Class 4A Substate Final Preview

[caption id="attachment_1288578" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/Carson-Johnson-top-250-crop-4512x2963-1632317333.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1288578 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/Carson-Johnson-top-250-crop-4512x2963-1632317333-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1171660" first="Carson" last="Johnson"][/caption] Substate 1: Ankeny (18-4) vs. Waukee (14-10) at Dallas Center-Grimes Ankeny won the regular-season meeting between these teams 65-58, winning by just seven points despite outrebounding the Warriors 40-21 and shooting 51.0% from the floor. The reason that Waukee kept it close? The 3-point line, outscoring the Warriors 36-12 from behind the arc. Waukee kept that hot shooting up in the Warriors win over Sioux City East in the semifinal, going 12-24 from behind the arc en route to a blowout road win. If they want to keep this run going, they’ll need to knock down a bunch of 3-pointers again, something they’re certainly capable of. They’re led by juniors [player_tooltip player_id="1167685" first="Vance" last="Peiffer"] (11.5, 6.7 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id="1288872" first="Cade" last="Littlefield"] (10.6, 48.8 3P%). Peiffer is a really good interior presence who can score efficiently, occasionally stretch out and knock down 3s, and protect the rim, while Littlefield is a high IQ guard who can really shoot it. [player_tooltip player_id="1171683" first="Mason" last="Costello"] (9.2), [player_tooltip player_id="1239875" first="Cooper" last="Randall"] (8.6), and [player_tooltip player_id="1171657" first="Keysean" last="Moore"] (6.7) round out a strong group that can comfortably go nine deep. Ankeny can also go deep into their bench with quality options, and they have a quartet of double-figure scorers in [player_tooltip player_id="962614" first="Ryan" last="Crandall"] (11.7), [player_tooltip player_id="1171676" first="Lio" last="Aguirre"] (10.6), [player_tooltip player_id="1167709" first="JJ" last="Kohl"] (10.3), and [player_tooltip player_id="1171660" first="Carson" last="Johnson"] (10.1), while three others average between 6.5 and 8.5 points a game. The Hawks are deep, athletic, and physical, and they’ll look to use that athleticism and physicality to dominate on the glass again. Look for them to try and run Waukee off the 3-point line a bit and make the Warriors beat them from inside the arc instead of letting them get hot from deep. Our pick: Ankeny   [caption id="attachment_1273063" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Tamin-Lipsey-crop-3024x1986-1630182046.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1273063 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Tamin-Lipsey-crop-3024x1986-1630182046-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="682279" first="Tamin" last="Lipsey"][/caption] Substate 2: Ames (19-3) vs. Hoover (16-8) at Centennial Ames received a major shot in the arm with the return of star guard [player_tooltip player_id="682279" first="Tamin" last="Lipsey"] (16.7, 6.1 assists) to the lineup for their semifinal win over Mason City. Lipsey, committed to play at Iowa State, had missed the previous six games nursing a hamstring injury but returned to score 19 points with 7 assists. His ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor even when he isn’t scoring is part of what sets him apart from everyone else in the state. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="682277" first="Trevion" last="Labeaux"] (15.0, 6.5 rebounds) really stepped his game up in Lipsey’s absence, and fellow forward [player_tooltip player_id="682286" first="Corey" last="Phillips"] (11.5, 5.7 rebounds) provides some versatility on both ends of the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="1167706" first="Lucas" last="Lueth"] (6.7) is one of the best perimeter defenders in the state, a long and athletic wing who uses his 6-7 frame effectively. Hoover is led by a pair of talented juniors in guard [player_tooltip player_id="956876" first="Chase" last="Henderson"] (23.1) and [player_tooltip player_id="956869" first="Elijah" last="Vos"] (15.0). Henderson has picked up an offer from South Dakota and is a cat-quick guard who can get to the rim at will and get others involved, while Vos is a 6-5/6-6 wing who can score from all three levels. This teams met in the postseason last year, a 65-34 Ames win, and