Substate Preview: 4A-4

<!-- wp:image {"id":2348303,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/4A-4.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/02/4A-4.png?w=612" alt="" class="wp-image-2348303" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The favorite: </strong>For the second straight year, <strong>Kennedy</strong> absolutely rolled through the regular season, the lone team in 4A to go undefeated. They have the #1 ranked scoring offense (78.0) and defense (41.3) in the class, and have had just one game decided by single digits, a 51-47 win over Cedar Falls in the third game of the year. That's a resume that includes wins over Waukee, Senior, Linn-Mar, Valley, and Iowa City West, among others. A deep and talented team on both ends of the floor, they're led by a quartet of double-figure scorers in junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1381415' first='Trey' last='McKowen'] (13.6, 4.3 assists, 41.4 3P%) and seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1171667' first='Joseph' last='Bean'] (12.4, 53.6 FG%), [player_tooltip player_id='1171679' first='Micah' last='Schlaak'] (10.5, 62.1 FG%), and [player_tooltip player_id='1288851' first='Trevan' last='Krumrei'] (10.3, 45.3 3P%). And arguably the most important player on the roster, senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1171687' first='Cyrus' last='Courtney'] (9.2, 4.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 3.1 steals), doesn't average double figures but is capable of having huge scoring nights, as he did in dropping 26 against West. An athletic, deep team that can throw a ton of different defensive looks at you, they frustrate teams on the defensive end, create a ton of turnovers, and score in bunches. It will take a huge effort to beat this team.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The biggest threat:</strong> A senior-laden team from <strong>North Scott </strong>earned the #2 seed in the substate and will get their semifinal game against (likely) Linn-Mar at home as a result, making them a slight favorite to come out of the bottom of the bracket. Six of the Lancers' top seven scorers are seniors, led by [player_tooltip player_id='1476964' first='Brennan' last='Reid'] (13.4, 7.2 rebounds, 46.5 3P%) and [player_tooltip player_id='1751096' first='Jamarion' last='Readus'] (13.4). Reid is a lanky 6-6 wing who can really shoot it, and he provides some versatility on the defensive end. Readus is a cat-quick guard who can break down the defense and get to the rim in the halfcourt. [player_tooltip player_id='1256295' first='Kavon' last='Phillips'] (9.6, 3.0 assists) hasn't had a big scoring year, but the 6-6/6-7 wing leads the team in assists and is a big playmaker and solid defender, while [player_tooltip player_id='1171656' first='Kyler' last='Gerardy'] (7.3, 37.1 3P%) is a tough, experienced lead guard who can knock down open shots. The X-factor for this group is freshman wing [player_tooltip player_id='2309944' first='Josiah' last='Harrington'] (12.9, 47.5 3P%), who has arguably been the best freshman in the state this season. A poised, 6-5 wing with a pure stroke from deep, he's the type of composed player who can quietly take over a game on either end of the floor. With the experience the Lancers have, an elite pair of shooters in Reid and Harrington, and getting their game against the Lions at The Pit, this is a team that is a serious threat.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The dark horse: Linn-Mar </strong>got off to a hot 6-1 start that included great wins over Bettendorf, Waukee, Xavier, and Iowa City West before stumbling a bit out of the holiday break. They lost four of five games out of the hiatus (albeit against really high-level competition - Valley, Cedar Falls, Kennedy, Iowa City West), but they're playing better ball again over the last two weeks, entering postseason play having won five of their last six. The Lions have a tight six-man rotation led by junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1381412' first='Davis' last='Kern'] (23.1, 9.0 rebounds, 2.3 blocks), who has been one of the most dominant players in the state this season. A 6-8 big man who can score inside and out, he's posting 57-47-79 shooting splits and has shown dominance as a rim protector. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1587402' first='Owen' last='Havlik'] (9.1, 4.0 assists) and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1514455' first='Mason' last='Matson'] (8.9, 3.5 assists) man the backcourt, giving them a pair of solid lead guards who can get their teammates involved and knock down open shots, while [player_tooltip player_id='1484413' first='Payson' last='Nietert'] (9.0) is a big wing with great size, and although he's had an up-and-down year as a shooter, he's capable of getting hot and knocking down five 3s in a half. [player_tooltip player_id='2325421' first='Matthew' last='Darbouze'] (6.7) is the ultimate glue guy, a 6-4 athlete who does a little bit of everything and defends a little bit of everyone. Despite not going very deep, Linn-Mar is talented and has proven to be capable of beating just about anyone in the state. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Players to watch<br></span>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381415' first='Trey' last='McKowen'], Kennedy<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1171667' first='Joseph' last='Bean'], Kennedy<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1171679' first='Micah' last='Schlaak'], Kennedy<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1171687' first='Cyrus' last='Courtney'], Kennedy<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1288851' first='Trevan' last='Krumrei'], Kennedy<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1476964' first='Brennan' last='Reid'], North Scott<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1751096' first='Jamarion' last='Readus'], North Scott<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2309944' first='Josiah' last='Harrington'], North Scott<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1256295' first='Kavon' last='Phillips'], North Scott<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1171656' first='Kyler' last='Gerardy'], North Scott<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381412' first='Davis' last='Kern'], Linn-Mar<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1587402' first='Owen' last='Havlik'], Linn-Mar<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1484413' first='Payson' last='Nietert'], Linn-Mar<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1514455' first='Mason' last='Matson'], Linn-Mar<br>2024 J'Quari Willis, Cedar Rapids Washington<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2325294' first='Landyn' last='Mitvalsky'], Cedar Rapids Washington<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2325292' first='Kwae' last='China'], Cedar Rapids Washington<br>2025 Jeremiah Clark, Waterloo East<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kennedy vs. North Scott</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Not much drama here. North Scott is good, but <strong>Kennedy</strong> is on another level, especially on a neutral floor. Too much depth, quickness, athleticism, defense, and shooting. Cougars cruise back to Des Moines.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->