Substate Preview: 2A-7
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District 13 [player_tooltip player_id="1158415" first="Eric" last="Mulder"] The favorite: Pella Christian plays in the 3A Little Hawkeye Conference, which means that they’ve played against one of the toughest schedules in 2A, which will be a major benefit for them in this…
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Continue ReadingDistrict 13
The favorite: Pella Christian plays in the 3A Little Hawkeye Conference, which means that they’ve played against one of the toughest schedules in 2A, which will be a major benefit for them in this district. They beat the district’s #2 seed, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, by 19 earlier this year, and they also own wins over quality teams like Norwalk (twice), Indianola, and Van Meter. Senior guard Levi Schelhaas Levi Schelhaas 5'9" | PG Pella Christian | 2022 State IA (14.3, 3.0 assists) leads the team in scoring and assists, a quick lead guard who can score from all three levels. Forward Eric Mulder Eric Mulder 6'8" | PF Pella Christian | 2022 State IA (11.4, 9.1 rebounds, 2.0 blocks) is an IPFW commit, a rangy 6-9 big who can run the floor, protect the rim, and stretch the floor, and five others average between 5.2 and 6.9 points a game. The Eagles have more size than most teams in 2A, and they’re deep and athletic.
The biggest threat: Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont has a high-powered offensive attack that averages 73.5 points a game, which ranks 6th in 2A. The Rockets are led by the dynamic tandem of senior forward Ethan Davis Ethan Davis 6'7" | PF Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont | 2022 State IA (17.9, 9.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists) and sophomore wing Brooks Moore Brooks Moore 6'5" | SF Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont | 2024 State IA (17.3). Davis is a 6-8 big man who can control the game on both ends of the floor. He’s a great passer, a gifted scorer around the rim, and a strong rebounder. Moore is a really athletic wing who runs the floor and finishes above the rim, and has the length and athleticism to be an impact defender. The Rockets don’t shoot it very well from the arc (30.8%), but crash the offensive glass, force turnovers, and look to attack the bucket routinely. They’ve swept likely semifinal opponent Albia and have the horses to make a district final with PC interesting.
The dark horse(s): Despite a 19-2 record, Central Decatur only earned the #4 seed in this district. That is largely because of the competition they play in the Pride of Iowa Conference, as their schedule ranks dead last out of 96 teams in 2A. The Cardinals do, however, have a deep stable of scoring options led by senior guards Trey Hullinger (15.3) and Matthew Boothe Matthew Boothe 6'0" | CG Central Decatur | 2022 State IA (12.9). Junior forward Jack Scrivner Jack Scrivner 6'2" | PF Central Decatur | 2023 State IA (9.7, 2.0 blocks) is a solid rim protector, and this is a team that has shared the ball really well this year (18.4 assists a game). In junior wing Drew Chance Drew Chance 6'2" | PF Albia | 2023 State IA (19.5, 7.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists), Albia has one of the best players in the district. He’s a 6-3/6-4 wing who can get to the rim, rebound, and he gets others involved really well. Three others average between 8.4 and 9.1 points a game, giving them some options for Chance to dish it to. They were swept by E-B-F, so it’s an uphill battle, but Chance is good enough to carry this team.