while we expect this one to be closer, Ames should still comfortably win and advance to the state tournament, where they’ll be considered the favorite with Lipsey back in the lineup. Our pick: Ames   Substate 3: Valley (20-3) vs. Cedar Falls (19-2) at Marshalltown Two of the hottest teams in 4A meet in this game that looks like it could’ve been a semifinal at the state tournament. Cedar Falls has won 15 straight games and Valley has won 14 straight heading into this one. Cedar Falls is led by senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="682265" first="Trey" last="Campbell"] (24.1, 4.2 assists), who has been absolutely dominant this season, showing his ability to score from all three levels, control the pace, and take over games on the defensive end. A 6-5 guard with quickness rivaled by few in the state, he’s the type of player who can not only carry a team to the state tournament, but to a state championship if he gets it rolling. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="956870" first="Dallas" last="Bear"] (14.9) is a long 6-8 wing who is capable of getting red hot from the arc and dropping 15 in a quarter, and [player_tooltip player_id="1171693" first="Cade" last="Courbat"] (6.7, 2.3 blocks), a sophomore forward, will be asked to play a significant role in this one against Valley’s star big man [player_tooltip player_id="1158260" first="Ruot" last="Bijiek"] (17.3, 6.9 rebounds). He has taken his game to another level since the injury to [player_tooltip player_id="962490" first="Eli" last="Raridon"], dominating games in the paint with his ability to finish through contact with excellent footwork and touch, and his ability to stretch the floor. The Tigers have gotten strong production from a pair of freshmen guards [player_tooltip player_id="1381422" first="Curtis" last="Stinson Jr"] (9.7) and [player_tooltip player_id="1381407" first="Kiki" last="Deng"] (6.9), as well as veteran role players [player_tooltip player_id="1234966" first="Cade" last="Grevengoed"] (6.8), Trevian Carson (5.8), and [player_tooltip player_id="784973" first="Mason" last="Morrow"] (5.7). Valley has the type of big, physical, athletic guards who can contain Campbell to an extent, while Cedar Falls may struggle to slow down Bijiek, giving the Tigers in orange and black the edge here over the ones in red and white. Our pick: Valley   [caption id="attachment_1290474" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/77-Colby-Dolphin.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1290474 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/77-Colby-Dolphin-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1167718" first="Colby" last="Dolphin"][/caption] Substate 4: Kennedy (19-3) vs. Cedar Rapids Washington (13-9) at Solon Kennedy swept the season series between these teams, 71-51 on December 10, and 66-58 on February 4. The Cougars have shot a combined 52.1% from the floor in the two wins and forced an average of 16 turnovers a game, a number that the Warriors will need to drastically cut down on if they want to pull off the upset here, as giving a potent Kennedy offense extra possessions is not going to end well. The Cougars are led by a great quartet of guards in [player_tooltip player_id="1167718" first="Colby" last="Dolphin"] (14.1), [player_tooltip player_id="956877" first="Kenzie" last="Reed"] (12.6, 7.1 assists), [player_tooltip player_id="1158435" first="Carson" last="Blietz"] (9.0, 41.7 3P%), and [player_tooltip player_id="1171687" first="Cyrus" last="Courtney"] (8.1, 2.6 steals). Each of them give Kennedy a little something different, and both are capable of taking over games for a stretch of time. The Cougars also have a talented pair of big men in [player_tooltip player_id="1158434" first="Jackson" last="Bowman"] (10.5, 59.0 FG%) and [player_tooltip player_id="784983" first="Craig" last="Mills"] (7.7, 7.2 rebounds), giving them a balanced attack on the offensive end, and lots of versatility defensively. Washington is young but talented, and a majority of these players will be playing in their second consecutive substate final. The Warriors are led by 6-5 junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="956880" first="Traijan" last="Sain"] (17.1, 6.5 rebounds), a long and athletic wing who can take over games as he did in their regular-season win over Iowa City West, dropping 32 points on 13-20 shooting. He’s a streaky but capable 3-point shooting threat who will need to knock down some jumpers to keep Washington around in this one. The backcourt of [player_tooltip player_id="1167702" first="Jesse" last="Sellers"] (11.4), [player_tooltip player_id="1167699" first="Jaden" last="Harris"] (7.2, 3.7 assists), and [player_tooltip player_id="1171663" first="Willie" last="Hodges"] (4.4, 3.0 assists) will need to navigate Kennedy’s constantly changing array of pressure looks and limit turnovers if they want to pull off this upset. Our pick: Kennedy   [caption id="attachment_1241252" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/Ryan-Dolphin2.