Thursday Games to Watch

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>1A #7 Lynnville-Sully (17-1) at Belle Plaine (13-4)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lynnville-Sully lost to Keota shortly before the holiday break, but has rebounded nicely, winning 11 straight games by an average of 29.4 points a game. The Hawks have unusual depth for a 1A team, with nine players averaging at least 3.7 points a game, and while some of that can certainly be attributed to the constant blowouts, they are also pretty comfortable going deep into the bench on a regular basis. They're led by a trio of seniors - [player_tooltip player_id='2377418' first='Mitchell' last='Miller'] (14.1, 36.7 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='1376719' first='Klayton' last='Van Dyke'] (12.6, 65.6 FG%), and [player_tooltip player_id='1171666' first='Corder' last='Noun Harder'] (7.6, 5.3 assists). Miller is the team's top perimeter scoring threat, Van Dyke is a long and athletic 6-6 forward who protects the paint, and Noun Harder is a talented lead guard who sets everything up for his teammates. This is a team that limits mistakes, plays strong defense, and shares the ball really well. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two of Belle Plaine's four losses have come to an undefeated Keota team, and the Plainsmen have four double-figure scorers that they're led by in junior Sam DeMeulenaere (17.3) and seniors Wyatt Kuch (15.8), Riley Simmons (14.8, 11.3 rebounds, 3.1 blocks), and Jax Stamp (10.1, 10.5 rebounds, 2.4 blocks). Nobody else on the team averages more than 1.8 points, so it really is those four who handle everything for this group. The Simmons-Stamp tandem in the paint has been difficult for teams to match up with, both on the glass and with their rim protection, but Van Dyke has a 3-inch advantage against both of them and should be able to hold his own here. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Pella (10-4) at Dallas Center-Grimes (12-3)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Few teams in 3A are playing as well as Pella right now, winners of five straight games and nine out of their last 10. Six players are averaging at least 6.7 points a game, led by a trio of double-figure scorers in sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id='2120763' first='Jack' last='McGuire'] (15.2, 7.8 rebounds), and seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1171672' first='Luke' last='Hardman'] (12.5) and [player_tooltip player_id='2325476' first='Cameron' last='Rowe'] (10.3). McGuire is enjoying a breakout sophomore season, shooting nearly 62% from the floor, and he's a real matchup problem with his combination of size, length, athleticism, and skill on the wing. Hardman is a good shooter on the wing, and Rowe provides some secondary playmaking with the ball in his hands. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dallas Center-Grimes handed Norwalk a 19-point loss on Tuesday, giving the Warriors their first conference setback of the season and pulling into a tie atop the Little Hawkeye Conference, so this is a big one for the Mustangs. They're led by three seniors who have a ton of experience playing together in [player_tooltip player_id='1376674' first='Calix' last='Cahill'] (16.1, 63.9 FG%), [player_tooltip player_id='1476975' first='Jackson' last='Green'] (15.5, 43.9 3P%), and [player_tooltip player_id='1171684' first='Jonathan' last='Howard'] (14.4). The Dutch will have a difficult time containing Cahill, an athletic 6-6/6-7 forward who has taken his game to another level this season. If they collapse in on him, he's proven to be a capable passer out of the post, and Green, Howard, and [player_tooltip player_id='1178729' first='Jaden' last='Jones'] (5.9, 5.4 assists) are all viable shooting threats. If they don't double him, he could take advantage of a smaller Dutch frontline and score around the bucket at will. [player_tooltip player_id='1759907' first='Tate' last='Perrin'] (5.9, 4.0 assists) is another solid option in their starting five, a seasoned point guard who gets his teammates involved and limits turnovers. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Gladbrook-Reinbeck (13-4) at 2A #9 Grundy Center (15-2)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>These teams met back on December 5, an ugly 36-33 Grundy Center win that was the start of their current 14-game winning streak. The Spartans got off to a slow 1-2 start to the season following yet another deep football run, but are playing excellent basketball now, with five players averaging at least 8.3 points a game, led by junior standout [player_tooltip player_id='1478357' first='Jalen' last='Kirkpatrick'] (16.2, 6.0 rebounds). Kirkpatrick is a long, athletic 6-5 wing who can score inside and out, defend multiple positions, and control the glass. [player_tooltip player_id='1759911' first='Tiernan' last='Vokes'] (10.8) and Colin Gordon (9.3) are both solid perimeter shooting threats alongside Kirkpatrick, and [player_tooltip player_id='2325346' first='Tate' last='Jirovsky'] (10.2, 3.1 blocks) has been a dominant force in the paint as a rim protector. This is a deep, balanced, athletic team that has shared the ball extremely well all season (20.5 assists per game).