Substate Preview: 3A-1
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The favorite: Despite being the substate’s top seed, Webster City is actually the fifth highest-ranked team at BC Moore (behind Heelan, ADM, Sergeant Bluff-Luton, and Carroll). The most talented team in the group is probably Heelan, and we’ll peg the…
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Continue ReadingThe favorite: Despite being the substate’s top seed, Webster City is actually the fifth highest-ranked team at BC Moore (behind Heelan, ADM, Sergeant Bluff-Luton, and Carroll). The most talented team in the group is probably Heelan, and we’ll peg the Crusaders as the favorite to come out of this substate, but they’re not without flaws. They’ve had some great highest this year, posting good wins over Western Christian, Council Bluffs Lincoln, and a split with Sergeant Bluff-Luton, but they also have a perplexing loss to LeMars, their first-round opponent, on the resume. Junior wing Matthew Noll Matthew Noll 6'7" | PF Bishop Heelan | 2024 State IA (17.7, 8.2 rebounds) is the most dynamic player in the substate, a long, athletic wing who can score from all three levels in bunches and carry this group. Carter Kuehl Carter Kuehl 5'11" | PG Bishop Heelan | 2023 State IA (14.6, 42.1 3P%) and Sam Skinner Sam Skinner 5'9" | SG Heelan | 2023 State IA (8.8, 38.5 3P%), a pair of veteran, senior guards, have provided some needed shooting to this team as well. Noll is the best player in the substate, and in what looks like a very balanced group of teams, the narrowest edge will go to Heelan because of him.
The biggest threats: Sergeant Bluff-Luton has gone 9-4 since the holiday break, and as one of the best defensive teams in the class (48.5 points per game allowed), the Warriors will be tough to beat in postseason play. Coach Adam Vander Schaaf always has this group peaking at the right time, and that appears to be the case again this year. This is a senior-laden roster, with seniors comprising the top six scorers, led by Dylon Schaap (13.2) and Tyler Smith Tyler Smith 5'10" | SG Sergeant Bluff-Luton | 2023 State IA (11.8). The Warriors don’t shoot it particularly well from deep, but they’ll rely on a disciplined, strong defense to keep games tight and try to use their experience to win late.
Webster City has rolled through their schedule, with the exception of a pair of losses to Clear Lake, behind a defense that ranks second in the class, allowing just 47.9 points a game. The Lynx have some quick guards on the perimeter who move their feet really well, and this group works well together on that end of the floor. Jaime Grossoehme Jaime Grossoehme 6'1" | SG Webster City | 2023 State IA (18.1, 40.0 3P%) leads a trio of double-figure scorers. A lefty sharpshooter who moves well without the ball in his hands and has improved as a creator, Grossoehme is the type of player who can drop 15 points in a quarter because of his elite shooting. The senior backcourt of Ty McKinney Ty McKinney 6'0" | PG Webster City | 2023 State IA (13.7, 3.4 assists) and Jayce Neuroth (4.2, 3.4 assists) do a great job running the offense and getting others involved, while junior forward Briar Klaver Briar Klaver 6'4" | SF Webster City | 2024 State IA (13.5, 8.5 rebounds) is a physical presence in the paint. This is a group that has won a ton of games and plays together really well. But they’ll need to be wary of their opening round game, a rematch with a Gilbert team that they needed overtime to beat by 6 last month.
The dark horses: ADM is 10-10 at the time of this writing, but the Tigers have six losses by single digits, including four by a single possession, so this is a team that was really close to being a top-2 seed in a substate instead of the #4 seed here. Junior guard Adam Bryte Adam Bryte 6'4" | SG Adel-DeSoto-Minburn | 2024 State IA (14.7, 47.9 3P%) is an elite 3-point shooter who can get scorching hot and carry his team for long stretches. Vince Benetti Vince Benetti 6'4" | PF ADM | 2023 State IA (10.3, 9.5 rebounds) is dominant on the glass, and the Tigers are able to put several other solid shooting threats alongside Bryte and Benetti, who each get a lot of defensive attention. They have a 28-point win over first-round opponent Denison-Schleswig on their resume.
Carroll is playing good basketball down the stretch, going 5-2 in their last seven games. The Tigers have five solid scoring threats, led by junior forward Evan Hammer Evan Hammer 6'4" | PF Carroll | 2024 State IA (14.2, 8.6 rebounds), an efficient interior option with the strength to power through contact and the soft hands and touch to finish efficiently. Bryce Berlau (10.8, 41.5 3P%) has been a breakout guard for this group, and Tanner Gotto Tanner Gotto 6'4" | SF Carroll | 2023 State IA (10.3) is a veteran presence who has played a ton of minutes for Carroll over the last few years.
Players to watch
2024
Matthew Noll
Matthew
Noll
6'7" | PF
Bishop Heelan | 2024
State
IA
, Heelan
2023
Carter Kuehl
Carter
Kuehl
5'11" | PG
Bishop Heelan | 2023
State
IA
, Heelan
2023 Dylon Schaap, Sergeant Bluff-Luton
2023
Tyler Smith
Tyler
Smith
5'10" | SG
Sergeant Bluff-Luton | 2023
State
IA
, Sergeant Bluff-Luton
2023
Jaime Grossoehme
Jaime
Grossoehme
6'1" | SG
Webster City | 2023
State
IA
, Webster City
2023
Ty McKinney
Ty
McKinney
6'0" | PG
Webster City | 2023
State
IA
, Webster City
2024
Briar Klaver
Briar
Klaver
6'4" | SF
Webster City | 2024
State
IA
, Webster City
2024
Adam Bryte
Adam
Bryte
6'4" | SG
Adel-DeSoto-Minburn | 2024
State
IA
, ADM
2023
Vince Benetti
Vince
Benetti
6'4" | PF
ADM | 2023
State
IA
, ADM
2024
Evan Hammer
Evan
Hammer
6'4" | PF
Carroll | 2024
State
IA
, Carroll
2023 Bryce Berlau, Carroll
2023
Carson Seuntjens
Carson
Seuntjens
6'1" | PG
Denison-Schleswig | 2023
State
IA
, Denison-Schleswig
2024
Luke Wiebers
Luke
Wiebers
6'1" | SG
Denison-Schleswig | 2024
State
IA
, Denison-Schleswig
2023 Alex Ruba, Gilbert
SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION
ADM vs. Heelan
This substate could go any number of directions, with six teams ranked within the top 24 at BC Moore. We like ADM to upset Webster City in the semifinals behind a big game from Bryte, while we’re taking Heelan to win the rubber match against SBL in the other semifinal to set up this final. Matthew Noll Matthew Noll 6'7" | PF Bishop Heelan | 2024 State IA proves to be too much as an all-around scorer and the Crusaders of Heelan advance to the state tournament for the first time since 2012.