Class 2A District Final Preview

We've got 16 games in Class 2A tonight, which will determine who gets the opportunity to play for a trip to the state tournament on Saturday. Below we've previewed all 16 games in the class and made our picks for each. Get out and enjoy some high level basketball tonight!   Class 2A postseason picks record (started with district semifinals): 28-4   District 1: Unity Christian (18-4) vs. Garner-Hayfield-Ventura (10-14) [at Spencer]   This one is the biggest mismatch of the 2A district finals, with Garner-Hayfield-Ventura upsetting Emmetsburg to get here. The Cardinals are led by senior guards [player_tooltip player_id='2389723' first='Lane' last='Gayken'] (11.5) and [player_tooltip player_id='2204887' first='Nicholas' last='Zrostlik'] (10.5), but they'll need to play just about a perfect game if they're going to keep pace with Unity. The Knights are led by a quartet of double-figure scorers: junior [player_tooltip player_id='2413578' first='Dylan' last='Bosma'] (16.5), sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2419800' first='Tyce' last='Van Donge'] (12.0, 8.5 rebounds), and seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1951824' first='Braeden' last='Bosma'] (10.5) and [player_tooltip player_id='1874781' first='Jackson' last='Vogel'] (10.2). They also have a number of other quality role players who can impact the game on both ends of the floor. They shouldn't have many issues here. Our pick: Unity Christian   District 2: Spirit Lake (18-4) vs. Osage (18-5) [at Estherville-Lincoln Central]   Spirit Lake has been really impressive this season, with three of their losses coming to highly ranked 3A Storm Lake (twice) and another coming to 2A #1 Western Christian. The Indians have some real size and athleticism in [player_tooltip player_id='1759904' first='Dylan' last='Stecker'] (19.5, 8.4 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id='2398038' first='Ethan' last='Stecker'] (12.5, 6.4 rebounds). Both are 6-5 combo forwards who are committed to play football at Iowa (Dylan) and Iowa State (Ethan) next season, and their size, bounce, and toughness will be really tough for Osage to overcome. [player_tooltip player_id='1765548' first='Wesley' last='Walz'] (14.9) has been a really good scorer as well for Spirit Lake, so you can't just focus in on the Stecker boys. Osage ranks 5th in scoring defense, allowing 45.4 points per game, and they have a trio of double-figure scorers in [player_tooltip player_id='1765543' first='Quinn' last='Street'] (19.5, 4.3 assists), [player_tooltip player_id='1759935' first='Madden' last='Uhlenhopp'] (17.1), and Maddox Cockrum (10.5). The Green Devils are a smaller team that will really need to focus in on the glass if they want to pull off this upset. Our pick: Spirit Lake   District 3: West Lyon (19-3) vs. Cherokee (15-7) [at Sheldon]   West Lyon has been fantastic this year, one of the top five teams in 2A all season long, but they're going to have their hands full here. Cherokee has gone 7-1 in their last 8 heading into postseason play, with their only loss coming to 3A Sergeant Bluff-Luton by just a point, 59-58. The Braves are led by a pair of juniors - [player_tooltip player_id='2731759' first='Coy' last='Lewis'] (16.4, 8.7 rebounds, 57.9 FG%) and [player_tooltip player_id='1978145' first='Jaxon' last='Paulsrud'] (13.7, 4.2 assists, 51.9 FG%) - who pace an efficient offensive attack that is shooting nearly 51% from the field as a team. If there is one place that they could struggle against West Lyon, it's on the glass against a physical, hyper-athletic Wildcats team. While their best player, guard [player_tooltip player_id='1759936' first='Carson' last='Hoogeveen'] (17.5, 3.6 assists, 47.3 3P%), isn't a big-time rebounder, the rest of the roster is all capable of pulling down 10 boards on any given night. Jorden Meyer (15.0, 43.6 3P%) is a stretch-forward who can space the floor and contribute on the glass. [player_tooltip player_id='2397298' first='Easton' last='Jacobson'] (8.2, 57.3 FG%) is extremely efficient, and [player_tooltip player_id='2731896' first='Jared' last='Ciesielski'] (7.8) is a tough big man. A deep team that can really get after you on the defensive end, West Lyon will get all they bargained for here, but they should win it. Our pick: West Lyon   District 4: Ridge View (21-1) vs. Manson-Northwest