The favorite: Harlan got off to an 11-0 start before going just 4-5 down the stretch. Three of those five losses have come by four points or less, so the Cyclones have been really close in their losses and should…
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The favorite: Harlan got off to an 11-0 start before going just 4-5 down the stretch. Three of those five losses have come by four points or less, so the Cyclones have been really close in their losses and should be considered the favorite in this substate as the group’s top seed. Four players average in double-figures in juniors
Jacob Birch
Jacob
Birch
6'1" | SF
Harlan | 2023
State
IA
(15.2, 40.6 3P%),
Bradley Curren
Bradley
Curren
5'11" | PG
Harlan | 2023
State
IA
(12.9, 4.2 assists), Aidan Hall (12.0, 8.4 rebounds), and senior
Connor Frame
Connor
Frame
6'2" | SF
Harlan | 2022
State
IA
(11.7). Coach Mitch Osborn has a physical group that loves to pound the offensive glass, averaging 11.2 offensive boards a game. They are physical, strong, and athletic, and they’ll compete hard on both ends of the floor.
The biggest threats: Heelan has played the toughest schedule of any team in the substate as they play in the Missouri River Conference against primarily 4A schools. The Crusaders are led by sophomore wing
Matthew Noll
Matthew
Noll
6'7" | PF
Bishop Heelan | 2024
State
IA
(13.9, 7.7 rebounds), a 6-5/6-6 three-level scorer who has enjoyed a breakout year. Senior forward Nick Miller (11.1, 7.9 rebounds) is a force on the glass and an efficient interior scorer, while
Sam Skinner
Sam
Skinner
5'9" | SG
Heelan | 2023
State
IA
(9.0),
Carter Kuehl
Carter
Kuehl
5'11" | PG
Bishop Heelan | 2023
State
IA
(8.8), and
Beau Chamberlain
Beau
Chamberlain
6'2" | SG
Bishop Heelan | 2024
State
IA
(5.0) give them some perimeter scoring options. Noll will be a difficult matchup for a majority of the teams in this substate, which could give Heelan an edge.
In senior guards
Kaleb Booth
Kaleb
Booth
6'1" | SG
Carroll | 2022
State
IA
(20.1, 4.9 assists) and
Nick Macke
Nick
Macke
5'10" | SG
Carroll | 2022
State
IA
(10.4), Carroll may have the best backcourt in the substate, and they’re starting to play pretty good ball, winning four straight as of this writing. Booth is armed with an excellent pull-up game, getting the ball into his shooting pocket quickly, and he’s an excellent ball-handler with good footwork that he uses to create space to get his shot off, while Macke is a good off-ball guard who can really shoot it. Caden Kock (9.0) and Evan Hammer (7.6) will be key for the Tigers, as they’ll need to control the glass against some of the bigger, more physical teams that they may meet.
Lewis Central split their season series with Harlan, losing 55-53 on January 4 and winning 53-43 on February 4. The Titans also hold a 50-37 win over Denison-Schleswig, so they know that they’re capable of making the substate final in this group. Sophomore guard Cole Arnold Cole Arnold 6'2" | SF Council Bluffs Lincoln | 2024 State IA (14.5) leads the team in scoring and is the team’s best 3-point shooting threat, while senior wing Wyatt Hatcher Wyatt Hatcher 6'3" | PF Lewis Central | 2022 State IA (12.4, 5.3 rebounds) and junior forward Colby Souther (8.4) are the other key scorers. Senior forward Trenton Johnette (3.9, 7.1 rebounds) may be a key piece for the Titans in this substate, as he’s a long 6-6 forward who can protect the rim and control the glass. The Titans have also been the best defensive team in the group, allowing just 49.3 points a game, good for 8th in 3A.
The dark horses: You could pretty much make an argument for any team in this substate with the exception of Perry. Atlantic has wins late in the season over Harlan and Denison-Schleswig, Glenwood has a standout guard in junior Caden Johnson Caden Johnson 5'10" | PG Glenwood | 2023 State IA (18.7) who can carry them, and Denison-Schleswig has two talented guards in Carson Seuntjens Carson Seuntjens 6'1" | PG Denison-Schleswig | 2023 State IA (13.9) and Luke Wiebers Luke Wiebers 6'1" | SG Denison-Schleswig | 2024 State IA (10.5) who are capable shooting threats that could get hot. This substate is as balanced as we can remember, and it really wouldn’t surprise us to see any of the top seven seeds emerge.
Players to watch
2023
Jacob Birch
Jacob
Birch
6'1" | SF
Harlan | 2023
State
IA
, Harlan
2023
Bradley Curren
Bradley
Curren
5'11" | PG
Harlan | 2023
State
IA
, Harlan
2023 Aidan Hall, Harlan
2024
Matthew Noll
Matthew
Noll
6'7" | PF
Bishop Heelan | 2024
State
IA
, Heelan
2022 Nick Miller, Heelan
2022
Kaleb Booth
Kaleb
Booth
6'1" | SG
Carroll | 2022
State
IA
, Carroll
2022
Nick Macke
Nick
Macke
5'10" | SG
Carroll | 2022
State
IA
, Carroll
2024
Cole Arnold
Cole
Arnold
6'2" | SF
Council Bluffs Lincoln | 2024
State
IA
, Lewis Central
2022
Wyatt Hatcher
Wyatt
Hatcher
6'3" | PF
Lewis Central | 2022
State
IA
, Lewis Central
2023
Caden Johnson
Caden
Johnson
5'10" | PG
Glenwood | 2023
State
IA
, Glenwood
2023
Carson Seuntjens
Carson
Seuntjens
6'1" | PG
Denison-Schleswig | 2023
State
IA
, Denison-Schleswig
2022
Dayton Templeton
Dayton
Templeton
6'1" | SG
Atlantic | 2022
State
IA
, Atlantic
2024
Colton Rasmussen
Colton
Rasmussen
6'3" | SF
Atlantic | 2024
State
IA
, Atlantic
SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION
Harlan vs. Heelan
You could mix and match any of the top seven seeds in this game, but we’ll stick with the chalk and the top two seeded teams. Harlan’s balanced attack got the Cyclones off to an excellent start this year, and it may be too much for Heelan to contain on the defensive end. The balanced attack from Harlan gets the Cyclones back to the state tournament for the 20th time in school history.