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1241252 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/07/Ryan-Dolphin2-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="682267" first="Ryan" last="Dolphin"][/caption] Substate 5: Pleasant Valley (22-0) vs. Burlington (16-7) at Muscatine Burlington has put together their best season in a long time, and are on the precipice of their first state tournament appearance since 1987. Standing in their way, however, is the only undefeated team left in 4A and the class’s top-ranked defense. Pleasant Valley allows just 41.0 points a game, and while some of that can be attributed to their methodical style offensively that shortens games, if you watch this team play defense, you see why they’re so tough to score against. Their guards are quick and active, their bigs aren’t traditionally big but are long and physical, and their rotations are top-notch. Steve Hillman is one of the best defensive coaches in the state, and he will certainly have a game plan drawn up to combat some of the athleticism that Burlington can throw at teams on the perimeter. PV is led by senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="682267" first="Ryan" last="Dolphin"] (16.7, 45.4 3P%), who has emerged as one of the best perimeter shooting threats in the state this season. [player_tooltip player_id="1367437" first="Connor" last="Borbeck"] (13.7, 38.6 3P%) and [player_tooltip player_id="1158499" first="Joel" last="Lawlor"] (10.0, 39.4 3P%) give them some additional punch on the perimeter, and [player_tooltip player_id="1256301" first="David" last="Gorsline"] (6.2, 7.0 rebounds) is the aforementioned undersized but athletic and physical big man. Burlington is headlined by a pair of athletic, slashing wings in [player_tooltip player_id="962667" first="Amarion" last="Davis"] (14.5, 54.4 FG%) and Merquiche Lewis Jr (13.0, 54.0 FG%). Both of them can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim, and they also move really well off the ball. The Grayhounds shot the ball from 3 much better than usual against Iowa City West in the semifinals, and they protected the ball. They’ll need to do both again in this one against a staunch PV defense. Our pick: Pleasant Valley   [caption id="attachment_1287056" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/Cameron-Fens-crop-1668x1095-1632148630.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1287056 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/Cameron-Fens-crop-1668x1095-1632148630-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1055294" first="Cameron" last="Fens"][/caption] Substate 6: Prairie (16-6) vs. Hempstead (13-10) at Clinton These teams met back on December 21, a double-overtime 66-61 win by Prairie. The Hawks got a combined 49 points from their starting backcourt of [player_tooltip player_id="962635" first="Jake" last="Walter"] and [player_tooltip player_id="784979" first="Elijah" last="Ward"] in that game, which helped carry them to the win. Ward is out for the rest of the season with a wrist injury, and that could prove to be a fatal blow for Prairie in this game. Walter (13.4, 3.7 assists) has continued his strong play in Ward’s absence, showing his ability to score from all three levels at an efficient clip, and guards [player_tooltip player_id="1240063" first="Jack" last="Wagemester"] (7.4), Dionte Fliss (5.3), and [player_tooltip player_id="1240079" first="Makelle" last="Taylor"] (4.5) have stepped up in expanded roles, while the Burkle brothers, [player_tooltip player_id="682264" first="Gabe" last="Burkle"] (14.7, 5.8 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id="1376680" first="Reid" last="Burkle"] (4.0, 4.0 rebounds) provide some size, athleticism, and strength in the paint. Hempstead is led by senior big man [player_tooltip player_id="1055294" first="Cameron" last="Fens"] (19.1, 11.4 