2024 Winterset Shootout: 4A Team Preview

Winterset High School will be hosting 32 teams from around the state on Friday, June 14 and Saturday, June 15. There will be a ton of talent in three gyms, with games tipping off at 8:00 am each day, and lasting until 8:00 pm, giving us a solid 24 hours of basketball over the course of those two days. In this article, we take a brief look at the Class 3A teams that will be in attendance.   Participating teams Both days: ADM, Ankeny Centennial, Aplington-Parkersburg, Kuemper Catholic, Clear Creek Amana, Dallas Center-Grimes, Roosevelt, Des Moines Christian, Grand View Christian, Madrid, Newton, Roland-Story, Waukee, Waverly-Shell Rock, Williamsburg, Winterset Friday only: ACGC, Ames, Ballard, Knoxville, Pella, Pella Christian, Southeast Polk, Van Meter Saturday only: Carroll, Center Point-Urbana, Indianola, North Polk, Norwalk, Pleasantville, Washington, Xavier   Ames (17-7, 78.7% of scoring returning) Opponents: Centennial (9:00 am Friday), Newton (11:00 am Friday), Pella Christian (1:00 pm Friday)   The Little Cyclones lost leading scorer Jack Wynter to graduation, but bring back the next seven from last year's team, led by the senior backcourt of [player_tooltip player_id='1381418' first='Jamison' last='Poe'] and Abram Vos. Poe is a tough, quick guard who loves to play downhill and attack off the dribble, while Vos is a good shooting threat from deep, especially off the catch. [player_tooltip player_id='1978102' first='Will' last='Thomas'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2820092' first='Isaiah' last='Knight'] provide some more, efficient, scoring on the perimeter, while center [player_tooltip player_id='1765516' first='Marach' last='Dau'], who blocked 2.5 shots a game last season, is the anchor of the team defensively, altering twice as many shots as he truly blocks. Ames is always difficult to score against, and that will once again be the case.   Centennial (17-7, 10.9%) Opponents: Ames (9:00 am Friday), Madrid (11:00 am Friday), Ballard (1:00 pm Friday), Newton (9:00 am Saturday), Des Moines Christian (11:00 am Saturday), ADM (1:00 pm Saturday)   It will be the start of a new era of Jaguars basketball, with their top five scorers, and seven of the top eight, graduated. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1951818' first='Will' last='Smith'] (4.4) is the top returning scorer, but it will be sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id='2419749' first='Evan' last='Abbott'] who we are really looking forward to seeing the most. He's had a good start to the spring, showing his ability to score from all three levels, and he'll pace a 2027 Centennial class that is the future of this program.   Dallas Center-Grimes (20.4, 11.1%) Opponents: Aplington-Parkersburg (3:00 pm Friday), Knoxville (5:00 pm Friday), Waukee (7:00 pm Friday), Williamsburg (2:00 pm Saturday), Madrid (4:00 pm Saturday), Roosevelt (6:00 pm Saturday)   The Mustangs have a ton of production to replace, but Joel Rankin has built a really strong program, and they should remain competitive despite the heavy personnel losses. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1759907' first='Tate' last='Perrin'] (6.0, 4.1 assists) is the top returnee, and he'll pair with Waukee Northwest transfer [player_tooltip player_id='2204886' first='Mateo' last='Dzolota'] to give the 'Stangs a pair of reliable ball-handlers and playmakers in the backcourt. Word on the street is that another solid transfer may be joining the backcourt, but we'll wait to confirm that tomorrow afternoon. There will be a ton of new faces taking the court for DCG, but we can expect them to be a solid team again.   Indianola (2-20, 90.4%) Opponents: Aplington-Parkersburg (8:00 am Saturday), Waverly-Shell Rock (10:00 am Saturday), Kuemper Catholic (12:00 pm Saturday)   The Indians struggled to a 2-win year last season, but they were among the youngest teams in the state, regardless of class, which isn't a good thing in the Little Hawkeye Conference. The top five scorers, and 10 of the top 11, return for what should be a much improved team this year. The sophomore quartet of [player_tooltip player_id='2419808' first='George' last='Blake'] (10.2), [player_tooltip player_id='2419810' first='Easton' last='McGraw'] (8.2, 38.8 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='2419752' first='Hayden' last='Schulte'] (7.1), and [player_tooltip player_id='2419814' first='Thomas' last='DeWall'] (2.6) will be the headliners, but seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2511461' first='Derek' last='Willmott'] (7.2, 6.6 rebounds) and Andrew DeWall (6.9, 4.2 assists) provide some nice leadership for this group. It certainly wouldn't be a surprise to see this group, with all they have returning, and the heavy personnel losses of several LHC teams, approach .500 this season as they continue to build the program back up.   