Substate Preview: 1A-4

<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/1A-7.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1383219" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/1A-7.png" alt="" width="976" height="413" /></a> <h4>District 7</h4> [caption id="attachment_1288254" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/William-Kiburis-crop-4852x3186-1632260355.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1288254 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/William-Kiburis-crop-4852x3186-1632260355-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1167671" first="William" last="Kiburis"][/caption] The favorite: Junior lead guard [player_tooltip player_id="1167671" first="William" last="Kiburis"] (21.9, 7.9 rebounds, 7.4 assists) is a nightly triple-double threat for Gladbrook-Reinbeck, leading a quartet of double-figure scorers for a Rebels team that has lost just once this year to 2A Aplington-Parkersburg, a team that has been near the top of the 2A rankings all year. Kiburis, a 6-3 point guard, is a dynamic player on both ends of the floor who can score from all three levels, get others involved, and is excellent defensively. [player_tooltip player_id="1158493" first="Tristen" last="Sanford-Anders"] (14.2, 8.7 rebounds) is a physical force in the paint who finishes well and is an excellent rebounder, and Caleb Egesdal (11.1, 44.2 3P%) and Luke Riffey (10.9, 36.3% 3P%) are both really good perimeter shooting threats. In Kiburis, the Rebels have the best player in the district, and this is a talented team that really fits in well alongside him. The biggest threat: Alburnett is a really good defensive team with some size and length that could give G-R some problems if they were to match up in the district final. The Pirates are led by senior wing Andrew Ossman (16.7), the lone double-digit scorer, but they have six other players averaging between 4.6 and 8.5 points a game, giving them a lot of balance. They allow just 42.9 points a game, using their length, physicality, and excellent defensive coaching from Jeff Christopherson to dominate games on that end of the floor. They’ve lost five games this year, but those losses have come to teams with a combined 87-12 record. The dark horse: [player_tooltip player_id="1352930" first="Conor" last="Sukel"] (22.4, 10.6 rebounds, 4.1 steals) moved to Cedar Valley Christian this year from Illinois and has provided a dominant force on both ends of the Huskies. An athletic wing who is shooting over 60% from the floor, he’s the type of athlete who can dominate games on either end and lead this group to a few upsets. [player_tooltip player_id="1352985" first="Levi" last="Telecky"] (15.3) and Drew Grimm (10.6) give them additional scoring, and that trio of seniors has led the Huskies to their best season in a decade. Players to watch 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167671" first="William" last="Kiburis"], Gladbrook-Reinbeck 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158493" first="Tristen" last="Sanford-Anders"], Gladbrook-Reinbeck 2022 Andrew Ossman, Alburnett 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1352930" first="Conor" last="Sukel"], Cedar Valley Christian 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962683" first="Ben" last="DeMeulenaere"], Belle Plaine 2024 Camden Davis, Hudson 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1376721" first="Mekhi" last="Benton"], Central City 2023 Ty Purdy, Don Bosco 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1352943" first="Larnell" last="Bear"], Meskwaki Settlement   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/1A-8.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1383222" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/02/1A-8.png" alt="" width="981" height="421" /></a> <h4>District 8</h4> The favorite: There are strong arguments to be made for three teams in this district, but we’ll side with Easton Valley, who the coaches have pegged as the top seed in the district, as the favorite here. The River Hawks are winning games by an average of 26.5 points a game, holding teams to just 34.7 points a night. They split with Lisbon and haven’t played Springville this season. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="1158461" first="Cayden" last="Deardorff"] (15.9, 7.4 rebounds) leads a balanced attack that does a great job pounding the offensive glass (13.6 a game) and forcing turnovers (14.6 steals). [player_tooltip player_id="1167740" first="Carson" last="Fuegen"] (7.5, 5.6 assists) is a talented lead guard who limits turnovers and gets others involved, and they have six players who average between 4.6 and 9.5 points a game. The concern for this team is the free-throw line, where they are shooting just 52.7% as a team. [caption id="attachment_1166860" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Rhenden-Wagaman.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1166860 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Rhenden-Wagaman-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="962618" first="Rhenden" last="Wagaman"][/caption] The biggest threat: On the strength of their 15-point road win early this season over Lisbon, Springville has to be considered the favorite to come out of the bottom of the bracket and face off with Easton Valley in the district final. The Orioles are led by talented senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="962618" first="Rhenden" last="Wagaman"] (21.7), a long wing who can score from all three levels. He has really improved his perimeter stroke this season and is a threat to go for 30+ on any given night with excellent efficiency. He uses his 6-2 frame and length effectively on the defensive end as well, getting into passing lanes and turning defense into offense in a hurry. Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="962643" first="Luke" last="Menster"] (16.4, 4.5 assists) is a veteran lead guard who also creates issues on the defensive end with his quickness, and he’s excellent at getting to the rim. [player_tooltip player_id="1352977" first="Dylan" last="DeMean"] (11.4, 9.7 rebounds) has emerged as a strong tertiary option for the Orioles in the paint, giving them some much needed size and athleticism in the paint. [caption id="attachment_1290515" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/110-Kole-Becker.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1290515 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/110-Kole-Becker-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="784986" first="Kole" last="Becker"][/caption] The dark horse: Lisbon earned the district’s #2 seed, and the Lions own a season split with Easton Valley, so they know that they can play with the River Hawks if they’re able to navigate the bottom of the bracket and get to the district final. They’re led by a pair of seniors - [player_tooltip player_id="784986" first="Kole" last="Becker"] (13.4) and [player_tooltip player_id="962694" first="Tyson" last="Scott"] (13.1, 9.7 rebounds). Becker is a long and athletic 6-2/6-3 wing who is headed to Iowa State on a track (jumping) scholarship. He can score from all three levels, defend multiple positions, and can be an explosive threat in the open court. Scott is an undersized but physical power forward who loves to pound the offensive glass, averaging 5.4 offensive boards a game. The Lions have five other players averaging between 4.4 and 8.8 points a game, giving them a number of options who could step up alongside Becker and Scott. Players to watch 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158461" first="Cayden" last="Deardorff"], Easton Valley 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167740" first="Carson" last="Fuegen"], Easton Valley 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962618" first="Rhenden" last="Wagaman"], Springville 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962643" first="Luke" last="Menster"], Springville 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="784986" first="Kole" last="Becker"], Lisbon 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962694" first="Tyson" last="Scott"], Lisbon 2024 Caden Kettman, Marquette Catholic 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158506" first="Colby" last="Sieverding"], Bellevue 2023 Cole VanderHeiden, Calamus-Wheatland 2025 Hakael Powell, Prince of Peace   <h3 style="text-align: center;">SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION</h3> Gladbrook-Reinbeck vs. Easton Valley In an interesting substate final matchup, we’ll give the edge to Gladbrook-Reinbeck here. The Rebels have the best player in the district in [player_tooltip player_id="1167671" first="William" last="Kiburis"], and they’ve been outstanding on both ends of the floor this year. Kiburis has a big game, [player_tooltip player_id="1158493" first="Tristen" last="Sanford-Anders"] helps neutralize the edge that Easton Valley could have in size, and the Rebels are headed to Des Moines after a five-year absence.