Substate Preview: 2A-3
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District 5 The favorite: Things set up pretty well here for Roland-Story, who has rolled through the regular season, dropping just one game to powerhouse Grand View Christian. The Norsemen got a taste of the state tournament last year, and…
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Continue ReadingDistrict 5
The favorite: Things set up pretty well here for Roland-Story, who has rolled through the regular season, dropping just one game to powerhouse Grand View Christian. The Norsemen got a taste of the state tournament last year, and have been itching to get back. They’re one of three 2A teams to rank within the top 10 in both scoring offense (5th, 73.7) and defense (7th, 46.1). Senior guard Isaiah Naylor Isaiah Naylor 6'0" | SG Roland-Story | 2023 State IA (17.9) leads the team in scoring, a dynamic shot creator with a pure stroke who can get scorching hot. Do-it-all junior wing Jonovan Wilkinson Jonovan Wilkinson 6'2" | SF Roland-Story | 2024 State IA (16.5, 4.2 assists) is the team’s most important player. A 6-4 wing who can defend multiple positions, initiate offense, and score from all three levels, they will go as he goes. Luke Patton Luke Patton 6'5" | PF Roland-Story | 2023 State IA (10.7, 13.6 rebounds) has been absolutely dominant on the glass, and they’ve gotten solid production out of their role players, with four other players averaging between 5.8 and 7.7 points a game. The Norsemen hold wins over the #2 seed Iowa Falls (29), #3 South Hardin (15), and #4 PCM (25, 6).
The biggest threat: The #2 seed in the district, Iowa Falls-Alden, has a 13-point win over likely semifinal opponent South Hardin on its resume, and getting the rematch at home will make them the favorite to come out of the bottom of the district. Senior forward Andrew Bicknese (11.6) and junior Jaden Damiano (10.3) lead a balanced offensive attack for a team that has played the toughest schedule (per BC Moore) of the teams in the district, which could be a benefit.
The dark horse: Just last week, PCM played Roland-Story to a 6-point game, losing 66-60 at the Norsemen. Playing the top seed that close very recently has to give the Mustangs some confidence heading into a third meeting (provided they win their opener). The Mustangs are led by junior forward Jacob Wendt Jacob Wendt 6'2" | PF PCM | 2024 State IA (14.5, 9.5 rebounds), a dominant rebounder and efficient scorer. This group doesn’t shoot it well from deep, but they rebound well, play pretty good defense, and are comfortable playing at a slower pace, which is what most postseason games turn into.
Players to watch
2023
Isaiah Naylor
Isaiah
Naylor
6'0" | SG
Roland-Story | 2023
State
IA
, Roland-Story
2024
Jonovan Wilkinson
Jonovan
Wilkinson
6'2" | SF
Roland-Story | 2024
State
IA
, Roland-Story
2023
Luke Patton
Luke
Patton
6'5" | PF
Roland-Story | 2023
State
IA
, Roland-Story
2023 Andrew Bicknese, Iowa Falls-Alden
2024 Jaden Damiano, Iowa Falls-Alden
2024
Jacob Wendt
Jacob
Wendt
6'2" | PF
PCM | 2024
State
IA
, PCM
2025 Gavin Van Gorp, PCM
2023 Jake Teske, South Hardin
2024
Lane Luiken
Lane
Luiken
6'2" | SF
South Hardin | 2024
State
IA
, South Hardin
2023
Ryan Walters
Ryan
Walters
6'0" | PG
South Hardin | 2023
State
IA
, South Hardin
District 6
The favorite: When these brackets were released on Monday, Grundy Center was given the district’s top seed. If they had been released on Tuesday, that honor probably would have gone to Hudson, since the Pirates beat the Spartans by 11 points, on the road, on Monday night. That head-to-head win, very recently, makes Hudson the team to beat in the district. The Pirates ended the regular season with a 16-6 record, but those six losses came against teams with a combined record of 111-10, so they’ve been battle-tested, and as their win over Grundy Center showed, they’re ready for the moment, despite being young. Three juniors lead the team in scoring in Camden Davis Camden Davis 6'5" | SF Hudson | 2024 State IA (19.3, 10.5 rebounds), Culin Ugrin Culin Ugrin 6'1" | SG Hudson | 2024 State IA (10.9), and Lyle Olsen Lyle Olsen 6'0" | PG Hudson | 2024 State IA (10.2, 5.8 assists). An athletic, physical team that shares the ball well, they have a dominant player in Davis, and a lot of quality pieces around him that understand their roles. They also own a season sweep of likely semifinal opponent Dike-New Hartford, beating the Wolverines by 18 and 14 points.