Players to watch
2022
Levi Schelhaas
Levi
Schelhaas
5'9" | PG
Pella Christian | 2022
State
IA
, Pella Christian
2022
Eric Mulder
Eric
Mulder
6'8" | PF
Pella Christian | 2022
State
IA
, Pella Christian
2022
Ethan Davis
Ethan
Davis
6'7" | PF
Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont | 2022
State
IA
, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
2024
Brooks Moore
Brooks
Moore
6'5" | SF
Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont | 2024
State
IA
, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
2022 Trey Hullinger, Central Decatur
2022
Matthew Boothe
Matthew
Boothe
6'0" | CG
Central Decatur | 2022
State
IA
, Central Decatur
2023
Drew Chance
Drew
Chance
6'2" | PF
Albia | 2023
State
IA
, Albia
2022
Dalton Reeves
Dalton
Reeves
6'3" | SF
Davis County | 2022
State
IA
, Davis County
District 14
The favorite: Des Moines Christian has to be considered a heavy favorite in this district considering they’ve already beaten likely district final opponent Pleasantville by 26 and 35 points this season. The Lions have been excellent on both ends of the floor this season, averaging 66.1 points a game (12th in 2A) and allowing 44.9 a night (10th in 2A). A physical and athletic team that can go deep into their bench, they’re led by senior wing Adam Witty Adam Witty 6'2" | SF Des Moines Christian | 2022 State IA (22.5, 8.1 rebounds), who perfectly embodies everything that we’ve come to know about the DMC program over the last several years – he’s a tough, hard-nosed, versatile player who plays hard on every possession. Senior guards Emmett Schelhaas (9.8) and Micah Brandenburg (7.9), and sophomore guard Landon Craven Landon Craven 6'1" | SG Des Moines Christian | 2024 State IA (9.1) have provided some perimeter scoring punch alongside Witty. This is a group that doesn’t shoot it very well from 3 (30.8%), but they make up for it by pounding the offensive glass and dominating on the defensive end.
The biggest threat: Senior guard Mason Scheve Mason Scheve 6'1" | SG Pleasantville | 2022 State IA (25.5) has established himself as one of the best scorers in 2A this year for Pleasantville, posting 55-42-79 shooting splits and carrying the Trojans offensively. He’s a crafty three-level scorer who can get to the rim, has good footwork that he uses to create space, and is a really good shooter. Sophomore forward Dayson Leerhoff (13.4, 9.8 rebounds) has been solid in the paint, and Andrew Pender (10.3, 35.5 3P%) gives them some more shooting on the perimeter. The Trojans will have their work cut out for them if they reach the district final and a third meeting with DMC, but they should be considered the favorite to come out of the bottom of the bracket, getting that semifinal game at home.
The dark horse: Three seniors lead an experienced PCM team that has a lot of experience playing together and is certainly capable of beating Pleasantville in the semifinals. Durant Van Dyke Durant Van Dyke 6'4" | PF PCM | 2022 State IA (18.0, 7.1 rebounds, 2.4 blocks) has been a dominant force in the paint on both ends of the floor, while Carson Vandelune Carson Vandelune 5'10" | PG PCM | 2022 State IA (16.3, 3.7 assists) is a quality lead guard who can score and facilitate. Turnovers have been an issue at times for the Mustangs, but if they can get that area under control, they could make a run.
Players to watch
2022
Adam Witty
Adam
Witty
6'2" | SF
Des Moines Christian | 2022
State
IA
, Des Moines Christian
2022 Emmett Schelhaas, Des Moines Christian
2022
Mason Scheve
Mason
Scheve
6'1" | SG
Pleasantville | 2022
State
IA
, Pleasantville
2024 Dayson Leerhoff, Pleasantville
2022
Durant Van Dyke
Durant
Van Dyke
6'4" | PF
PCM | 2022
State
IA
, PCM
2022
Carson Vandelune
Carson
Vandelune
5'10" | PG
PCM | 2022
State
IA
, PCM
2022
Joey Tollefson
Joey
Tollefson
5'9" | PG
West Marshall | 2022
State
IA
, West Marshall
2022 Cole Bracewell, Colfax-Mingo
2024 Mason Smith, Chariton
SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION
Pella Christian vs. Des Moines Christian
These teams met on January 24th at Wells Fargo Arena, a game won by Des Moines Christian, 57-46. The Lions held PC to just 38% shooting and won despite being outrebounded 28-18. Will Pella Christian make the adjustments and win the rematch, or will Des Moines Christian’s physicality and defensive pressure bother the Eagles again? This game should be one of the tightest substate finals in any class, and we’ll side with Pella Christian making the adjustments and getting to Wells Fargo Arena (but we don’t feel confident in it).