Webster (18-5) [at East Sac County]   Ridge View survived a real scare against Eagle Grove in the semifinals, winning 58-56, to advance to this district final. The Raptors have been a really balanced offensive attack all season, with seven players averaging between 6.0 and 13.5 points per game, led by senior Kellen Jensen (13.5) and junior Carter Todd (10.4, 7.6 rebounds). Points will be at a premium here, with Ridge View ranking 4th in scoring defense (45.3 points per game allowed), and Manson-Northwest Webster 6th (46.0). The Cougars have the more dynamic scorers in seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2398114' first='Logan' last='Moline'] (20.9, 8.1 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id='1587314' first='Kelan' last='Koval'] (14.2), but, like Ridge View, they go pretty deep with scoring options. These teams are pretty evenly matched, both strong on the glass and defensively, and both turn it over a little too often to be serious contenders in the class against the big boys, but this one should be a good, competitive game decided in the last few minutes. Our pick: Manson-Northwest Webster   District 5: Aplington-Parkersburg (20-2) vs. North Fayette Valley (22-0) [at Waterloo East]   Despite being an undefeated team, North Fayette Valley is considered the underdog in this one. That's in large part because of the schedule they play, largely playing against 1A competition. The TigerHawks' strength of schedule ranks 94th out of 96 2A teams, while Aplington-Parkersburg's ranks 20th. NFV does have a truly dominant player in 6-8 forward [player_tooltip player_id='1951832' first='Cael' last='Reichter'] (29.7, 15.4 rebounds, 1.3 blocks), who will play his college ball at Upper Iowa. Reichter has posted 62-45-73 shooting splits, is dominant on the glass, and can protect the rim. They'll need to get some real production out of the role players - Decklyn Heins (11.5, 6.8 rebounds), Lincoln Aeschliman (6.7), and [player_tooltip player_id='2511611' first='Kyler' last='White'] (6.7, 5.9 assists) - if they want to keep pace with AP. The Falcons are paced by junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1765547' first='Benny' last='Waller'] (20.3, 40.7 3P%), who has been fantastic as a three-level scorer. Caleb Campbell (13.5) and [player_tooltip player_id='2594659' first='Tyler' last='Wedeking'] (12.7, 41.1 3P%) give them additional scoring, and they recently got big man Mason Ridder (7.3, 6.9 rebounds) back from injury, giving them a big man who can give them some minutes against Reichter. I would anticipate A-P letting Reichter get his, and taking away the rest of the NFV roster. A-P has more weapons, has played a tougher schedule, and has more depth. Our pick: Aplington-Parkersburg   District 6: Cascade (19-3) vs. Jesup (14-9) [at West Delaware]   Jesup looked impressive in an "upset" win over MFL MarMac in the district semifinals, going up to Monona and knocking off the Bulldogs, 73-56. The J-Hawks have no trouble scoring, led by seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1839807' first='Ryan' last='Treptow'] (20.0, 3.7 assists) and [player_tooltip player_id='2820112' first='Landon' last='Vogel'] (11.8, 40.2 3P%), a dynamic one-two punch in the backcourt. The question for Jesup will be whether they have the defensive horses to stay with Cascade star [player_tooltip player_id='1587383' first='Jackson' last='Lieurance'] (22.2, 43.7 3P%) and wingman [player_tooltip player_id='1978108' first='Mick' last='Hoffman'] (16.0, 40.5 3P%). That tandem is one of the best one-two offensive punches in the class, and they'll put a ton of pressure on Jesup defensively. Cascade has the best player on the floor, and a dynamic shotmaker alongside of him. Our pick: Cascade   District 7: Grundy Center (20-2) vs. Regina (19-3) [at Benton]   Grundy Center's two losses this year came to Grand View Christian, a highly-ranked 2A team, and Waverly-Shell Rock, a highly-ranked 3A team, in the last week of the regular season. The Spartans have played a good chunk of the season without star wing [player_tooltip player_id='1478357' first='Jalen' last='Kirkpatrick'] (17.6, 8.0 rebounds, 55.6 FG%), but they got him back from injury a few weeks ago, and he has shaken off the rust to become the go-to weapon again. With him, a 6-5 wing who can score from all three levels and