden Drea
Brayden
Drea
5'10" | PG
Indianola | 2023
State
IA
(13.4, 3.0 assists) and
Cooper Nailor
Cooper
Nailor
5'11" | PG
Indianola | 2022
State
IA
(7.5, 4.5 assists) does a solid job protecting the ball and getting others involved, and junior forward
Charlie Willmott
Charlie
Willmott
6'4" | PF
Indianola | 2023
State
IA
(11.1) has enjoyed a breakout season in the paint. This is a deep and explosive offensive team.
Pella had won eight straight, climbing back up to the #1 spot in 3A, before a surprising upset loss to Des Moines Christian on Tuesday night. The Dutch had a poor shooting night (5-25 from 3) and couldn’t overcome it against the Lions, so they’ll be looking to get back on track here. Seniors
Noah Allen
Noah
Allen
5'10" | PG
Pella | 2022
State
IA
(16.2, 43.2 3P%) and
Karl Miller
Karl
Miller
6'4" | SF
Pella | 2022
State
IA
(14.8, 37.8 3P%) are the headliners for the Dutch, a pair of experienced and dangerous offensive weapons.
Parker Elder
Parker
Elder
6'4" | SF
Pella | 2022
State
IA
(8.5, 3.9 assists) has really come into his own as a playmaker on the wing, and they’re slowly starting to get Knoxville transfer
Luke Keitges
Luke
Keitges
6'4" | SF
Knoxville | 2023
State
IA
(3.8) more involved. As he gets acclimated into the rotation, he’ll add another dangerous three-level scorer with some size.
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