Substate Preview: 2A-8

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/2A-15.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/2A-15.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1785907" /></a></figure>   District 15   The favorite: After finishing runner-up in 2A last year, Central Lyon has been on a mission this season, winning games by an average of 30.3 points a game behind an offensive attack that is the best in the class, putting up 78.1 points a game. An athletic, physical, talented team led by arguably the best player in the class, this is a group that is itching to add a state basketball title to its impressive list of athletic accomplishments over the last few years. [player_tooltip player_id='1253020' first='Zach' last='Lutmer'] (20.4, 5.9 assists), a future Iowa football player, is the team's headliner. He's a dynamic athlete who uses his speed, strength, and physicality to routinely bully his way to the bucket for finishes, and he also sees the floor extremely well. An efficient scorer who is posting 57-43-76 shooting splits, he's the one that makes everything go for the Lions, but he's far from alone. [player_tooltip player_id='1367399' first='Andrew' last='Austin'] (20.1, 8.8 rebounds), a solid role player on last year's team, has taken his game up another level this year, emerging as a dominant interior scorer, while junior [player_tooltip player_id='1751110' first='Reece' last='Vander Zee'] (17.3, 49.0 3P%) is another dynamic scorer who can score inside and out. An athletic team with the best player in the class, as well as plenty of experience on the big stage, this is the team to beat, not only in the district, but in the state.   The biggest threat: West Sioux has been pretty impressive this season, racking up a 17-4 regular-season record, with those four losses coming to teams with a combined 69-11 record. The Falcons are a dynamic offensive team that has three averaging in double figures in [player_tooltip player_id='1738706' first='Booker' last='Walsh'] (17.1), [player_tooltip player_id='956885' first='Mason' last='Coppock'] (16.7), and Brady Lynott (10.1), with two others just outside. Walsh is a lanky, athletic forward who finishes at a high level around the bucket, while Coppock and Lynott are the team's top ball handlers and decision makers. Coppock is a good shooter who can get hot and carry this team, and this is a group that is going to be able to score on just about anyone.   The dark horse: Unity Christian lost their regular season meeting with West Sioux by 11 points, but that game was way back on December 6, and the Knights have gotten much better since then. They head into postseason play winning six of their last eight, with the two losses coming to 3A teams MOC-Floyd Valley and Bishop Heelan, a pair of teams that have spent a majority of the season ranked within the top 10 in 3A. Sophomore wing Braedan Bosma (13.9) and freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='2413578' first='Dylan' last='Bosma'] (13.4) are the top scoring threats, a pair of perimeter-oriented players who can both really shoot it. [player_tooltip player_id='1738703' first='Tyce' last='Van Beek'] (12.9) and [player_tooltip player_id='1367448' first='Jacob' last='Van Donge'] (8.5) are good ball handlers and decision makers who average 9.0 assists a game combined. A disciplined team that shares the ball and has a number of playmakers, this group is peaking at the right time.   Players to watch 2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1253020' first='Zach' last='Lutmer'], Central Lyon 2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1367399' first='Andrew' last='Austin'], Central Lyon 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1751110' first='Reece' last='Vander Zee'], Central Lyon 2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1738706' first='Booker' last='Walsh'], West Sioux 2023 [player_tooltip player_id='956885' first='Mason' last='Coppock'], West Sioux 2025 Braedan Bosma, Unity Christian 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413578' first='Dylan' last='Bosma'], Unity Christian 2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1738703' first='Tyce' last='Van Beek'], Unity Christian 2023 Carson Peirce, Hinton 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765526' first='Carter' last='Kleinwolterink'], Boyden-Hull   <figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/2A-16.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/02/2A-16.png" alt="" class="wp-image-1785912" /></a></figure>   District 16   The favorite: Despite being the #2 seed in the district, Treynor swept Underwood this year, with both wins coming by seven points, and with that data in tow, we have to peg the Cardinals as the favorite to come out of this district. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1376717' first='Jace' last='Tams'] (15.9) leads a trio of double figure scorers, with [player_tooltip player_id='1367406' first='Ethan' last='Dickerson'] (12.6, 2.8 blocks) and Ethan Konz (10.5) joining him. They have been excellent defensively, allowing just 46.0 points a game, which ranks 6th in the class, largely because of the rim protecting Dickerson at the back end of the defense. This group does a pretty good job limiting turnovers, crashes the offensive glass, and has the type of dynamic defensive team that can do a lot of damage in postseason play.   The biggest threat: As the district's top seed, Underwood has the advantage of playing an "easier" semifinal game, but the Eagles were swept in the regular season by Treynor, so it's hard to consider them the favorite here. They're led by a strong junior class, with their top three scorers all being juniors. [player_tooltip player_id='1751187' first='Jack' last='Vanfossan'] (14.4, 12.7 rebounds, 59.1 FG%) is a dominant interior scorer with good hands and soft touch around the bucket. The offense can flow through him, as he shares the team lead in assists, and he has proven to be a solid rim protector as well. Mason Boothby (12.5) and Josh Ravlin (10.4) are solid perimeter shooting threats, as is senior guard Alex Ravlin (10.4). With a deep stable of scoring threats, they could certainly get some revenge on Treynor for the pair of regular season losses and advance to the substate final.   The dark horse: It's hard to see anyone other than Treynor or Underwood coming out of this district, but Clarinda probably has the best chance to upset either of these teams. The Cardinals have a trio of double-figure scorers in Tadyn Brown (12.5), Cole Baumgart (12.0), and Wyatt Schmitt (11.2), and have been excellent on the offensive glass this season, pulling down nearly 13 offensive rebounds a game. If they're able to get into a slower, low-scoring slugfest and use their offensive rebounding to gain some extra possessions, they could pull off the upset.   Players to watch 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376717' first='Jace' last='Tams'], Treynor 2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1367406' first='Ethan' last='Dickerson'], Treynor 2024 Ethan Konz, Treynor 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1751187' first='Jack' last='Vanfossan'], Underwood 2024 Mason Boothby, Underwood 2024 Josh Ravlin, Underwood 2023 Tadyn Brown, Clarinda 2024 Cole Baumgart, Clarinda 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376714' first='Max' last='DeVries'], Red Oak 2024 Hunter Gilleland, Red Oak 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2221609' first='Brody' last='Lager'], Missouri Valley     SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION   Central Lyon vs. Treynor   As the top-ranked team in the state for a good chunk of the season, Central Lyon got a very favorable draw and takes full advantage of that, cruising back to the state tournament with a convincing win over Treynor.