Substate Preview: 2A-8
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District 15 The favorite: One of two 2A teams to rank within the top 5 in both scoring offense (5th, 70.8) and defense (5th, 44.2), Underwood finished off a perfect 21-0 regular season and is rolling into the postseason with…
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Continue ReadingDistrict 15
The favorite: One of two 2A teams to rank within the top 5 in both scoring offense (5th, 70.8) and defense (5th, 44.2), Underwood finished off a perfect 21-0 regular season and is rolling into the postseason with a real chance at the school’s first ever state tournament trip. This is a program that has been building towards this season for a few years now, led by five seniors who all average double figures (or very close to it) in Mason Boothby (13.6, 3.7 assists), Josh Ravlin (12.6, 41.9 3P%), Owen Larsen Owen Larsen 6'5" | PF Underwood | 2024 State IA (11.2, 7.0 rebounds), Jack Vanfossan Jack Vanfossan 6'3" | PF Underwood | 2024 State IA (10.7, 10.3 rebounds), and Luke Seidler (9.6, 37.0 3P%). They’ve been extremely efficient offensively, posting 53-38-62 shooting splits as a team. They’ve been dominant on the defensive end, averaging over 16 stocks (steals + blocks) per game. They’ve been fantastic on the glass, averaging 38.9 rebounds a game, including nearly 12 a night offensively. Simply put, this team has been a bit of a juggernaut, and they got a very manageable draw from the Association as a result. It could be a pretty big upset for the Eagles, ranked 7th at BC Moore (no other team in the district ranked higher than 41st), to not emerge from this district.
The biggest threat: East Sac County is the most likely team to come out of the bottom of the bracket, getting to host the semifinal meeting against (likely) Manson-Northwest Webster, a team they beat by nine earlier in the regular season. The Raiders are led by sophomore forward Ryan Clair Ryan Clair 6'4" | PF East Sac County | 2026 State IA (19.1, 11.4 rebounds), a do-it-all forward who impacts the game on both ends of the floor. Sam Julin (12.3, 39.3 3P%) is the top perimeter shooting threat, while Caleb Eichorn (9.9, 39.5 3P%) is solid as well. Luke Wright (10.9, 7.8 rebounds) gives them some more size and rebounding, which they’ll need against Underwood.
The dark horse: One of the top scorers in the class plays at Manson-Northwest Webster, junior wing Logan Moline Logan Moline 6'3" | SF Manson-Northwest Webster | 2025 State IA (25.4, 9.2 rebounds). Moline is at his best when he’s playing downhill and attacking the rim, but his jumper is just good enough that it needs to be respected. He’s joined by Kelan Koval Kelan Koval 6'0" | PG Manson Northwest Webster | 2025 State IA (16.0), another big-time scorer on the wing who can get to the rim for finishes. The Cougars will need to get three big games from that tandem if they want to pull off a few upsets and win the district, but crazier things have happened.