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After losing William Kiburis to graduation, many, myself included, expected Gladbrook-Reinbeck to take a bit of a step back this season. But the Rebels keep churning along, racking up wins behind a quartet of double-figure scorers - juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2397981' first='Michael' last='Boyd'] (14.2, 2.1 blocks), [player_tooltip player_id='2397276' first='Drew' last='Eilers'] (12.9, 10.2 rebounds), and [player_tooltip player_id='2820164' first='Austen' last='Mathern'] (10.4, 36.3 3P%), and senior Isaac Clark (10.6, 38.0 3P%). Two others average 5.8 and 6.5 points, respectively, giving them six reliable scoring threats. They'll have their hands full on the wing with Kirkpatrick, but their depth and balance is a major asset heading into this one. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Emmetsburg (15-3) at Manson-Northwest Webster (13-5)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a huge game in the Twin Lakes Conference, as Emmetsburg (8-1) and Manson-Northwest Webster (7-2) try to keep pace with South Central Calhoun (9-1) atop the league standings. A Manson-Northwest Webster loss here would pretty much eliminate them from conference title contention. The Cougars have been led by a dynamic tandem of scorers in juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2398114' first='Logan' last='Moline'] (25.3, 9.0 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id='1587390' first='Kelan' last='Koval'] (17.7, 3.7 assists), one of the highest scoring tandems in the state, regardless of class. Moline has been outstanding, scoring from all three levels, but he's at his best when he's attacking the rim. Koval is a good athlete who is also at his best when he's playing downhill and getting to the bucket. This is a team that has struggled at times with turnovers (14.4 a game), and they'll need to protect the ball here if they want to protect home court and stay alive in the league race.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The E-Hawks have a more balanced attack, with seven juniors leading the team in scoring, including four who average in double figures - [player_tooltip player_id='1874771' first='Byron' last='Maina'] (13.2), [player_tooltip player_id='2519988' first='Gavin' last='Swanson'] (11.9, 4.7 assists), Carter Hudson (11.7, 7.7 rebounds), and [player_tooltip player_id='1587388' first='Kale' last='Fank'] (10.6). [player_tooltip player_id='2511532' first='Carson' last='Baak'] (8.3, 4.9 assists) doesn't average in double figures, but is a talented lead guard who limits turnovers and knocks down open looks. This is a deep, balanced team that can beat you inside and out, and they have a number of reliable ball-handlers that can break down the defense and get good looks. Manson-Northwest Webster will have their hands full against the quickness of the Emmetsburg backcourt.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>ACGC (12-4) at Coon Rapids-Bayard (14-4)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is an interesting late-season non-conference game between a pair of teams that will be dangerous when 1A substate pairings are released. ACGC holds impressive wins over Des Moines Christian, Madrid, and Earlham this season and will be looking to add another bullet point to their resume here. The Chargers have four double figure scorers leading the way in juniors Jathan South (15.1), [player_tooltip player_id='1416420' first='Noah' last='Kading'] (12.9, 4.2 assists), and [player_tooltip player_id='1797393' first='Payton' last='Policky'] (10.7, 9.7 rebounds), and senior [player_tooltip player_id='1587392' first='Lance' last='Bunde'] (12.9). They don't shoot it from deep particularly well (29.6%), but they pound the offensive glass and force a lot of turnovers, which helps them gain extra possessions.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Whereas ACGC is a more balanced attack, Coon Rapids-Bayard relies heavily on two standouts in sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1765521' first='Cal' last='Heydon'] (18.8, 9.1 rebounds) and senior Cade Behrens (13.3). Heydon, a 6-5 wing who does a bit of everything, could be a difficult matchup here for the Chargers, while Behrens has emerged as a knockdown shooter that can't be helped off of, burying 42.9% of his 3-point attempts this season. If ACGC is able to slow one of those two down, they'll have a good chance to pick up another nice road win here.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Other games to watch<br></span>Winterset (11-6) at Bondurant-Farrar (9-6)<br>Wilton (11-5) at Alburnett (15-3)<br>WACO (13-4) at Moravia (12-3)<br>Lennox (SD) at 2A #2 Western Christian (15-1)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->