Five Takeaways: Kennedy Advances to State Tournament

[caption id="attachment_1288245" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/Colby-Dolphin-crop-4852x3186-1632260165.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1288245 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/Colby-Dolphin-crop-4852x3186-1632260165-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1167718" first="Colby" last="Dolphin"] led Kennedy with 13 points in the win[/caption] SOLON -- A pair of rivals from Cedar Rapids met on Tuesday night with a trip to the 4A state tournament on the line, and Kennedy took any suspense out of the proceedings with a flurry to end the first half, helping send the Cougars to Des Moines with a 53-36 win over Washington. The game was tight for the first 13 minutes or so before Kennedy closed the first half with a 10-0 flurry, giving them a 30-16 lead heading into the locker rooms. The Cougars dominated the glass throughout the night and used that edge and a number of forced turnovers to spark the run, gaining valuable extra possessions throughout the evening. [player_tooltip player_id="1167718" first="Colby" last="Dolphin"] led a balanced Kennedy (20-3) attack with 13 points while [player_tooltip player_id="1158434" first="Jackson" last="Bowman"], [player_tooltip player_id="784983" first="Craig" last="Mills"], and Carter Newhouse each added 8 points. Bowman chipped in 8 rebounds and Mills had 5 boards in the win. The Cougars earned the fourth-seed in Des Moines and will open 4A state tournament play on Wednesday morning against fifth-seeded Waukee Northwest, with tip-off set for 10:30 am. Washington’s season ends in the substate final for the second consecutive season, bowing out with a 13-10 record. The Warriors were led by [player_tooltip player_id="956880" first="Traijan" last="Sain"], who had a game-high 18 points while [player_tooltip player_id="1167702" first="Jesse" last="Sellers"] chipped in 10 in the loss.   <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">Team</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">1Q</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">2Q</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">3Q</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">4Q</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">F</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">Washington</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">11</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">5</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">11</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">9</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">36</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">Kennedy</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">12</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">18</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">13</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">10</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">53</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>   Washington: [player_tooltip player_id="956880" first="Traijan" last="Sain"] 18, [player_tooltip player_id="1167702" first="Jesse" last="Sellers"] 10, [player_tooltip player_id="1376684" first="JJ" last="Willis"] 4, Stephen Cain 4 Kennedy: [player_tooltip player_id="1167718" first="Colby" last="Dolphin"] 13, [player_tooltip player_id="1158434" first="Jackson" last="Bowman"] 8, [player_tooltip player_id="784983" first="Craig" last="Mills"] 8, Carter Newhouse 8, [player_tooltip player_id="956877" first="Kenzie" last="Reed"] 7, [player_tooltip player_id="1158435" first="Carson" last="Blietz"] 5, [player_tooltip player_id="1171687" first="Cyrus" last="Courtney"] 4   [caption id="attachment_1290565" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/154-Jackson-Bowman.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1290565 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/154-Jackson-Bowman-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="1158434" first="Jackson" last="Bowman"][/caption] Kennedy’s work on the offensive glass The Cougars pulled down nine offensive rebounds in the win, with senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="1158434" first="Jackson" last="Bowman"] leading the way with three of them and sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id="1171687" first="Cyrus" last="Courtney"] chipping in a pair. The Cougars are athletic and the combination of Bowman and [player_tooltip player_id="784983" first="Craig" last="Mills"] in the paint provides them with some legitimate size and athleticism, while Courtney is an excellent rebounder from his wing position. As games continue to slow down and each possession becomes more important, gaining extra possessions on the offensive glass will become more and more crucial. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/11-Kenzie-Reed-crop-2173x1427-1610657914.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1116187" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/11-Kenzie-Reed-crop-2173x1427-1610657914-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="956877" first="Kenzie" last="Reed"]’s injury status Midway through the third quarter, Kennedy’s star point guard went down with what appeared to be a left ankle injury. He was able to walk off under his own power, but didn’t return to the game. Perhaps that was because they were winning comfortably, but it’s something to keep a close eye on as we approach the state tournament. He’s the Cougars best ball-handler and decision-maker, and Kennedy turned it over an uncharacteristic 15 times. Kennedy’s bench production will be key next week The Cougars got 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists off the bench from the trio of [player_tooltip player_id="1171687" first="Cyrus" last="Courtney"], Carter Newhouse, and Gannon Hall. Courtney is the team’s best bench player, essentially a sixth starter with his ability to score from all three levels, rebound, defend, and facilitate, but Newhouse and Hall have really stepped up their play late in the season and they’ll need to be key contributors if Kennedy is going to make some noise in Des Moines. All three are solid defenders and Newhouse has shown an ability to shoot it and get others involved. Speaking of next week, a quick look at next week’s opponent The Cougars draw Waukee Northwest, which means that they’ll get an up-close look at [player_tooltip player_id="956868" first="Pryce" last="Sandfort"], the sharpshooting 6-7 wing who has been the best player in the state this season. The Wolves shoot at nearly a 40% clip from behind the arc and it’s not just Sandfort who can burn teams from deep. Jon McKowen is one of the best defensive coaches in the state, but he’ll have his hands full trying to draw up a game plan to slow down the Wolves high-powered attack and Sandfort. [caption id="attachment_1115610" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/117-Traijen-Sain-crop-2004x1316-1610572845.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1115610 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/117-Traijen-Sain-crop-2004x1316-1610572845-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> [player_tooltip player_id="956880" first="Traijan" last="Sain"][/caption] Washington a state tournament team next season? The Warriors’ top five scorers this year were comprised of three juniors ([player_tooltip player_id="956880" first="Traijan" last="Sain"], [player_tooltip player_id="1167702" first="Jesse" last="Sellers"], [player_tooltip player_id="1167699" first="Jaden" last="Harris"]) and two sophomores ([player_tooltip player_id="1376684" first="JJ" last="Willis"], [player_tooltip player_id="1171663" first="Willie" last="Hodges"]) and two of the top three off the bench were also underclassmen, meaning that seven of the top eight scorers will return to a team that has now played in back-to-back substate finals. In Sain, they have a star wing with the size, length, and athleticism to dominate games on both ends of the floor. This game was arguably the best I’ve seen him play live, as he competed consistently for all 32 minutes on both ends and showed some of his shot making prowess that, when combined with his size, makes him a tough matchup. Sellers, Harris, and Hodges are all quick guards who should continue to improve with additional experience, and Willis is an undersized but effective forward who scores efficiently around the bucket. This will be one of the fastest, most athletic teams in the state next season and they should be more consistent with the additional experience. They’ll likely open up the season ranked within the top-10, possibly even in the top-5 when we take a closer look at what every team is returning.