State Tournament Preview: Class 2A Breakout Candidates

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2360905' first='Lucas' last='Schechinger'] (Regina Catholic)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 6-2 wing who comes off the bench for the Regals looking to score, Schechniger is averaging 7.1 points on 44-39 shooting splits. He can create off the dribble, moves well without the ball in his hands, and is a talented shooter with a quick release and plenty of confidence. If Regina is going to pull off an upset over Western Christian in the quarterfinals, they'll need to get some scoring off the bench, and Schechniger is the go-to guy there.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2377331' first='Caleb' last='Douma'] (Western Christian)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Douma, a 6-2 lead guard, gets overshadowed a bit by Western's two star juniors, but he has been a solid all-around player for the Wolfpack and is the type of player who needs to have a good week for a team to win the title. He does a bit of everything, averaging 6.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while knocking down 40.7% from 3.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413619' first='Corbin' last='Thien'] (Treynor)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 6-6 sophomore forward who has appeared in all 24 games off the bench for the Cardinals, Thien is an efficient scorer (51.5 FG%) averaging 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds a game. On a team that lacks much size, having him in the paint is huge for them defensively.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2397376' first='Kobe' last='Davis'] (West Burlington)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Falcons have one of the best backcourts in the class, and while Davis can be overlooked among their best players, the 6-1 guard is a solid playmaker and good, quick defender with great hands. He's averaging 7.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.7 steals a game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413514' first='Judd' last='Jirovsky'] (Grundy Center)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A sophomore guard who can provide a huge scoring punch off the bench for the Spartans, Jirovsky is averaging 5.9 points and 3.1 assists a game on 51-40-80 shooting splits. As he showed in the Spartans' loss late in the season to Grand View Christian, going for 23 points, he's capable of an explosive scoring game, which can change the complexion of a game in a hurry.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 Kiean Crile (Hudson)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Crile is the only non-senior in the starting lineup for the Pirates, and while nothing that he does will overwhelm you, he does everything well on both ends of the floor and is the type of glue guy that you need to win a title. He's averaging 6.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists a game.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2419800' first='Tyce' last='Van Donge'] (Unity Christian)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The 6-2 freshman forward has given the Knights solid minutes on both ends of the floor this season, averaging 4.9 points and 3.5 rebounds a game. He plays with a lot of energy, and his work on the offensive glass in particular could help the Knights gain a valuable extra possession or two in what could be a tight game against Underwood.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731691' first='Garrett' last='Luett'] (Underwood)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The only non-senior in Underwood' regular rotation, Luett is a 6-4 forward who scores efficiently on the block, shooting 63% from the floor en route to averaging 6.8 points and 5.0 rebounds a game. He has also shown some ability to step out and stretch the floor, going 7-17 from the arc on limited attempts. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->