Friday's Top Games - Prep Hoops

[caption id="attachment_1218566" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/Colby-Collison-crop-2826x1855-1624031774.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1218566 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/06/Colby-Collison-crop-2826x1855-1624031774-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="956874" first="Colby" last="Collison"][/caption] 3A #6 Winterset (15-5) at Bondurant-Farrar (12-5) The Raccoon River Conference race has gotten interesting in the last few weeks, and the winner of this game will tie with Ballard for the conference title. Ballard leads the RRC with a 12-4 record, while Bondurant-Farrar sits at 11-4 and Winterset at 11-4. The Bluejays won the first meeting between these teams earlier this season, 67-44, back on December 3. They held the Huskies below 30% from the floor in that win, and they’ve won six straight games entering this one. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="956874" first="Colby" last="Collison"] (18.1) is one of the top pure scorers in the 2023 class, a heady player who lets the game come to him before deciding when to take over. A 6-3/6-4 wing who can score from all three levels, he’s a difficult matchup at this level. Fellow junior [player_tooltip player_id="1288863" first="Jaxson" last="Fried"] (12.9, 42.0 3P%) has stepped up as a secondary scorer this year and been really solid, while senior Trey McDowell (10.1, 41.5 3P%) is a good shooter. Winterset had been playing really good ball before Tuesday night’s surprising 15-point loss to ADM. Their guard trio of [player_tooltip player_id="1158412" first="Levi" last="Gurwell"] (16.2), [player_tooltip player_id="784978" first="Dawson" last="Forgy"] (11.6), and [player_tooltip player_id="1167720" first="Brayden" last="Dinkla"] (9.0) is one of the best in 3A. Gurwell leads the team in scoring and is a crafty guard with good footwork that he uses to create space to get his shot off. Forgy is one of the best running backs in the state and uses his quickness, physicality, and strength to get to the rim for finishes, and Dinkla is dishing out 6.8 assists, getting others involved at a high clip. [player_tooltip player_id="1158464" first="Nathan" last="Avery"] (7.4, 42.3 3P%) provides some size and shooting, and this is a team that likes to apply on-ball pressure with their quick guards, putting pressure on opposing teams.   [caption id="attachment_1116187" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/11-Kenzie-Reed-crop-2173x1427-1610657914.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1116187 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/11-Kenzie-Reed-crop-2173x1427-1610657914-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="956877" first="Kenzie" last="Reed"][/caption] Iowa City West (14-5) at 4A #3 Kennedy (15-2) West got off to a strong 6-0 start this season, looking like one of the top five teams in the state in the process. Then [player_tooltip player_id="1167705" first="Savion" last="Taylor"] got hurt, which was a huge blow to this team on both ends of the floor. The team’s best shooter and a strong perimeter defender, Taylor, the son of Iowa assistant Billy Taylor, is a leader on both ends of the floor and his absence has helped contribute to an 8-5 record since his injury. The Trojans still have some offensive weapons in senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="1158261" first="Peter" last="Moe"] (21.7, 8.6 rebounds), a talented three-level scorer who can stretch the floor at 6-8 but is a dominant scorer on the block. Against a smaller Kennedy team, he could have a big night. [player_tooltip player_id="1171670" first="Kareem" last="Earl"] (9.9) and [player_tooltip player_id="1381414" first="Jack" last="McCaffery"] (9.5) have had up-and-down seasons on the wing but are both very talented, and [player_tooltip player_id="1376672" first="Jacob" last="Koch"] (9.2) and [player_tooltip player_id="682262" first="Christian" last="Barnes"] (8.6, 4.6 assists) are quality ball-handlers. Kennedy is one of the hottest teams in the state, winners of 12 straight games by an average of 20.3 points a night. The Cougars are paced by a quartet of strong guards - juniors [player_tooltip player_id="1167718" first="Colby" last="Dolphin"] (14.0, 41.8 3P%) and [player_tooltip player_id="956877" first="Kenzie" last="Reed"] (12.5, 7.4 assists), senior [player_tooltip player_id="1158435" first="Carson" last="Blietz"] (9.9, 43.9 3P%), and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="1171687" first="Cyrus" last="Courtney"] (7.9, 51.5 FG%). Dolphin is a physical, heady guard on both ends of the floor who can score from all three levels and is a strong secondary ball-handler. Reed is one of the best pure point guards in the state, a pass-first guard who values possessions but can also score in bunches. Blietz, a Jefferson transfer, has provided a ton of perimeter shooting, while Courtney is a hyper-athletic slasher who can also dominate games on the defensive game. Bigs [player_tooltip player_id="1158434" first="Jackson" last="Bowman"] (11.1) and [player_tooltip player_id="784983" first="Craig" last="Mills"] (7.6) round out a really strong top six in the rotation. Bowman is a bouncy stretch-4 who can shoot it and run the floor, while Mills is a more traditional big man with great hands and solid footwork. The Cougars are good on both ends of the floor and are playing at an incredibly high level right now.   [caption id="attachment_1360294" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Carter-Harmsen-crop-1024x673-1641397136.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1360294 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Carter-Harmsen-crop-1024x673-1641397136-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1158414" first="Carter" last="Harmsen"][/caption] Monticello (18-2) at 2A #5 Mid-Prairie (20-0) The River Valley North champions travel to the River Valley South champions in this regular-season finale for both teams, a pair who have established themselves as legitimate contenders in Class 2A. Both of these teams have been excellent defensively, with Monticello allowing 46.4 points a game, and Mid-Prairie giving up just 42.9, so points and possessions may be at a premium in this game. Monticello is led by junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="956879" first="Tate" last="Petersen"] (19.3, 39.2 3P%), a three-year varsity starter who has really emerged as a dominant scoring threat this season. He’s a knockdown shooter, and he has used his perimeter stroke to open up the rest of his offensive game this year. He’s dishing out 5.7 assists (against just 1.6 turnovers) and does a great job scoring efficiently and not forcing anything. Sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id="1171677" first="Preston" last="Ries"] (18.8) is an athletic freak who can take over games as he did on Tuesday night against Camanche when he had 23 points and 15 rebounds. He can score from all three levels and is a big, physical, and athletic mismatch for most players. The Panthers do a good job limiting turnovers (7.7 a game), and they have a really good tandem that does a majority of their scoring, but they have some solid role players as well. Mid-Prairie is the last remaining undefeated team in Class 2A. The Golden Hawks have won 14 of their 20 games by double-digits, and while their South Division was probably a bit weaker than the North this year, they have some quality wins over Wilton (twice), Williamsburg, and Camanche, among others. They’re led by senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="1158414" first="Carter" last="Harmsen"] (20.5, 8.2 rebounds), an athletic lefty who can score from all three levels, and he does a good job controlling the game on both ends of the floor. He’s a smart, cerebral player who lets the game come to him, and he can make plays for others. Big man [player_tooltip player_id="1352979" first="Ethan" last="Kos"] (10.1, 6.1 rebounds) is an efficient finisher in the paint, and they have a trio of guards - [player_tooltip player_id="1167728" first="Alex" last="Bean"] (8.8), [player_tooltip player_id="1235039" first="Jackson" last="Pennington"] (7.7), and Will Cavanagh (7.4) - who can be the team’s leading scorer on any given night.   2A #3 Central Lyon (19-1) at Rock Valley (15-5) If Rock Valley is able to pull off the upset, it would open the door for Boyden-Hull to take home the Siouxland Conference title. If Central Lyon wins, they’ll likely end up splitting the title with the Comets as they split their season series. The Lions won the first game between these teams, 65-63, back on January 7. They shot just 3-18 from the arc in that game, which is atypical of this potent attack, so Rock Valley will have their work cut out for them in this rematch. Central Lyon is led by junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1253020" first="Zach" last="Lutmer"] (20.5, 45.1 3P%) who paces an attack that averages 79.2 points a game. He’s a dynamic three-level scorer and distributor who can dominate games even when he isn’t filling it up. [player_tooltip player_id="962637" first="Mason" last="Gerleman"] (17.9, 47.1 3P%), a senior sharpshooter, is a perfect complement alongside Lutmer, and [player_tooltip player_id="1367399" first="Andrew" last="Austin"] (14.4) has given them a solid interior scoring presence. Rock Valley counters with a quartet of double-figure scorers, headlined by [player_tooltip player_id="962672" first="Bryson" last="Van Grootheest"] (18.0), who leads the team in scoring and assists. He’s at his best when he’s playing downhill and getting to the rim, but he’s a solid 3-point shooter as well. [player_tooltip player_id="962673" first="Sam" last="Remmerde"] (11.9, 7.2 rebounds) is a stretch-4 who can protect the rim and score inside, and [player_tooltip player_id="1158431" first="Landyn" last="Van Kekerix"] (11.7) is a physical, athletic wing who has committed to play football at Iowa. The Rockets like to pound the offensive glass, and they’ll try to use their physicality to wear down the Lions.   [caption id="attachment_1332790" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/121-Douglas-Taylor-crop-2096x1377-1637611912.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1332790 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/121-Douglas-Taylor-crop-2096x1377-1637611912-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="956891" first="Douglas" last="Taylor"][/caption] 1A #5 Lake Mills (20-0) at 1A #6 Newman Catholic (19-1) The Top of Iowa West champion travels to the East champion on Friday night for what should be a great game. Lake Mills won the last meeting, 90-57, at the end of last season, and has won the last three meetings between these schools. The Bulldogs have been absolutely dominant on both ends of the floor this year, averaging 69.5 points a game and giving up just 35.3 a night. Senior combo forward [player_tooltip player_id="1158420" first="Wyatt" last="Helming"] (17.8, 9.7 rebounds) is a versatile weapon on both ends of the floor. He can defend multiple positions, score inside and out, and dominate the glass. Point guard [player_tooltip player_id="1158456" first="Bennett" last="Berger"] (13.2, 6.7 assists) has been one of the best in the state at limiting turnovers and getting others involved, and junior guard Denton Kingland (11.1, 38.8 3P%) has provided shooting punch. Newman Catholic has been equally dominant this season, averaging 73.9 points a game and allowing 45.5. The Knights are coming in off a dominant win over a ranked Dunkerton team, beating the Raiders by 24 points. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="956891" first="Douglas" last="Taylor"] (22.2, 9.7 rebounds) leads a potent offensive attack that is shooting nearly 54% from the field as a team. He and teammate [player_tooltip player_id="956889" first="Max" last="Burt"] (8.3, 7.2 assists) have committed to play baseball at Iowa. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1158510" first="James" last="Jennings"] (17.8, 41.5 3P%) is the top perimeter scoring threat and versatile three-level scorer. Burt has done an excellent job getting others involved and limiting turnovers, like his counterpart Berger. This should be a really fun game.   [caption id="attachment_1290445" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/53-Derek-Weisskopf.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1290445 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/53-Derek-Weisskopf-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1171685" first="Derek" last="Weisskopf"][/caption] Williamsburg (19-2) at 3A #2 Marion (15-4) This is another game between teams that have won their respective divisions of a conference. Williamsburg is the WaMaC West champions, while Marion will win the East. Williamsburg comes in on a 10-game winning streak, and the Raiders have been impressive defensively, allowing just 46.7 points a game. They’ve shown the ability to win games in all sorts of different styles, beating a ranked 3A Washington team 83-73 earlier this week, and then winning a meat-grinder of a game against Vinton-Shellsburg, 57-23, on Thursday night. Sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id="1171685" first="Derek" last="Weisskopf"] (14.2) leads a balanced attack that sees Ethan Harman (10.3) also averaging in double-figures, and six others averaging between 4.6 and 9.2 points a game. Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="1235015" first="Jake" last="Weber"] (9.2, 4.1 assists, 53.7 3P%) has been outstanding this season, and this is a team that is filled with tough, physical athletes who take pride in defending. Marion had won eight straight games before an upset loss to West Delaware on Tuesday night. The Wolves are led by junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="956878" first="Brayson" last="Laube"] (19.0, 45.6 3P%), a dynamic three-level scorer who can really fill it up in a hurry when he gets it rolling. [player_tooltip player_id="1367405" first="Alex" last="Mota"] (9.1) provides some length and athleticism on the perimeter alongside Laube, and they have a number of quality role players who know their responsibilities and take care of business on both ends of the floor. Laube will be the best player on the floor in this game, but will the balance and physicality of Williamsburg overwhelm the Wolves? This should be a very interesting game.