Class 2A Substate Final Preview

Substate 1: West Lyon (22-1) vs. Unity Christian (19-4) [at Sioux Center]   These teams met twice during the regular season, with each winning on their home floor - 73-46 West Lyon on January 5, and a 61-58 Unity Christian win on January 29. The Wildcats are one of three teams who rank within the top 5 in both scoring offense (3rd, 72.0) and defense (4th, 45.5) this season behind the fantastic play of junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1759936' first='Carson' last='Hoogeveen'] (16.1, 4.0 assists, 39.7 3P%). A 6-0 guard who can play with or without the ball, he has been their catalyst on both ends of the floor. He's the only player averaging in double figures, but this is a deep, athletic team with a ton of balance, eight other players averaging between 4.3 and 8.9 points a game. Unity Christian has a pair of skilled guards in sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='2413578' first='Dylan' last='Bosma'] (13.7) and [player_tooltip player_id='2413600' first='Austin' last='Wieringa'] (12.0) leading the way, and they've been solid on both ends of the floor. They're an athletic team that, like West Lyon, is able to go deep with six other players averaging between 4.0 and 7.2 points a game. West Lyon is the better team on both ends of the floor, and has the best player on the floor. The pick: West Lyon   Substate 2: Western Christian (19-3) vs. Estherville Lincoln Central (19-3) [at Sibley-Ocheyedan]   Former Lakes Conference foes meet here in a series that has been dominated historically by Western Christian. The most historically dominant program in the state, the Wolfpack have a real chance to add another state title to their trophy case this season, but getting through [player_tooltip player_id='1171659' first='Owen' last='Larson'] (27.3, 8.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists) and the Midgets will be tough. Larson, a future South Dakota State guard, has been superlative this season and he certainly has the ability to take over a game as both a scorer and playmaker. [player_tooltip player_id='2721777' first='Sincere' last='McMurran'] (11.4), [player_tooltip player_id='2325337' first='Cael' last='Miller'] (11.2), and Jordan Jensen (10.9) have stepped up and been solid scorers alongside Larson, and it will be interesting to see what kind of game plan Western Christian comes into this one with. Will they let Larson get his and take away the rest of the team? Or will they throw a box-and-one at him and make the rest of the team beat them? On the offensive end for the Wolfpack, [player_tooltip player_id='1436462' first='Kaden' last='Van Regenmorter'] (19.4, 3.8 assists) is the leader, scoring and facilitating out of his high post position, where he's a threat to shoot, drive, or pass. [player_tooltip player_id='1484412' first='Karsten' last='Moret'] (12.9, 40.4 3P%) and [player_tooltip player_id='2377331' first='Caleb' last='Douma'] (6.5, 42.3 3P%) get lots of open looks from Van Regenmorter's playmaking and gravity, and this is a skilled team that shares the ball extremely well, plays good defense, and knows how to win games. The pick: Western Christian   Substate 3: Hudson (22-2) vs. North Fayette Valley (21-3) [at Dike-New Hartford]   Hudson has been truly fantastic this season, with their two losses coming to the #1 team in 3A, Decorah, and the #1 team in 4A, Kennedy. They've dominated 2A competition, winning all 16 games by an average of 32.4 points per game. The Pirates are #2 in scoring offense (73.5) and #5 in scoring defense (45.7), and they are explosive. [player_tooltip player_id='1476978' first='Camden' last='Davis'] (19.7, 10.0 rebounds, 58.9 FG%), a mobile forward with great footwork and touch, is the headliner in the paint, flanked by [player_tooltip player_id='2325396' first='Culin' last='Ugrin'] (13.4, 44.1 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='2325381' first='Lyle' last='Olsen'] (10.4, 5.6 assists), and [player_tooltip player_id='1288893' first='Tanner' last='Michael'] (10.1, 45.9 3P%). They can score in bunches, and are a really good defensive team that forces turnovers and doesn't allow many open looks. [player_tooltip player_id='1951832' first='Cael' last='Reichter'] (22.5, 13.6 rebounds, 55.6 FG%) is coming off a ridiculous 23-point, 23-rebound, 10-block outing against MFL MarMac, and the 6-6 forward will need to be elite against Hudson if the TigerHawks are going to remain competitive in this one. The pick: Hudson   Substate 4: West Burlington (22-0) vs. Cascade (18-4) [at Iowa City High]   The undefeated Falcons may have answered some questions about their strength of schedule with a dominant win over West Branch in the district final. Despite being undersized, they make up for it with their quickness, athleticism, and