Friday's Top Games - Prep Hoops

[caption id="attachment_1290542" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/134-Cade-Courbat.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1290542 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/134-Cade-Courbat-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1171693" first="Cade" last="Courbat"][/caption] 4A #10 Prairie (10-2) at 4A #6 Cedar Falls (8-2) Since their 64-56 loss to Prairie on January 4, Cedar Falls has been rolling, winning five straight games by an average of 21.6 points a game. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="682265" first="Trey" last="Campbell"] (25.8, 61.3 FG%) has been exceptional this season, using his unique blend of length, athleticism, quickness, and talent to dominate games on both ends of the floor. The future Northern Iowa guard is posting eye-popping efficiency numbers, but it has been the play of the role players around Campbell that has helped lead to the resurgence for the Tigers. This is a group that lacked experience coming into the year, but the new faces are stepping up and playing well now. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="956870" first="Dallas" last="Bear"] (13.9, 6.7 rebounds) seems to have come out of an early-season shooting slump, and [player_tooltip player_id="1171693" first="Cade" last="Courbat"] (7.5, 6.3 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id="1235025" first="Aaron" last="Brost"] (5.8) have provided solid production on both ends of the floor. Prairie shot a blistering 54.8% from the floor and 55.6% from 3-point range in the win over Cedar Falls earlier this month, while also outrebounding the Tigers 30-17. The Hawks do a good job on the glass on a nightly basis, so that’s no surprise, but the 3-point shooting in that game may have been a bit of an aberration for a team that shoots 33.7% from the arc as a group. They’re led by a trio of double-figure scorers in [player_tooltip player_id="682264" first="Gabe" last="Burkle"] (14.8), [player_tooltip player_id="962635" first="Jake" last="Walter"] (13.5), and [player_tooltip player_id="784979" first="Elijah" last="Ward"] (10.9), an experienced senior core that won’t back down from anyone on either end of the floor. The Hawks will need to shoot it well again and lean on their advantage on the glass if they want to complete the season sweep against a red-hot Tigers squad.   [caption id="attachment_1147291" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Manny-Hammonds-crop-2786x1829-1615315783-crop-507x333-1615315795.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1147291 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Manny-Hammonds-crop-2786x1829-1615315783-crop-507x333-1615315795-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="962674" first="Manny" last="Hammonds"][/caption] 1A #1 Grand View Christian (18-0) at North Polk (10-4) The top-ranked team in 1A has trucked their competition this year, winning their first 18 games by an average of 41.4 points a game. They’ve posted quality wins over 4A teams like Des Moines North and Des Moines East, and good 2A teams like Treynor and Roland-Story. They’ll have another tough test against a really good 3A North Polk team that has a number of quality wins of their own. [player_tooltip player_id="962674" first="Manny" last="Hammonds"] (26.0) paces a high-powered offense that loves to play up-tempo and use their athleticism edge to their advantage. The Thunder love to press and create turnovers, and they’ve got a number of talented scorers. [player_tooltip player_id="1141465" first="Josh" last="Baucum"] (19.4) is the other big-time scorer on the perimeter, but there are four others averaging between 7.7 and 9.5 points a game. The anchor of this team is [player_tooltip player_id="956875" first="Daniel" last="Tobiloba"] (8.1, 14.4 rebounds, 4.7 blocks), a 7-0 junior who erases everything at the back end of their defense. North Polk has solid wins over some good 3A teams like Winterset, Ballard, and Bondurant-Farrar. The Comets are led by senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="682289" first="Jevin" last="Sullivan"] (17.2, 8.5 rebounds), a dynamic three-level scorer with the length and size to create some issues for the Thunder on the perimeter. Sullivan is a big, physical wing who can get to the rim, and they’ve gotten solid production out of players like Jackson Nemmers (8.5), Marcus Haupert (8.2), and Austin Parkins (6.0) this season. A good defensive team, allowing 48.2 points a game, they’ll have their hands full with the high-powered, up-tempo Thunder.   [caption id="attachment_1148899" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Steven-Kramer-1-crop-2791x1833-1615513419.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1148899 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Steven-Kramer-1-crop-2791x1833-1615513419-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="784982" first="Steven" last="Kramer"][/caption] 4A #7 Johnston (11-2) at Valley (11-3) Johnston won the first meeting between these teams, 62-59, on January 7, one of the first games that Valley was playing without star forward [player_tooltip player_id="962490" first="Eli" last="Raridon"]. Despite losing that major interior presence, the Tigers still pulled down 13 offensive rebounds and nearly pulled off the upset. Johnston will need to focus on limiting second-chance points in this rematch. Valley is led by senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="1158260" first="Ruot" last="Bijiek"] (14.3), a springy and long forward who can score inside and out as well as protect the rim on the defensive end. Freshman guard Curtis Stinson (9.5) has been really strong on both ends of the floor, and the Tigers have gotten increased production out of senior guards [player_tooltip player_id="784973" first="Mason" last="Morrow"] (7.1) and [player_tooltip player_id="1234966" first="Cade" last="Grevengoed"] (7.0) since Raridon went down. The Tigers are deep and talented despite the loss of Raridon, and BJ Windhorst is always going to have them competing on the defensive end. Johnston is led by senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="682278" first="Trey" last="Lewis"] (23.2, 7.