The favorite: When Omaha Biliew Omaha Biliew 6'8" | SF Waukee | 2023 State IA (22.9, 10.5 rebounds) announced that he was headed back to Iowa for his senior year, Waukee went from a possible state tournament team to a…
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The favorite: When
Omaha Biliew
Omaha
Biliew
6'8" | SF
Waukee | 2023
State
IA
(22.9, 10.5 rebounds) announced that he was headed back to Iowa for his senior year, Waukee went from a possible state tournament team to a state championship favorite. The Warriors haven’t done much to dissuade that line of thinking, either, largely rolling through their schedule, with 13 of their 20 wins coming by double digits. The aforementioned Biliew is a five-star wing who can defend every position at this level, score inside and out, create for himself, and control the glass. The future Iowa State wing is the most dynamic player in the state and a possible future NBA player.
Vance Peiffer
Vance
Peiffer
6'7" | C
Waukee | 2023
State
IA
(10.8, 3.2 blocks) is one of the best defensive big men in the state, a versatile defender who can play in a variety of different coverages and score around the bucket or stretch the floor.
Cooper Randall
Cooper
Randall
6'4" | SG
Waukee | 2023
State
IA
(9.6, 41.2 3P%),
Mason Costello
Mason
Costello
6'3" | SG
Waukee | 2024
State
IA
(9.0, 35.1 3P%),
Cade Littlefield
Cade
Littlefield
6'1"
Waukee | 2023
IA
(5.5, 60.0 3P%), and
Keysean Moore
Keysean
Moore
6'0" | PG
Waukee | 2024
State
IA
(3.3, 42.9 3P%) are all good shooting threats from the arc, and as a team the Warriors are shooting 40.5% from deep. They have the best player in the state, and a veteran group of talented shooters and high IQ players around him.
The biggest threat: Council Bluffs Lincoln will get their semifinal game at home, giving them the edge to come out of the bottom of the bracket here. Junior wing
Cole Arnold
Cole
Arnold
6'2" | SF
Council Bluffs Lincoln | 2024
State
IA
(13.9) leads the team in scoring, a physical wing who transferred from Lewis Central to provide the Lynx with some perimeter scoring punch. Senior forward
Mathok Mathok
Mathok
Mathok
6'6" | PF
Council Bluffs Lincoln | 2023
State
IA
(13.5, 10.2 rebounds) is a bouncy, athletic forward who can protect the rim and dominate the glass. He pairs with sophomore forward
Creighton Bracker
Creighton
Bracker
6'6" | PF
Council Bluffs Lincoln | 2025
State
IA
(10.2, 9.2 rebounds) to give them a pair of strong forwards who can control the glass and thus control the game. They’ll have a major edge on the glass in their semifinal game, and if they reach the substate final, anything can happen in a one-game setting.
The dark horses: Urbandale is starting to play their best ball of the season, winning four of their last five coming into postseason play. The J-Hawks will have the unenviable task of heading to Waukee in the semifinals, but they’ve played the Warriors tough in both regular-season meetings, losing by 12 on December 13th and 7 on January 27th. Junior guard
Grant Uecker
Grant
Uecker
6'2" | PG
Urbandale | 2024
State
IA
(11.0) leads a balanced scoring effort. He’s a good shooter off both the dribble and the catch and a good ball-handler who can get others involved. Jack Craig (9.7),
Brevin Phillips
Brevin
Phillips
6'5" | PF
Urbandale | 2024
State
IA
(9.1),
Brice Lange
Brice
Lange
5'10" | SG
Urbandale | 2023
State
IA
(8.5), and Cole Garwood (7.0) are also solid scoring options, and in Phillips and Garwood, they have the physical interior presences who could give Waukee some issues.
Dallas Center-Grimes has a good chance to represent the bottom of the bracket in the substate final. The Mustangs have a trio of double-figure scorers in
Jonathan Howard
Jonathan
Howard
6'1" | SG
Dallas Center-Grimes | 2024
State
IA
(12.5), Hudson Ehlert (11.8), and
Calix Cahill
Calix
Cahill
6'5" | PF
Dallas Center-Grimes | 2024
State
IA
(11.3, 8.4 rebounds), and three others averaging between 6.0 and 7.3 points a game, giving them six reliable scoring threats. A team that isn’t going to beat themselves (11.5 turnovers a game), the ‘Stangs are disciplined, physical, and athletic.
Players to watch
2023
Omaha Biliew
Omaha
Biliew
6'8" | SF
Waukee | 2023
State
IA
, Waukee
2023
Vance Peiffer
Vance
Peiffer
6'7" | C
Waukee | 2023
State
IA
, Waukee
2023
Cooper Randall
Cooper
Randall
6'4" | SG
Waukee | 2023
State
IA
, Waukee
2024
Mason Costello
Mason
Costello
6'3" | SG
Waukee | 2024
State
IA
, Waukee
2024
Cole Arnold
Cole
Arnold
6'2" | SF
Council Bluffs Lincoln | 2024
State
IA
, Council Bluffs Lincoln
2023
Mathok Mathok
Mathok
Mathok
6'6" | PF
Council Bluffs Lincoln | 2023
State
IA
, Council Bluffs Lincoln
2025
Creighton Bracker
Creighton
Bracker
6'6" | PF
Council Bluffs Lincoln | 2025
State
IA
, Council Bluffs Lincoln
2024
Grant Uecker
Grant
Uecker
6'2" | PG
Urbandale | 2024
State
IA
, Urbandale
2024
Brevin Phillips
Brevin
Phillips
6'5" | PF
Urbandale | 2024
State
IA
, Urbandale
2024
Tyron Wright
Tyron
Wright
6'6" | PF
Roosevelt | 2024
State
IA
, Des Moines East
2025
Desmon Campbell
Desmon
Campbell
6'1"
Des Moines East | 2025
IA
, Des Moines East
2024
Jonathan Howard
Jonathan
Howard
6'1" | SG
Dallas Center-Grimes | 2024
State
IA
, Dallas Center-Grimes
2023 Hudson Ehlert, Dallas Center-Grimes
2024
Calix Cahill
Calix
Cahill
6'5" | PF
Dallas Center-Grimes | 2024
State
IA
, Dallas Center-Grimes
2026
Jayden McGregory
Jayden
McGregory
6'1" | PG
Des Moines North | 2026
IA
, Des Moines North
SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION
Waukee vs. Council Bluffs Lincoln
There isn’t too much intrigue here, as the overwhelming athleticism and talent of
Omaha Biliew
Omaha
Biliew
6'8" | SF
Waukee | 2023
State
IA
is too much for CBAL to overcome here and Waukee punches their ticket to the state tournament, where they’ll be considered one of the favorites to take home the 4A title.