commitment to flying around the floor on the defensive end. [player_tooltip player_id='1171665' first='Brady' last='Martin'] (15.9, 3.9 assists) was particularly brilliant on that end of the floor against the Bears, and he'll need to be great again, as he'll likely draw the [player_tooltip player_id='1587383' first='Jackson' last='Lieurance'] (22.9, 39.8 3P%) assignment. West Burlington is led offensively by junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1381425' first='Mason' last='Watkins'] (21.6, 41.3 3P%), a quick, talented guard who can score from anywhere and create off the bounce. [player_tooltip player_id='2397997' first='Quincy' last='Collins'] (13.2, 8.1 rebounds) is a bouncy athlete who can be a difference maker here. For Cascade, sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1978108' first='Mick' last='Hoffman'] (14.0, 43.8 3P%) has been really good as a secondary scorer alongside Lieurance, and his ability to stretch the floor and create off the dribble has been huge for the Cougars. The X-factor for Cascade here will be junior forwards [player_tooltip player_id='1405102' first='Nathan' last='Schockemoehl'] (9.6, 8.8 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id='2398021' first='Will' last='Keeney'] (6.0). Their size could be a major factor here. Will the speed and athleticism of West Burlington be the difference, or will the shot making and size of Cascade win out? The pick: Cascade   Substate 5: Pella Christian (18-5) vs. Regina (16-6) [at Liberty]   Regina senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2325496' first='Michael' last='Martin'] (17.8, 43.8 3P%) had a huge game against a fantastic defense in Alburnett, scoring 28 points, more than half of the Regals' output, to get to this point. He'll need to deliver another elite performance here against Pella Christian if Regina wants to advance to the state tournament in Paul Rundquist's first year at the school. Martin is a good off-ball guard who moves well without the ball in his hands and shoots it really well off the catch, but the Eagles have a number of lanky wing defenders that they can throw at him and they've been really good on the defensive end of the floor despite playing against one of the toughest schedules in the state. [player_tooltip player_id='2419768' first='Tate' last='Wallace'] (12.3, 54.8 FG%) and [player_tooltip player_id='2419815' first='Will' last='Litton'] (8.4, 63.6 FG%), a pair of freshmen forwards, have also been really good for the Regals but will have their hands full with the size and athleticism that PC puts on the floor. Pella Christian is led by dynamic and experienced senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1423351' first='Tysen' last='Devries'] (14.1, 45.4 3P%), who has played in a ton of big games over the last few years for PC. A tough, quick guard who doesn't shy away from the moment, he could have a huge game here with his ability to break down a defense and get to the rim. [player_tooltip player_id='1872424' first='Dane' last='Geetings'] (13.9), [player_tooltip player_id='2325478' first='Josiah' last='Vos'] (8.0), and [player_tooltip player_id='2377407' first='Isaiah' last='Breems'] (6.6) are the aforementioned athletic, long wing defenders, and the Eagles can fairly comfortably go ten deep in their rotation. Four of the Eagles' five losses this season came to 4A schools Dallas Center-Grimes and Norwalk, a pair of teams that will be playing for berths in the 4A state tournament. The pick: Pella Christian   Substate 6: Kuemper Catholic (19-3) vs. Grundy Center (19-3) [at Boone]   Kuemper Catholic has been electric on the offensive end this season, leading the class in scoring at 75.1 points per game behind an attack filled with 3-point marksmen. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='1765503' first='Brock' last='Badding'] (13.5, 46.6 3P%) leads the way, having knocked down 81 3s on the season, but six Knights have made at least 18 3s this season, giving them a multitude of shooting threats alongside Badding. [player_tooltip player_id='1288927' first='Michael' last='Kasperbauer'] (12.3) is more of a slasher, putting the ball on the floor and attacking, but is also a capable shooter, as is [player_tooltip player_id='1951817' first='Tregan' last='Beiter'] (11.1). Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1759944' first='Carson' last='Kanne'] (10.1, 5.5 assists) has been exceptional with his ball security, posting a 4.17 assist-to-turnover ratio on the season. The Knights like to play fast and use their speed to their advantage, but one area of concern popped up during their district final, and it's something that Grundy Center could take advantage of here. In that district final, South Central Calhoun outrebounded the Knights 36-22, taking advantage of the smaller lineup that Kuemper plays with following the DJ Vonnahme injury. Junior 6-6 wing [player_tooltip player_id='1478357' first='Jalen' last='Kirkpatrick'] (16.3, 38.5 3P%) leads a balanced Grundy Center attack that features eight players averaging at least 3.8 points a game. Kirkpatrick has the ability to score from all three levels, shooting over the defense, and he can defend multiple positions. The Spartans don't have any one dominant rebounder (nobody averages more than 5.8 rebounds a game), but they're long, physical, and athletic, and they'll be able to pound the offensive glass here. The Spartans share the ball extremely well, averaging just under 21 assists a game, and with their depth and toughness, they can take advantage of the smaller Knights here. I'm going against my original pick from the substate preview here because the rebounding issues against SCC alarmed me. The pick: Grundy Center   Substate 7: Treynor (20-3) vs. Grand View Christian (13-9) [at West Central Valley]   Treynor won a regular-season meeting between these teams 74-60 back on January 6, which should be encouraging for the Cardinals. But it should also be encouraging for the Thunder, as they played terribly in that game and have a new piece in the rotation that wasn't there for that game. In that meeting, GVC shot just 27.7% from the floor, including an uncharacteristic 3-15 from [player_tooltip player_id='1381402' first='Emiliano' last='Barrantes'] (27.7, 15.0 rebounds, 3.1 blocks, 61.8 FG%), who has been dominant on both ends of the floor this season. They also turned it over 16 times, an area that they have struggled with this season, but the addition of [player_tooltip player_id='2349501' first='Jameson' last='Scharnberg'] (12.0, 3.0 assists, 52.9 3P%), a talented ball-handler and playmaker has added another dimension to the Thunder attack, as his the emergence of sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id='2287857' first='Brayden' last='Hoben'] (15.6, 36.0 3P%), who has really shoot it well down the stretch. Treynor is led by a five-guard lineup of [player_tooltip player_id='1376717' first='Jace' last='Tams'] (19.3, 35.8 3P%), Ethan Konz (14.8, 36.2 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='1978103' first='Alec' last='Lovely'] (9.8, 5.3 assists), Karson Elwood (9.5, 3.9 assists), and Aaron Ehmke (5.2), which allows them to spread the floor and use their speed to attack the rim. Unfortunately, attacking the rim plays right into GVC's hands with the 6-8 Barrantes, 6-5 Hoben, and 6-4 [player_tooltip player_id='1476971' first='Noah' last='John'] protecting the rim defensively. Coach Scott Rucker is one of the best tacticians in the state and will have the Cardinals ready for this one, but it's hard to see GVC playing much worse than they did in that initial meeting. The pick: Grand View Christian   Substate 8: Underwood (23-0) vs. South Hamilton (18-4) [at Waukee Northwest]   Underwood has put together a special year, undefeated to this point and with a chance to make their first state tournament. The Eagles are a senior-laden team that ranks within the top four in the class in both scoring offense (4th, 71.5) and defense (3rd, 44.6). Simply put, they've been truly dominant on both ends of the floor this season. This is a program that has been building for this year for the last four, going from 10 wins to 15, to 19, and now 23 and a potential trip to Des Moines. Five seniors lead the way in Mason Boothby (13.4, 3.7 assists), Josh Ravlin (12.7, 41.4 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='2377360' first='Owen' last='Larsen'] (11.0, 6.9 rebounds), [player_tooltip player_id='1751187' first='Jack' last='Vanfossan'] (10.7, 10.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists), and Luke Seidler (9.6, 38.0 3P%), giving them an experienced, balanced attack that can beat you in a number of different ways. The 6-4 big man Vanfossan nearly had a triple-double in the district final, scoring 8 points with 10 rebounds and 9 assists, and his passing out of the post gives teams a different look than they're accustomed to seeing. If South Hamilton is going to pull off the upset here, they'll need huge games from their senior frontcourt standouts [player_tooltip player_id='2204891' first='Ryland' last='Ubben'] (17.6, 9.4 rebounds) and Reece Ricke (12.4, 8.7 rebounds). The Hawks don't shoot it well from deep (27.2 3P%), but they are a team that pounds the glass hard on both ends of the floor. They'll both need to be excellent to beat this Underwood team that seems to be on a mission. Underwood makes history tonight and punches their first ever ticket to the state basketball tournament in an impressive showing on both ends of the floor. The pic: Underwood

Substate 1: West Lyon (22-1) vs. Unity Christian (19-4) [at Sioux Center]