rebounds, 2.5 blocks), who has played well enough this season to pick up a pair of Division I offers. He’s a 6-10 big who is mobile, protects the rim, and finishes effectively around the bucket. [player_tooltip player_id="962654" first="Kellen" last="Strohmeyer"] (15.0) provides the scoring punch on the perimeter, and Hempstead has been a strong defensive team for much of the season. Will the Burkle boys be able to slow down Fens? Our pick: Hempstead   [caption id="attachment_1356612" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Pryce-Sandfort-crop-591x388-1640894408.png"><img class="wp-image-1356612 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/12/Pryce-Sandfort-crop-591x388-1640894408-300x197.png" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="956868" first="Pryce" last="Sandfort"] Photo: Sean Bock <a href="https://247sports.com/player/pryce-sandfort-46097292/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">247Sports</a>[/caption] Substate 7: Northwest (19-4) vs. Urbandale (13-10) at Des Moines Lincoln In their first year as a school, Northwest has been absolutely fantastic behind the stellar play of junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="956868" first="Pryce" last="Sandfort"] (27.7, 10.7 rebounds, 3.0 blocks), who has been the best player in the state this season. A long 6-7 wing who impacts the game on both ends and is highly efficient, Sandfort can dominate games as a three-level scorer, rebounder, facilitator, and rim-protector. Fellow junior guards [player_tooltip player_id="956887" first="Cade" last="Kelderman"] (16.3, 5.6 assists, 43.6 3P%) and [player_tooltip player_id="1240092" first="Henry" last="Manning"] (11.3, 38.2 3P%) give them some additional scoring punch on the perimeter, and [player_tooltip player_id="1376673" first="Grant" last="Tigges"] (8.5, 43.6 3P%) has been good inside the arc with the ability to stretch the floor as well. Urbandale is led by sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id="1172912" first="Grant" last="Uecker"] (11.0, 3.5 assists, 44.8 3P%), who has played at a really high level for the J-Hawks as a shooter and playmaker. [player_tooltip player_id="1367409" first="Brice" last="Lange"] (10.5) and Gresyn Schmitz (10.2) give them some additional scoring, but look for the J-Hawks to try and slow this one down to a crawl. They don’t want to get into a shootout with the high-powered Wolves. Our pick: Northwest   [caption id="attachment_1148899" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Steven-Kramer-1-crop-2791x1833-1615513419.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1148899 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Steven-Kramer-1-crop-2791x1833-1615513419-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="784982" first="Steven" last="Kramer"][/caption] Substate 8: Johnston (18-3) vs. Dowling Catholic (9-14) at Blake Fieldhouse These teams met on February 11, a 58-49 Johnston win in which the Dragons outrebounded the Maroons 39-20 and held them to just 6-25 from behind the arc. Johnston has won seven straight games heading into this one behind the strength of their fantastic senior duo of [player_tooltip player_id="682278" first="Trey" last="Lewis"] (22.3, 5.0 assists) and [player_tooltip player_id="784982" first="Steven" last="Kramer"] (15.3). Lewis has played as well as anyone in the the class not named Sandfort this season, showing his ability to score from all three levels and he has really improved as a playmaker this season, getting others involved at a high clip. Kramer is an athletic 6-5/6-6 wing who is headed to play at South Dakota, and he’s another good three-level scorer who can facilitate and defend multiple positions. The Dragons are able to surround that tandem with a trio of outstanding shooters in [player_tooltip player_id="1234969" first="Masen" last="Ryan"] (9.0, 46.5 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id="1240090" first="Nathan" last="Ruisch"] (7.7, 45.0 3P%), and Samuel Tornabane (5.6, 43.6 3P%), making them an extremely difficult team to defend. The Maroons have a lot of athleticism on the perimeter and in the paint, but they’ll really need a big-time performance out of junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1288853" first="Andrew" last="Mauro"] (13.3), their top perimeter scoring threat, if they want to give Johnston a scare here. The Dragons are just on a different level in terms of talent here. Our pick: Johnston