Norwalk (18-6, 48.2%) Opponents: Waukee (2:00 pm Saturday), Roosevelt (4:00 pm Saturday), Williamsburg (6:00 pm Saturday)   For the first time since the 2015-16 season, there won't be a Born wearing a Warriors uniform, which may take some getting used to. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1587373' first='Cameron' last='Thomas'], Timothy Koerselman, and [player_tooltip player_id='2721768' first='Grady' last='Sigrist'] combined to average over 21 points a game last season and will be asked to be the leaders of this group, while a solid 2027 group headlined by [player_tooltip player_id='2420802' first='Audric' last='Pelzer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2419755' first='Tillman' last='Papcun'] will join them. The high-end talent of Bowen and Redek Born won't be there, but there is still come experience and talent in the program.   Roosevelt (15-9, 54.6%) Opponents: Waukee (3:00 pm Friday), Aplington-Parkersburg (5:00 pm Friday), Knoxville (7:00 pm Friday), Madrid (2:00 pm Saturday), Norwalk (4:00 pm Saturday), Dallas Center-Grimes (6:00 pm Saturday)   The Roughriders will feature one of the best long-term prospects in the gym this weekend in sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id='2204081' first='Charlie' last='King'], who was extremely productive as a freshman, putting up 11 points and 6.4 rebounds a game, including a 37-point outburst. A three-level scorer with a great feel for the game, he'll be the Riders leader on both ends for the next three years. [player_tooltip player_id='1439900' first='Remi' last='Taylor'] gives them a quick guard in the backcourt who can create off the dribble, and he'll pair with [player_tooltip player_id='1170334' first='Jayden' last='Davison'] to give them some athleticism and speed in the backcourt that will be difficult for opposing teams to keep out of the paint.   Southeast Polk (7-17, 20.7%) Opponents: Van Meter (8:00 am Friday), ACGC (10:00 am Friday), ADM (12:00 pm Friday)   The Rams were dealt a blow when [player_tooltip player_id='1288891' first='Bode' last='Goodman'] announced his transfer to Waukee Northwest. Goodman, a 20.6 point scorer last season, was set to return, which would have made SEP a candidate to be an improved team. Instead, they have some more holes to fill, with the top five scorers from last year's team no longer here. Junior guard Grady Braunshweigh-Norris, who averaged 5.5 a game, is the top returnee.   Waukee (16-8, 28.8%) Opponents: Roosevelt (3:00 pm Friday), Pella (5:00 pm Friday), Dallas Center-Grimes (7:00 pm Friday), Norwalk (2:00 pm Saturday), Williamsburg (4:00 pm Saturday), Madrid (6:00 pm Saturday)   The Warriors are another team that lost a lot of production off of last year's team, with five of the top seven scorers graduated. That said, the cupboard is far from bare, with one of the top juniors in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='1765524' first='Evan' last='Jacobson'] (12.9, 9.5 rebounds) anchoring the team in the paint. Also one of the top tight end prospects in the country (recently picked up an Ohio State offer), he's an athletic, versatile two-way big man who can dominate games on both ends of the floor. JaiShon White is a quick-twitch guard in the backcourt who can create off the dribble and absorb contact at the rim, and the Warriors also gain the services of Oskaloosa transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1765539' first='Max' last='Roach'], who has been one of the best players in the state this spring with [program_tooltip program_id='2270834' first='Iowa' last='United'], and Waukee Northwest transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1951798' first='Maverick' last='Inman'], a high-level shooter who will pair well with White and Roach in the backcourt.

Winterset High School will be hosting 32 teams from around the state on Friday, June 14 and Saturday, June 15. There will be a ton of talent in three gyms, with games tipping off at 8:00 am each day, and lasting until 8:00 pm, giving us a solid 24 hours of basketball over the course of those two days. In this article, we take a brief look at the Class 3A teams that will be in attendance.