Class 3A Substate Quarterfinal Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Top Five Games</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Glenwood (12-8) at Lewis Central (13-6)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hawkeye Ten rivals meet for the third time this year after having split during the regular season. Each team won on their home floor, with Lewis Central winning 75-57 on December 19, and Glenwood nabbing a 60-55 victory on February 13. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1751214' first='Nash' last='Paulson'] (16.4, 43.2 3P%) is the go-to scorer for Lewis Central, a good shooter who moves well without the ball. Jackson Larsen (9.3) gives them some more scoring, and Curtis Witte (7.1, 5.8 assists) has been really good as the table-setter for the Titans. The Rams have three double-figure scorers in Kayden Anderson (15.2, 3.7 assists), Ayden Gibson (10.5), and Casey Godbout (10.3), giving them three scoring weapons they can rely on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Storm Lake (12-8) at Sergeant Bluff-Luton (11-10)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coach Adam Vander Schaaf once again has Sergeant Bluff-Luton playing well at the right time, as the Warriors have won seven straight heading into the postseason after starting the year 4-10. They're a really good defensive team, allowing just 49.2 points a game, 6th in the class. Seniors Scott Dickson (12.6) and Emiliano Gonzalez (12.2) lead the team offensively, while sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1978139' first='Isaiah' last='Jervik'] (8.7, 4.5 assists) is a good playmaker who sets his teammates up. The Warriors will have their hands full with Storm Lake's sophomore star [player_tooltip player_id='1765515' first='Jaidyn' last='Coon'] (19.8, 8.7 rebounds), an athletic 6-6/6-7 combo forward who is drawing some Power 5 interest early in his recruitment. He's a bouncy athlete who finishes above the rim with authority and flair, and he can stretch the floor. Fellow sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1765508' first='Cameron' last='Boyd'] (12.6, 5.3 assists) can help space the floor, and [player_tooltip player_id='1945657' first='Justin' last='Guynn'] (14.1) gives them a downhill scorer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>North Polk (10-12) at Algona (14-7)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A pair of state tournament teams from last season meet up in this quarterfinal game. North Polk lost a lot of production to graduation, but brought back senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1751215' first='Reggie' last='Postel'] (18.8, 3.0 assists), who leads the team in scoring and assists. Graedan Sullivan (10.0, 6.9 rebounds) gives them some rebounding and size, and Charlie Bunkers (7.5) and Brady Schultz (5.9) have been solid contributors on the wing. Algona is led by the one-two punch of juniors [player_tooltip player_id='1288917' first='Ben' last='Helmers'] (20.8) and [player_tooltip player_id='1484419' first='Alex' last='Manske'] (16.6). Helmers, an athletic 6-3 guard who thrives when playing downhill, is a dynamic playmaker, while Manske, a future Iowa State quarterback, is an athletic and physical forward who can control the glass and stretch the floor. Algona has been a bit more consistent, but North Polk has played a tougher schedule and has some really nice wins on their resume. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Xavier (10-11) at Maquoketa (13-8)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>According to BC Moore's power ranking system, Xavier has played the hardest schedule in 3A, which will prepare them well for postseason play. The Saints are led by 6-8 big man [player_tooltip player_id='1751083' first='Tyler' last='Netolicky'] (13.2, 10.8 rebounds, 58.7 FG%), a mobile big with the size and skill that Maquoketa may not be able to match up with. Sophomore guards [player_tooltip player_id='1978144' first='Zander' last='Murray'] (10.2) and [player_tooltip player_id='1361499' first='Lorenzo' last='Pino'] (5.9) are asked to do a lot of ball-handling for the Saints, and they'll need to handle the speed of Maquoketa's guards. [player_tooltip player_id='2204878' first='Kaleb' last='Wilgenbusch'] (8.7) and [player_tooltip player_id='2325576' first='Dominic' last='D'Amico'] (7.6, 38.3 3P%) are older players but they don't have a ton of experience for Xavier. Maquoketa plays an up-and-down style with three double-figure scorers in seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1376691' first='Tye' last='Hardin'] (20.1, 8.5 rebounds), [player_tooltip player_id='1751093' first='Tyler' last='Hinz'] (14.5, 5.2 assists), and [player_tooltip player_id='1376709' first='Carter' last='Meyer'] (12.9), and they're a team that launches 3s in bunches. If they're knocking them down, they can drop 80+ on just about anyone.