defend multiple positions, they're a more dynamic team again. [player_tooltip player_id='1759911' first='Tiernan' last='Vokes'] (13.1), [player_tooltip player_id='2413534' first='Judd' last='Jirovsky'] (11.3, 5.1 assists, 45.0 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='1759941' first='Brayden' last='Wallis'] (10.0), and [player_tooltip player_id='2820148' first='Ryker' last='Thoren'] (9.2) all stepped up in the absence of Kirkpatrick and gained valuable experience in their roles, making this a more dangerous team in the postseason. Regina is young, but tough, athletic, and talented. The Regals are led by a pair of sophomore forwards in [player_tooltip player_id='2419815' first='Will' last='Litton'] (17.4, 9.0 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id='2419768' first='Tate' last='Wallace'] (16.2, 5.4 rebounds), while freshman center [player_tooltip player_id='2523886' first='Ben' last='Wade'] (4.3, 1.6 blocks) gives them a shot blocker in the paint. [player_tooltip player_id='2886831' first='Drew' last='Greve'] (9.8, 6.0 assists) has been solid as a playmaker, and the Regals have a state champion coach on the sidelines in Paul Rundquist who helped gameplan an upset over Pella Christian in the substate final last season. He'll have something ready for Grundy. Our pick: Grundy Center   District 8: Northeast (17-5) vs. Monticello (18-4) [at Hempstead]   Northeast swept the season series between these teams, winning 67-58 on January 14, and 66-54 on February 7. Three different Rebels averaged in double-figures in those meetings: [player_tooltip player_id='2523908' first='Jaxen' last='Christiansen'] (17.0), [player_tooltip player_id='1759938' first='Gavin' last='Kramer'] (16.0), and [player_tooltip player_id='2420792' first='Emerson' last='Kreinbrink'] (16.0), and the Rebels won the rebounding battle by a combined 60-49 in the two meetings, an area that Monticello will need to address in their third matchup. The Panthers will also need to get big games out of junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1765541' first='Conley' last='Schauf'] (21.0, 43.7 3P%) and senior [player_tooltip player_id='1759903' first='Carson' last='Lambert'] (13.8, 37.1 3P%), both of whom have been great this season, but they'll need to play perhaps their best games of the year to knock off a Northeast team that has had their number. Our pick: Northeast   District 9: West Burlington (20-2) vs. Mid-Prairie (18-4) [at Mount Pleasant]   Outside of a two-day stretch in the middle of January in which they lost to Holy Trinity Catholic and Keokuk on back-to-back nights, West Burlington has been dominant, with no other games decided by single digits. A lightning-fast, athletic team that puts constant pressure on opposing teams with their speed on both ends of the floor, they should be able to force plenty of turnovers in this one. [player_tooltip player_id='1381425' first='Mason' last='Watkins'] (30.7, 5.5 assists, 56.4 FG%) has been arguably the best player in 2A this season. The future North Florida guard has posted 56-42-79 shooting splits and is an elite playmaker. [player_tooltip player_id='2397997' first='Quincy' last='Collins'] (17.6, 7.0 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id='2731885' first='Ayden' last='Figuereo'] (9.5, 9.3 rebounds) are both great athletes who control the glass, and [player_tooltip player_id='2397376' first='Kobe' last='Davis'] (10.7, 5.9 assists) has been excellent as a playmaker in the backcourt as well. Mid-Prairie is a team that loves to launch 3-pointers, and if they're knocking them down, things could get interesting. [player_tooltip player_id='2520036' first='Bryce' last='Henry'] (21.4, 37.3 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='1874767' first='Brady' last='Weber'] (12.6, 34.7 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='1951822' first='Ace' last='Peck'] (10.5, 32.4 3P%), and Brooks Weber (7.2, 37.2 3P%) are all viable shooting threats, and if two of them are going off, this one could be tight late. Our pick: West Burlington   District 10: Grand View Christian (21-1) vs. Pella Christian (10-13) [at Knoxville]   These teams met early in the season, a blowout 82-49 Grand View Christian win. While the rematch should be a bit closer, it's difficult to see Pella Christian making up a 33-point difference here. Grand View Christian