Substate Preview: 4A-5

<!-- wp:image {"id":2348304,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/4A-5.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/01/4A-5.png?w=612" alt="" class="wp-image-2348304" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The favorite: </strong>The top two seeds in this substate are both fantastic defensive teams, so buckets are going to be tough to come by in this bracket. <strong>Senior</strong> has lost twice, to Kennedy and Cedar Falls, and the Rams have rolled through the rest of their schedule, with just two games decided by single digits. An extremely athletic team, they're led by senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1376678' first='Jacob' last='Williams'] (17.2, 8.7 rebounds), an athletic lefty who can create off the dribble, score on post touches going in either direction, or step out and stretch the floor. He also has a tremendous second jump that he uses to control the glass. Sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id='1172887' first='Tevin' last='Schultz'] (14.1, 58.1 FG%) gives them more size in the frontcourt, a 6-7/6-8 forward who can stretch the floor and finish above the rim. Two other sophomores, guards [player_tooltip player_id='1765536' first='Cooper' last='Porter'] (6.9) and [player_tooltip player_id='1765555' first='Drake' last='Medinger'] (5.4), are part of an extremely balanced rotation behind Williams and Schultz, with five players averaging between 4.5 and 6.9 points a game. Porter has been electric as a shooter, knocking down 51.2% of his 3-point attempts, and Medinger has had a few big scoring games off the bench, showing his athleticism and shot creation. Wendell Eimers is one of the most underappreciated coaches in the state, and he has this group playing great basketball, especially on the defensive end of the floor. They are really tough to score against, and if you don't have size, Williams and Schultz will dominate you.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The biggest threat: </strong>After upsetting Kennedy at the state tournament last season and reaching the semifinals, <strong>Pleasant Valley</strong> had some high expectations heading into this season. The Spartans got off to a slow 2-3 start before running off eight straight wins, and in all they have won 13 of their last 15. Always a tough, disciplined defensive team, they rank 6th in the class in scoring defense, allowing just 47.6 points a game, playing their typical slower-paced game on the offensive end, and using their toughness, athleticism, and length to suffocate teams on the defensive side of the floor. This is a veteran group, led by five seniors and two juniors. They're led by the guard tandem of [player_tooltip player_id='1376711' first='Coy' last='Kipper'] (11.9, 6.1 assists) and [player_tooltip player_id='1256306' first='Caden' last='Rubel'] (11.1, 2.8 assists), who give the Spartans a pair of reliable ball-handlers and shot creators. [player_tooltip player_id='1751106' first='Max' last='Muszalski'] 911.1, 6.0 rebounds), [player_tooltip player_id='1256301' first='David' last='Gorsline'] (9.7, 5.3 rebounds), and [player_tooltip player_id='1759910' first='Max' last='Schmeltzer'] (3.6, 3.9 rebounds) hold down the frontcourt, giving them toughness and rebounding, and Gorsline has also shown an ability to step out and stretch the floor. Steve Hillman is always going to have a good gameplan in place, and this is a team that is 100% comfortable playing at a slower pace, as postseason games tend to be played. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>The dark horse: </strong>Since the holiday break, <strong>Prairie</strong> has gone 7-7, which may not seem like much, but the Hawks have really started to embrace the up-tempo style that Todd Kuntz brought with him from Dunkerton. Since the holiday break, they've eclipsed the 70-point mark six times and they'll be playing free and loose here, knowing that they have nothing to lose. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1376680' first='Reid' last='Burkle'] (16.1, 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 blocks) is an athletic, physical combo forward who can score inside and out, and he has been really good in the mid-range this season, shooting nearly 58% from the floor. [player_tooltip player_id='2397337' first='Jace' last='McDermott'] (11.6, 37.9 3P%) has been a breakout player for the Hawks this season, a long wing who can really shoot it off the catch, and freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='2124028' first='Austin' last='Joens'] (7.0, 34.2 3P%) has had the typical freshman ups-and-downs, but he's a small, quick guard who can get scorching hot from deep and bury three or four in a row. [player_tooltip player_id='2325493' first='Apollo' last='Payne'] (9.2) gives them some additional length and athleticism on the wing, and he has shown the ability to create off the dribble. [player_tooltip player_id='1288897' first='Logan' last='Wagemester'] (4.6) is the glue guy for this group, a heady player who does a little bit of everything. If the 3s are falling, they could grab a lead and make the favored team play tight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Players to watch<br></span>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376678' first='Jacob' last='Williams'], Senior<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1172887' first='Tevin' last='Schultz'], Senior<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765536' first='Cooper' last='Porter'], Senior<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376711' first='Coy' last='Kipper'], Pleasant Valley<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1256306' first='Caden' last='Rubel'], Pleasant Valley<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1751106' first='Max' last='Muszalski'], Pleasant Valley<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1256301' first='David' last='Gorsline'], Pleasant Valley<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376680' first='Reid' last='Burkle'], Prairie<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2397337' first='Jace' last='McDermott'], Prairie<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2325493' first='Apollo' last='Payne'], Prairie<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1978112' first='Carter' last='Light'], Davenport Central<br>2024 Maddox Sullivan, Davenport Central<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1951794' first='Elias' last='Vargas'], Davenport Central<br>2025 Ian Church, Muscatine<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2419783' first='Sam' last='Church'], Muscatine<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1517427' first='Talan' last='Becker'], Muscatine<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2204889' first='Preston' last='Blanchett Jr'], Cedar Rapids Jefferson</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Senior vs. Pleasant Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two teams that are very comfortable playing at a slower pace, and two teams that are fantastic defensively, this one could very well be the first to 40 wins. Pleasant Valley's guards probably have a slight edge, especially given their veteran status, while Senior has the edge in the frontcourt. In a tight game, the edge goes to the best player, which is [player_tooltip player_id='1376678' first='Jacob' last='Williams']. <strong>Senior</strong> punches their ticket to the state tournament in a rock fight.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->