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Knoxville (14-7) at Newton (10-11)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is another instance of a major gap in strength of schedule rankings, with Newton having played the 8th most difficult schedule in the class, and Knoxville checking in at 56th. Newton is led by seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1256300' first='Caleb' last='Mattes'] (14.0, 4.3 assists) and Chandler Lawson (11.0, 7.0 rebounds), and sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2413557' first='Caden' last='Klein'] (10.2, 42.6 3P%). The Cardinals are playing well, having gone 5-2 in their last seven games. Knoxville is led by the Norris brothers - junior [player_tooltip player_id='1668669' first='Landen' last='Norris'] (19.9, 8.5 rebounds) and freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2231637' first='Lincoln' last='Norris'] (10.5). Both are good three-level scorers who can play with or without the ball, and junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2511505' first='Kaiden' last='Smith'] (7.3, 6.4 rebounds, 2.7 blocks) is a bit of an X-factor for the Panthers because of his size (6-6/6-7), length, and defensive versatility. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Upset Alert</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lewis Central: </strong>The Titans split with Glenwood during the regular season, and while getting the rubber match at home is certainly an advantage, the Rams know they can beat this group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sergeant Bluff-Luton: </strong>The Warriors are playing really good ball, especially on the defensive end, but Storm Lake has the most dynamic individual player on the floor, which makes the Tornadoes dangerous.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Denison-Schleswig: </strong>Carroll lost to the Monarchs by 7 back on February 3 and will be anxious to get another crack at them. The Tigers shot just 3-12 from the line in that game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Algona: </strong>North Polk has a go-to scorer in [player_tooltip player_id='1751215' first='Reggie' last='Postel'], and the Comets have played good basketball down the stretch and have a resume that includes wins over Pella, Winterset, Bondurant-Farrar (twice), and Ballard. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wahlert Catholic: </strong>Wahlert and Western Dubuque split during the regular season, with each winning on their home court. Bobcats big man [player_tooltip player_id='1288920' first='Kanyon' last='Bryte'] is a difficult matchup, and he'll be looking to bounce back against Wahlert after fouling out in the last meeting.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Maquoketa: </strong>The Cardinals can certainly score, but do they have an answer for Netolicky in the paint? Xavier won't be intimidated by anyone after going through the rigors of the MVC.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mount Vernon: </strong>The Mustangs could struggle with the size and athleticism of Central DeWitt's frontcourt - 6-7 [player_tooltip player_id='1751186' first='Landon' last='Schroeder'] and 6-6 [player_tooltip player_id='1484410' first='Ryan' last='Watters'], who combine to average 27.1 points and 14.6 rebounds a game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Keokuk: </strong>The Chiefs and Mount Pleasant split during the regular season, with each winning on their home court. The rubber match is being played in Keokuk, but guard [player_tooltip player_id='1376720' first='Payton' last='Hagans'], averaging 23.4 points for Mount Pleasant, can go off at any point in time.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Newton: </strong>The Cardinals have played the more difficult schedule, but the one-two punch of the Norris brothers can score in bunches for Knoxville.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Picking all 32<br></span>Substate 1: MOC-Floyd Valley, Lewis Central, Heelan, Sergeant Bluff-Luton<br>Substate 2: Clear Lake, North Polk, Ballard, Humboldt<br>Substate 3: Decorah, Western Dubuque, Charles City, Hampton-Dumont-CAL<br>Substate 4: Marion, Xavier, Assumption, Mount Vernon<br>Substate 5: Solon, Keokuk, Clear Creek Amana, Williamsburg<br>Substate 6: Waverly-Shell Rock, Gilbert, Nevada, Grinnell<br>Substate 7: Winterset, Knoxville, Pella, Clarke<br>Substate 8: ADM, Carroll, Bondurant-Farrar, Harlan</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->