star forward [player_tooltip player_id='1381402' first='Emiliano' last='Barrantes'] (21.4, 13.9 rebounds, 4.3 blocks) was dominant in the first meeting, finishing with 15 points, 19 rebounds, and 4 blocks, and the Thunder knocked down 16 3-pointers in the rout. They have a lot of shooting to put around Barrantes with [player_tooltip player_id='2413533' first='Jameson' last='Scharnberg'] (17.1, 41.1 3P%), Thomas Childs (9.2, 39.8 3P%), and William Seyler (4.2, 43.9 3P%), while both Barrantes and [player_tooltip player_id='2287857' first='Brayden' last='Hoben'] (16.4, 2.1 blocks) are also capable of stepping out and stretching the floor. Pella Christian was extremely inexperienced heading into the season, and seeing a team with the size of GVC so early wasn't a great matchup, clearly. But the Eagles are playing better down the stretch with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2724147' first='Gilbert' last='Flagel'] (11.4) and seniors Deacon Branderhorst (10.9) and Landon Fransman (9.9, 8.5 rebounds) leading the way. Look for them to try and take the air out of the ball and limit GVC transition looks as much as possible. It'll be closer than the first meeting, but this is still a Thunder win. Our pick: Grand View Christian   District 11: Denver (19-4) vs. Union (15-9) [at Independence]   These teams met in an entertaining game back on January 10, a 84-79 Denver win behind the strength of 29 points from Braxton Sauerbrei (12.1). The Cyclones put up 84 points despite getting just 10 from star wing Talan Lafrentz (21.5), who also dished out 8 assists in that game. In addition to those two scorers, [player_tooltip player_id='2724157' first='Quintin' last='Honn'] (11.6, 43.2 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='2729418' first='Jackson' last='Joerger'] (9.3), and [player_tooltip player_id='2887816' first='Myles' last='Matthias'] (8.3) have all had strong seasons and provide some additional scoring punch. Union got 34 points from [player_tooltip player_id='2678903' first='Tate' last='Van Dyke'] (12.2) in the first meeting, a career game. The Knights have four double-figure scorers- Van Dyke, [player_tooltip player_id='2820139' first='Eric' last='Neipert'] (11.5, 9.0 rebounds), [player_tooltip player_id='1726227' first='Caden' last='Sorensen'] (11.5), and [player_tooltip player_id='1986602' first='Cameron' last='Mullen'] (10.5), and while they can certainly score in bunches, they'll need to figure out a way to slow down a high-powered Denver attack. Our pick: Denver   District 12: Kuemper Catholic (21-1) vs. West Marshall (12-10) [at Greene County]   Senior forward Lucas Barnes (12.3, 6.0 rebounds) leads a balanced West Marshall attack that survived a scare from Pleasantville in the district semifinals, and they've put together their best season since 2018-19, when they won 14 games, but they're running into a buzzsaw here. Kuemper Catholic is the highest scoring team in 2A, averaging 84 points a game, and they have so many different ways to beat you. Junior big man [player_tooltip player_id='1765513' first='Ryan' last='Clair'] (15.2, 6.6 rebounds, 66.8 FG%) is a dominant low-post option. Sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id='2420805' first='Dylan' last='Schon'] (13.3, 67.6 FG%) is a menace in transition. [player_tooltip player_id='1765503' first='Brock' last='Badding'] (12.8, 39.3 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='2519974' first='Jack' last='Badding'] (8.7, 34.5 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='2420798' first='Griffin' last='Glynn'] (9.4, 41.2 3P%), and [player_tooltip player_id='1759944' first='Carson' last='Kanne'] (7.5, 52.9 3P%) are all really good shooters, and [player_tooltip player_id='1951817' first='Tregan' last='Beiter'] (9.5, 38.9 3P%) is a versatile three-level scorer. This team has been incredibly efficient (56-39-73 shooting splits), takes care of the ball (8.5 turnovers), gets everyone involved (23.4 assists), and rebounds well on both ends. They struggled in this spot last year, needing to come back from a 16-point deficit against a South Central Calhoun team that they were superior to, and you can bet that Coach Minnehan will have them focused going into this one to avoid any sort of let down here. Our pick: Kuemper Catholic   District 13: Albia (18-3) vs. Van Meter (14-8) [at Chariton]   