Players to watch
2024 Mason Boothby, Underwood
2024 Josh Ravlin, Underwood
2024
Owen Larsen
Owen
Larsen
6'5" | PF
Underwood | 2024
State
IA
, Underwood
2024
Jack Vanfossan
Jack
Vanfossan
6'3" | PF
Underwood | 2024
State
IA
, Underwood
2026
Ryan Clair
Ryan
Clair
6'4" | PF
East Sac County | 2026
State
IA
, East Sac County
2025 Sam Julin, East Sac County
2024 Luke Wright, East Sac County
2025
Logan Moline
Logan
Moline
6'3" | SF
Manson-Northwest Webster | 2025
State
IA
, Manson-Northwest Webster
2025
Kelan Koval
Kelan
Koval
6'0" | PG
Manson Northwest Webster | 2025
State
IA
, Manson-Northwest Webster
2025 Brysen Kolar, OABCIG
2026 Kade Spotts, OABCIG
2027
Jaxx DeJean
Jaxx
DeJean
6'4" | SF
OABCIG | 2027
IA
, OABCIG
2024 Dane Janssen, Missouri Valley
2024
Brody Lager
Brody
Lager
6'3" | SF
Missouri Valley | 2024
State
IA
, Missouri Valley
2024 Gabe Ebersole, Greene County
District 16
The favorite: Roland-Story is the #2 seed in the district, largely because of a head-to-head loss to South Hamilton that occurred before districts were released. This week, Roland-Story avenged that loss, beating the Hawks by 23 points, and making the Norsemen the favorite in the district. Senior wing Jonovan Wilkinson Jonovan Wilkinson 6'2" | SF Roland-Story | 2024 State IA (22.0, 10.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 55.4 FG%) has been fantastic this year for the Norse, scoring from all three levels, creating for his teammates, defending at a high level, and taking over games when they need him to. Boaz Clark Boaz Clark 6'3" | PG Roland-Story | 2024 State IA (14.7, 4.1 assists, 38.3 3P%) has had some big scoring nights as well, stepping into a secondary scoring role this season, and Tristan Anderson (10.3, 6.9 rebounds) has developed nicely as the year has progressed. Roland-Story has made back-to-back trips to the state tournament, with Wilkinson and Clark being key contributors for both squads. That is a big advantage for them here.
The biggest threat: As the top seed in the district, South Hamilton is able to avoid Pleasantville in the semifinals, a team that has proven themselves capable of beating just about anyone this year. The Hawks are led by three double-figure scorers in seniors Ryland Ubben Ryland Ubben 6'5" | PF South Hamilton | 2024 State IA (16.8, 9.4 rebounds), Reece Ricke (11.7, 8.7 rebounds), and Ty Koehnk (10.9), giving them a trio of scorers who can be the leader on any given night. They don’t shoot it very well, just 25.6 3P% as a team, but they play solid defense and pound the offensive glass, and those extra possessions can prove to be very valuable in postseason games where every possession matters.
The dark horse: Pleasantville might be the most dangerous #3 seed in any district in the class. The Trojans have a pair of elite scoring threats in freshman wing Braylon Bingham Braylon Bingham 6'2" | SG Pleasantville | 2027 State IA (21.3, 7.5 rebounds) and senior forward Dayson Leerhoff Dayson Leerhoff 6'5" | PF Pleasantville Highschool | 2024 State IA (20.2, 11.6 rebounds). Bingham has had one of the best freshman seasons of any player in the state, a 6-2 wing who can create off the dribble and score from all three levels. Leerhoff, a long, bouncy 6-4 forward, is a terror on the glass and a really good finisher around the rim. Senior guard Ryder Thill (4.8, 4.1 assists) isn’t much of a scorer, but he’s a solid lead guard who limits mistakes and sets the table for his teammates.
Players to watch
2024
Ryland Ubben
Ryland
Ubben
6'5" | PF
South Hamilton | 2024
State
IA
, South Hamilton
2024 Reece Ricke, South Hamilton
2024
Jonovan Wilkinson
Jonovan
Wilkinson
6'2" | SF
Roland-Story | 2024
State
IA
, Roland-Story
2024
Boaz Clark
Boaz
Clark
6'3" | PG
Roland-Story | 2024
State
IA
, Roland-Story
2027
Braylon Bingham
Braylon
Bingham
6'2" | SG
Pleasantville | 2027
State
IA
, Pleasantville
2024
Dayson Leerhoff
Dayson
Leerhoff
6'5" | PF
Pleasantville Highschool | 2024
State
IA
, Pleasantville
2024
Austin Taylor
Austin
Taylor
6'6" | PF
Woodward-Granger | 2024
State
IA
, Woodward-Granger
2024
Landon Osberg
Landon
Osberg
5'11" | SG
West Central Valley | 2024
State
IA
, West Central Valley
2024 Nate Gerling, West Central Valley
2025 Harrison Rhone, Colfax-Mingo
SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION
Underwood vs. Roland-Story
Roland-Story has the pedigree, having qualified for back-to-back state tournaments, but Underwood has been dominant on both ends of the floor all season and they cap off a magical season with a trip to Des Moines for the first time in school history.