Five Takeaways: Kennedy Advances to State Tournament
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[player_tooltip player_id="1167718" first="Colby" last="Dolphin"] led Kennedy with 13 points in the win 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…
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Continue ReadingSOLON — 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.
Colby Dolphin Colby Dolphin 5'10" | PG Kennedy | 2023 State IA led a balanced Kennedy (20-3) attack with 13 points while Jackson Bowman Jackson Bowman 6'7" | PF Cedar Rapids Kennedy | 2022 State IA , Craig Mills Craig Mills 6'5" | PF Kennedy | 2022 State IA , 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 Traijan Sain Traijan Sain 6'5" | SF Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023 State IA , who had a game-high 18 points while Jesse Sellers Jesse Sellers 5'10" | PG Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023 State IA chipped in 10 in the loss.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
Washington | 11 | 5 | 11 | 9 | 36 |
Kennedy | 12 | 18 | 13 | 10 | 53 |
Washington:
Traijan Sain
Traijan
Sain
6'5" | SF
Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023
State
IA
18,
Jesse Sellers
Jesse
Sellers
5'10" | PG
Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023
State
IA
10,
JJ Willis
JJ
Willis
6'3" | PF
Cedar Rapids Washington | 2024
State
IA
4, Stephen Cain 4
Kennedy:
Colby Dolphin
Colby
Dolphin
5'10" | PG
Kennedy | 2023
State
IA
13,
Jackson Bowman
Jackson
Bowman
6'7" | PF
Cedar Rapids Kennedy | 2022
State
IA
8,
Craig Mills
Craig
Mills
6'5" | PF
Kennedy | 2022
State
IA
8, Carter Newhouse 8,
Kenzie Reed
Kenzie
Reed
5'11" | PG
Kennedy | 2023
State
IA
7,
Carson Blietz
Carson
Blietz
5'11" | SG
Cedar Rapids Kennedy | 2022
State
IA
5,
Cyrus Courtney
Cyrus
Courtney
6'1" | SG
Kennedy | 2024
State
IA
4
Kennedy’s work on the offensive glass
The Cougars pulled down nine offensive rebounds in the win, with senior forward Jackson Bowman Jackson Bowman 6'7" | PF Cedar Rapids Kennedy | 2022 State IA leading the way with three of them and sophomore wing Cyrus Courtney Cyrus Courtney 6'1" | SG Kennedy | 2024 State IA chipping in a pair. The Cougars are athletic and the combination of Bowman and Craig Mills Craig Mills 6'5" | PF Kennedy | 2022 State IA 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.
Kenzie Reed Kenzie Reed 5'11" | PG Kennedy | 2023 State IA ’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 Cyrus Courtney Cyrus Courtney 6'1" | SG Kennedy | 2024 State IA , 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 Pryce Sandfort Pryce Sandfort 6'7" | SF Waukee Northwest | 2023 State #123 Nation IA , 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.
Washington a state tournament team next season?
The Warriors’ top five scorers this year were comprised of three juniors ( Traijan Sain Traijan Sain 6'5" | SF Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023 State IA , Jesse Sellers Jesse Sellers 5'10" | PG Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023 State IA , Jaden Harris Jaden Harris 6'0" | PG Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023 State IA ) and two sophomores ( JJ Willis JJ Willis 6'3" | PF Cedar Rapids Washington | 2024 State IA , Willie Hodges Willie Hodges 6'2" | PG Aplington-Parkersburg | 2024 IA ) 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.