Albia has put together a great 18-win season, and will have the best player on the floor in this one in sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id='2297904' first='Gage' last='Chance'] (19.3, 7.5 rebounds, 58.3 FG%), who has put together a great season as a three-level scorer, playmaker, and versatile defender. Cooper Bradley (11.2) has provided some additional playmaking in the backcourt, as has Luke Wyn (7.2), and this is a pretty deep team that can comfortably go 8 or 9 deep into their bench. Van Meter is having a bit of a "down" year by their standards, but the Bulldogs are once again strong on the defensive end and will look to use their size, athleticism, and toughness to bully the Blue Demons. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2381239' first='Andon' last='Watson'] (12.7) and guard [player_tooltip player_id='2381204' first='Brody' last='Notz'] (10.9) are the top two scorers for the 'Dogs, and this is a team that always pounds the glass hard on both ends of the floor. Albia has the best player on the floor and is probably the better team top-to-bottom, but they'll need to absorb some punches from the Bulldogs. Our pick: Albia   District 14: Treynor (20-3) vs. Clarinda (13-10) [at Council Bluffs Jefferson]   Treynor has been one of the hottest teams in the class since the holiday break, winners of 15 straight heading into this game. The Cardinals brought back a lot of production from last year's state tournament team and are playing fantastic basketball, led by junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1978103' first='Alec' last='Lovely'] (19.0, 4.2 assists). Lovely is one of the most dynamic players in the class, a skilled playmaker and scorer, and Clarinda probably doesn't really have an answer for him. Clarinda is led by junior forward Sam Kline (12.6, 7.2 rebounds), and they'll need to knock down some shots from deep, an area they don't excel (28.3 3P%) if they want to try and keep pace with Treynor here. Our pick: Treynor   District 15: Tri-Center (18-5) vs. OABCIG (17-4) [at Harlan]   This could be one of the tightest district finals between a pair of pretty evenly matched teams. Tri-Center is led by sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2420786' first='AJ' last='Harder'] (18.7, 5.0 assists, 3.9 steals) and junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2628806' first='Tyler' last='Baatz'] (15.5, 8.0 rebounds). Harder is a talented, athletic playmaker in the backcourt, while Baatz has been an incredibly efficient finisher around the rim. OABCIG is led by a trio of double-figure scorers in [player_tooltip player_id='2381205' first='Brysen' last='Kolar'] (17.5), Evan Hoffman (14.3, 8.4 rebounds), and Jaxx Dejean (10.6, 8.8 rebounds). The athletic Falcons are really good on the glass on both ends of the floor, and their athleticism and toughness on the glass could be the ultimate decider here. Our pick: OABCIG   District 16: Western Christian (20-3) vs. Hinton (16-6) [at Dordt]   Hinton has put together a really nice season, winning 16 games behind the dynamic play of juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2413648' first='Logan' last='Kempema'] (15.5) and [player_tooltip player_id='2731835' first='Karver' last='DeGroot'] (12.5), and they can use this season as a springboard into the 2025-26 season, but unfortunately for the Blackhawks, they're running into a buzzsaw here. Western Christian has played a ridiculously tough schedule and largely rolled through it, ranked #1 in the class all year long despite the three losses. The defending champion Wolfpack are led by seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1436462' first='Kaden' last='Van Regenmorter'] (19.7, 5.0 assists, 43.2 3P%) and [player_tooltip player_id='1484412' first='Karsten' last='Moret'] (14.8, 50.5 3P%), and they've gotten really good production out of several other players on the roster. Always a disciplined, well-coached, efficient team, they share the ball well, play strong defense, and have arguably the best player in the class. Our pick: Western Christian

We've got 16 games in Class 2A tonight, which will determine who gets the opportunity to play for a trip to the state tournament on Saturday. Below we've previewed all 16 games in the class and made our picks for each. Get out and enjoy some high level basketball tonight!