Substate Preview: 1A-2

<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/1A-3.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1383210" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/1A-3.png" alt="" width="979" height="400" /></a> <h4>District 3</h4> [caption id="attachment_1147247" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Wyatt-Helming-crop-2786x1829-1615315103-crop-446x293-1615315117.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1147247 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Wyatt-Helming-crop-2786x1829-1615315103-crop-446x293-1615315117-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1158420" first="Wyatt" last="Helming"][/caption] The favorite: Lake Mills is one of only two teams in 1A (North Linn) to rank within the top 10 in both scoring offense (7th, 70.5 points a game) and scoring defense (3rd, 34.5). So, suffice to say, the Bulldogs have been absolutely dominant again this season, rolling through their league on a nightly basis, with only two games decided by single digits. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="1158420" first="Wyatt" last="Helming"] (18.6, 9.6 rebounds) leads the charge on both ends of the floor. An athletic, long, and versatile 6-6 forward, he can defend multiple positions, protect the rim (3.5 blocks a game), and score from all three levels. Point guard [player_tooltip player_id="1158456" first="Bennett" last="Berger"] (13.1, 6.9 assists) has been one of the steadiest lead guards in the state, posting a nearly 7-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, and Denton Kingland (10.6, 41.9 3P%) has provided some needed shooting. The ’Dogs once again are able to go deep into their bench and have a lot of versatility on both ends of the floor. This is a program that really has learned how to win over the last several years, and they should be considered a fairly heavy favorite in this district. The biggest threat: Playing against a primarily 3A schedule prepares St. Edmond well for postseason play. They’ve only played two games against 1A teams this season, beating Bishop Garrigan by 25 and West Bend-Mallard by 17. The Gaels are led by senior forward Hayden Meyer (18.1, 60.2 FG%), an efficient scorer who does a majority of his damage around the rim, but can occasionally step out and stretch the floor. Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="1332729" first="Jackson" last="Palmer"] (10.0) is a reliable ball-handler and decision-maker, and the Gaels are a really good free-throw shooting team (77.9 FT%), which could come into play late in close games. The dark horse: The district’s #2 seed is GTRA, a junior-dominated team that features a quartet of double-figure scorers in [player_tooltip player_id="1367443" first="Drew" last="Schnell"] (14.8), Eric Heinrichs (12.9), [player_tooltip player_id="1367441" first="Max" last="Hough"] (12.5), and Kory Hough (10.6). [player_tooltip player_id="1367441" first="Max" last="Hough"] is a really good ball-handler and decision-maker who dishes out 6.7 assists a game and also makes an impact on the defensive end with 4.0 steals a game. The Titans do a really good job sharing the ball (17.3 assists a game), limiting turnovers (10.8), and they have a balanced offensive attack that makes it difficult to game plan for them. They’ll get their first two games at home and are the definitive favorite to come out of the bottom half of the bracket and reach the district final. Players to watch 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158420" first="Wyatt" last="Helming"], Lake Mills 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158456" first="Bennett" last="Berger"], Lake Mills 2022 Hayden Meyer, St. Edmond 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1332729" first="Jackson" last="Palmer"], St. Edmond 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1367443" first="Drew" last="Schnell"], GTRA 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1367441" first="Max" last="Hough"], GTRA 2022 Riley Sabin, North Iowa 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1367450" first="Rylan" last="Barnes"], West Hancock 2024 Aiden Lofstrom, North Union 2022 Jacob Leerar, Bishop Garrigan 2023 Sam Fehr, West Bend-Mallard 2025 Colby Eskildsen, Northwood-Kensett   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/1A-4.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1383211" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/1A-4.png" alt="" width="992" height="408" /></a> <h4>District 4</h4> [caption id="attachment_1363514" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Casey-Gardner-new-crop-1394x915-1641851859.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1363514 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/01/Casey-Gardner-new-crop-1394x915-1641851859-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1167715" first="Casey" last="Gardner"][/caption] The favorite: We’ll have a better idea of how this district may shake out after Monday night, when Dunkerton and Newman Catholic face off against each other in a non-conference tilt. For now, we’ll give the edge to Dunkerton, an offensive juggernaut that has gone out and tested themselves in the non-conference, playing quality games against Denver, Alburnett, and Hempstead. The Raiders are winning games by an average of 30.7 points a game, paced by junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="1167715" first="Casey" last="Gardner"] (16.2, 9.4 assists), who leads the state in assists. He’s the straw that stirs the drink for a potent and efficient offense. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="1367394" first="Preston" last="Gillespie"] (23.7) is a highly efficient scorer who gets to the rim routinely and finishes, while senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="1158505" first="Kaden" last="Behrens"] (13.9) gives them a physical presence in the paint and an efficient scoring option. The Raiders are shooting over 54% from the floor, share the ball really well (20.6 assists a game), and apply a ton of pressure on the defensive end. This is a well-balanced team with a dynamic point guard that has to be considered at worst a co-favorite with Newman Catholic in this tricky district. The biggest threat: In junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="956891" first="Douglas" last="Taylor"] (21.6, 9.6 rebounds) and senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1158510" first="James" last="Jennings"] (17.9, 45.2 3P%), Newman Catholic has a pair of big-time perimeter scoring threats who pace an efficient offensive attack that is shooting 53.7% from the floor and 36.5% from 3. Taylor has committed to play baseball at Iowa and is a long, lean, and athletic wing who gets to the rim at will, while Jennings is a big shooting threat with limitless range. [player_tooltip player_id="956889" first="Max" last="Burt"] (8.6, 6.8 assists) is the Knights’ version of Gardner, a solid lead guard who limits turnovers and gets others involved. Like Taylor, he has also committed to play baseball at Iowa. The Knights struggle from the free-throw line (54.8% as a team), which could be a determining factor in a district final against Dunkerton. The dark horse: Traditionally strong West Fork got off to a bit of a shaky start while breaking in a number of new pieces, but the Warhawks are playing well down the stretch, winning five straight games as of this writing. Sophomore guards Cayde Eberling (12.8) and Sage Suntken (10.4, 42.2 3P%) are good perimeter scoring threats, and three others average between 7.3 and 8.4 points a game. This is a balanced team that is starting to play well heading into postseason play, and is a program that really knows how to win. Players to watch 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167715" first="Casey" last="Gardner"], Dunkerton 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1367394" first="Preston" last="Gillespie"], Dunkerton 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="956891" first="Douglas" last="Taylor"], Newman Catholic 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="956889" first="Max" last="Burt"], Newman Catholic 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158510" first="James" last="Jennings"], Newman Catholic 2024 Cayde Eberling, West Fork 2024 Sage Suntken, West Fork 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1367452" first="Bo" last="Harrington"], Nashua-Plainfield 2023 Corbin Lewis, North Butler 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1367435" first="Oakley" last="Semelroth"], Tripoli 2022 Theo Klaes, Riceville 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1352970" first="Kolton" last="Lyman"], Rockford   <h3 style="text-align: center;">SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION</h3> Lake Mills vs. Dunkerton Lake Mills is looking for their third consecutive trip to the state tournament, while Dunkerton is looking for their first trip in eight years. The Bulldogs have the type of length that can cause some issues for the Raiders on both ends of the floor, and an experienced group that has played in substate finals before. We’ll give Lake Mills the nod here, but this one should be an excellent game, should it materialize.