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists), who is playing as well as anyone not named [player_tooltip player_id="956868" first="Pryce" last="Sandfort"]. Lewis, a 5-10/5-11 guard, has really developed his all-around game this season, showing his ability to break down the defense and get to the rim for finishes to pair with his limitless range. [player_tooltip player_id="784982" first="Steven" last="Kramer"] (16.2), a South Dakota signee, gives them athleticism and talent on the perimeter, and they’ve gotten strong production out of role players like [player_tooltip player_id="1234969" first="Masen" last="Ryan"] (9.7), [player_tooltip player_id="1240090" first="Nathan" last="Ruisch"] (8.7), and [player_tooltip player_id="1171674" first="Jacob" last="Simpson"] (5.1, 5.5 rebounds). The Dragons are shooting 42.9% from behind the arc as a team and have a high-powered attack that can explode at any time.   [caption id="attachment_1356612" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Pryce-Sandfort-crop-591x388-1640894408.png"><img class="wp-image-1356612 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Pryce-Sandfort-crop-591x388-1640894408-300x197.png" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="956868" first="Pryce" last="Sandfort"] Photo: Sean Bock <a href="https://247sports.com/player/pryce-sandfort-46097292/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">247Sports</a>[/caption] 4A #4 Ankeny (10-2) at 4A #2 Waukee Northwest (12-2) Northwest won the first meeting between these teams back on December 17, 57-50, behind 30 points and 13 rebounds from star wing [player_tooltip player_id="956868" first="Pryce" last="Sandfort"] (28.9, 11.3 rebounds). The Wolves held the Hawks to just 1-17 shooting from behind the arc in that win but gave up 19 offensive rebounds, an area that they will need to focus on in this rematch. Nobody in the state is playing at a higher level than Sandfort, who is averaging nearly 31 points a game in his last 10 games and shooting well over 50% from behind the arc. With his size, length, and skillset, he’s a really difficult matchup for the Hawks here. [player_tooltip player_id="956887" first="Cade" last="Kelderman"] (17.4, 5.4 assists) and [player_tooltip player_id="1240092" first="Henry" last="Manning"] (11.2) are the other double-figure scorers for the Wolves, who have been really impressive on the defensive end as well. Ankeny comes into this one hot, winning seven straight games since that loss to Northwest. Their two losses this year have come against the Wolves and #1 Ames. The Hawks have a really balanced team, with five players averaging between 8.8 and 11.7 points a game, led by senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="962614" first="Ryan" last="Crandall"] (11.7). [player_tooltip player_id="1171676" first="Lio" last="Aguirre"] (11.5) is an athletic, physical wing who can score and distribute, and sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id="1171660" first="Carson" last="Johnson"] (8.9) does a good job limiting turnovers. The balanced and deep Hawks will likely throw a number of different defenders at Sandfort (Crandall, Aguirre, [player_tooltip player_id="1352934" first="Alex" last="Aguirre"], [player_tooltip player_id="1230688" first="Karson" last="Wehde"]) in an effort to wear him down. A win here would certainly cement Ankeny as a legitimate state title contender in 4A.   [caption id="attachment_1086716" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Blaise-Porter.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1086716 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Blaise-Porter-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="956871" first="Blaise" last="Porter"][/caption] 1A #9 Danville (14-1) at 1A #10 New London (12-1) Both teams come into this game with identical 11-1 conference marks, but New London holds the head-to-head edge by virtue of their 55-54 win back on December 17. The Tigers got 25 points on 10-14 shooting from star guard [player_tooltip player_id="956871" first="Blaise" last="Porter"] (19.4, 4.6 assists) in that win, as Danville struggled to contain him, and New London was able to come away with a win despite the Bears turning it over just 7 times. Fellow junior standout [player_tooltip player_id="956872" first="Kade" last="Benjamin"] (16.7, 7.1 rebounds, 2.5 blocks) got a scare last week with a potential knee injury and missed the Tigers loss to WACO, but it turned out to be a sprain and he was back on the floor for their win over West Burlington on Tuesday. Benjamin’s presence in the paint will be big against a Danville team that crashes the glass hard. Expect to see more involvement from [player_tooltip player_id="1158513" first="Devin" last="Swanson"] (12.9) in this one after he posted just 2 points on 1-4 shooting in the win over Danville earlier this year. The Soukup twins, former standouts at Danville, have the Bears playing excellent ball, especially on the defensive end, where they are forcing a bevy of turnovers. They average 17.3 steals a game, and they pound the offensive glass hard (12.9 offensive boards a night), generating a ton of second-chance opportunities and extra possessions. Senior [player_tooltip player_id="1352966" first="Drake" last="Johnson"] (13.6) is the team’s leading scorer, one of three in double-figures - junior [player_tooltip player_id="1288859" first="Caiden" last="Gourley"] (13.3) and senior [player_tooltip player_id="1235044" first="Sawyer" last="Nelson"] (10.5, 10.5 rebounds). The senior backcourt of [player_tooltip player_id="962692" first="Ty" last="Carr"] (8.9, 5.4 assists) and Cadence Williams (4.1 assists) has done a solid job limiting turnovers and running the offense. If Danville can force some turnovers and get easy buckets in transition, they’ll have a real chance at managing a season split in this series and grabbing control of the SEISC South division.