The biggest threat: Another young, but very talented, team in this district is the top-seed Grundy Center. The Spartans are led by a trio of sophomores – Jalen Kirkpatrick Jalen Kirkpatrick 6'6" | SF Grundy Center | 2025 State IA (16.9), Tiernan Vokes Tiernan Vokes 6'4" | SF Grundy Center | 2025 State IA (12.5), and Brayden Wallis Brayden Wallis 6'4" | SG Grundy Center | 2025 State IA (7.5). Kirkpatrick, an athletic, long 6-6 wing, can score inside and out efficiently and is one of the most talented players in this substate. They share the ball extremely well, averaging over 17 assists a game, and they love to pound the offensive glass, pulling down nearly 13 offensive rebounds a game. The Spartans are the best defensive team in the district, go deep into their bench, and have a lot of talent. It certainly shouldn’t surprise anyone if they emerge from District 6 and reach the substate final.
The dark horse: Dike-New Hartford was swept by Hudson in the regular season, but the Wolverines would love to have a chance to get a third spot at the Pirates. Benton Bixby Benton Bixby 6'5" | PF Dike-New Hartford | 2023 State IA (18.0, 7.7 rebounds) and Braxten Johnson 913.3, 7.7 rebounds) are a pair of active forwards who can control the glass on both ends of the floor, while Colin Meester (12.0, 5.5 assists) is a solid lead guard who protects the ball and gets others involved.
Players to watch
2024
Camden Davis
Camden
Davis
6'5" | SF
Hudson | 2024
State
IA
, Hudson
2024
Culin Ugrin
Culin
Ugrin
6'1" | SG
Hudson | 2024
State
IA
, Hudson
2024
Lyle Olsen
Lyle
Olsen
6'0" | PG
Hudson | 2024
State
IA
, Hudson
2025
Jalen Kirkpatrick
Jalen
Kirkpatrick
6'6" | SF
Grundy Center | 2025
State
IA
, Grundy Center
2025
Tiernan Vokes
Tiernan
Vokes
6'4" | SF
Grundy Center | 2025
State
IA
, Grundy Center
2025
Brayden Wallis
Brayden
Wallis
6'4" | SG
Grundy Center | 2025
State
IA
, Grundy Center
2023
Benton Bixby
Benton
Bixby
6'5" | PF
Dike-New Hartford | 2023
State
IA
, Dike-New Hartford
2023 Braxten Johnson, Dike-New Hartford
2025 Colin Meester, Dike-New Hartford
2024
Jackson Anderson
Jackson
Anderson
6'0" | PG
Union | 2024
State
IA
, Union
2026
Caden Sorensen
Caden
Sorensen
5'9" | PG
Union | 2026
State
IA
, Union
2024
Tyreon Franklin
Tyreon
Franklin
6'1" | PG
Eagle-grove | 2024
IA
, Belmond-Klemme
2023
Junior Brown
Junior
Brown
5'8" | SG
East Marshall | 2023
State
IA
, East Marshall
SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION
Roland-Story vs. Hudson
The established team looking to get back to the state tournament and make a run versus the young, up-and-coming team that may have arrived a year early. This one would be a lot of fun, but we’ll side with the veteran group from Roland-Story, a fantastic defensive team that finds a way to slow down Hudson’s potent offense. The Norsemen get back to the state tournament for the second year in a row.