Class 2A Substate Final Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>16 teams are going to punch their tickets to the state tournament on Saturday night, 8 in Class 2A, and 8 in Class 2A. Below we previewed all 8 of the games in Class 2A and made our picks to make their way to Des Moines. Get out there on Saturday night and check out some great basketball!</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Class 2A postseason picks record (started with district semifinals): </em>41-7</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Substate 1: Unity Christian (19-4) vs. Spirit Lake (19-4) [at Sheldon]</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This may be the best 2A final of the bunch, with Unity Christian ranked 3rd at BC Moore and Spirit Lake 7th. Unity brought back a ton from a state semifinalist team and is anxious to get back to Des Moines, but they've got some serious size standing in the way in the form of the Stecker twins - [player_tooltip player_id='1759904' first='Dylan' last='Stecker'] (19.6, 8.3 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id='2398038' first='Ethan' last='Stecker'] (12.6, 6.6 rebounds). The brothers are headed to Iowa (Dylan) and Iowa State (Ethan) to play college football, and both have really good size at length at 6-5 to go with their athleticism. [player_tooltip player_id='1765548' first='Wesley' last='Walz'] (14.8) gives them some additional scoring and playmaking in the backcourt. Unity is led by junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2413578' first='Dylan' last='Bosma'] (16.4, 42.5 3P%), sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id='2419800' first='Tyce' last='Van Donge'] (12.4, 8.8 rebounds), and senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1951824' first='Braeden' last='Bosma'] (10.9). The Knights can comfortably go 7-8 deep into their bench, an advantage over Spirit Lake, and they have big-game experience from last year's run. That could come in handy here.<br><strong>The pick: Unity Christian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Substate 2: West Lyon (20-3) vs. Manson-Northwest Webster (19-5) [at Buena Vista, 6:30 pm]</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There is a significant gap in the competition that these two teams have faced throughout the year, with West Lyon's strength of schedule ranking 7th and Manson-Northwest Webster's 76th in the class. The Cougars are led by a big senior scorer in [player_tooltip player_id='2398114' first='Logan' last='Moline'] (21.0, 8.3 rebounds), an athletic, physical guard who can get to the rim off the dribble. [player_tooltip player_id='1587314' first='Kelan' last='Koval'] (13.9) is another talented guard who can play downhill and attack, and Matt Condon (8.0, 4.4 assists) is a skilled playmaker. The Cougars have been good defensively this season, but how will they respond to the athleticism and physicality that West Lyon brings. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1759936' first='Carson' last='Hoogeveen'] (17.5, 3.5 assists) is a highly efficient three-level scorer, posting 51-47-80 splits, and the trio of Jorden Meyer (14.9, 54.7 FG%), [player_tooltip player_id='2731896' first='Jared' last='Ciesielski'] (8.3, 68.5 FG%), and [player_tooltip player_id='2397298' first='Easton' last='Jacobson'] (8.3, 55.8 FG%). The Wildcats take care of the ball, have the best player on the floor in Hoogeveen, and have size, toughness, and athleticism.<br><strong>The pick: West Lyon</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Substate 3: North Fayette Valley (23-0) vs. Jesup (15-9) [at Wartburg, 8:00 pm]</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Both of these teams pulled off upsets to get here, with North Fayette Valley knocking off Aplington-Parkersburg, the top-seed in their district, and Jesup beating Cascade. That said, the TigerHawks clearly know how to win and win big, the only undefeated team remaining in Class 2A. There were serious questions about their strength of schedule (94th of 96 2A teams), but they answered the bell against A-P. Future Upper Iowa big man [player_tooltip player_id='1951832' first='Cael' last='Reichter'] (29.2, 15.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists) is a truly dominant two-way big man who Jesup will struggle to match up with. A 6-8 athlete who can score inside and out, control the glass, and protect the rim, he'll have a huge game. Decklyn Heins (11.8), [player_tooltip player_id='2511611' first='Kyler' last='White'] (6.8, 5.9 assists), and Lincoln Aeschliman (6.8) are all solid in their roles alongside Reichter. Jesup is led by a trio of double-figure scorers in senior guards [player_tooltip player_id='1839807' first='Ryan' last='Treptow'] (20.0) and [player_tooltip player_id='2820112' first='Landon' last='Vogel'] (11.8, 40.4 3P%), and sophomore big man [player_tooltip player_id='2906478' first='Parker' last='Masteller'] (10.0, 9.2 rebounds). Masteller will have his hands full with Reichter, and if he gets into foul trouble, Reichter could completely take over the game. This should be a really good game, with Jesup having the edge in the backcourt, and NFV having a pretty significant edge in the frontcourt.<br><strong>The pick: North Fayette Valley</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Substate 4: Grundy Center (21-2) vs. Northeast (18-5) [at Wartburg, 6:00 pm]</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Grundy Center has been great this season, with their two losses coming in a three-day stretch against Grand View Christian and 3A-ranked Waverly-Shell Rock, but they've largely dominated the schedule outside of that, and that's despite playing without star wing [player_tooltip player_id='1478357' first='Jalen' last='Kirkpatrick'] (17.0, 7.9 rebounds, 54.6 FG%) for a good chunk of the season due to injury. He's back now and playing at a high level again, and the 6-5/6-6 wing is a matchup problem with his length, athleticism, and skill. [player_tooltip player_id='1759911' first='Tiernan' last='Vokes'] (13.1), [player_tooltip player_id='2413534' first='Judd' last='Jirovsky'] (11.4, 4.9 assists), [player_tooltip player_id='1759941' first='Brayden' last='Wallis'] (10.1), and [player_tooltip player_id='2820148' first='Ryker' last='Thoren'] (9.0) all stepped up and thrived with Kirkpatrick sidelined, and with him back in they were able to slide into their more natural roles, making this team even more dangerous. They share the ball extremely well (20.3 assists per game) and are tough physically. Northeast, long known for being really stout defensively but a bit of a slog offensively, is really good on the offensive end this season, averaging 69.2 points per game. [player_tooltip player_id='1759938' first='Gavin' last='Kramer'] (18.6, 5.9 assists, 37.0 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='2523908' first='Jaxen' last='Christiansen'] (16.0, 42.4 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='2420792' first='Emerson' last='Kreinbrink'] (12.5, 65.6 FG%), and [player_tooltip player_id='2731868' first='Colby' last='Gray'] (10.9) are all dynamic offensive weapons who are threats to score 20+ on any given night. This is a balanced team who also shares the ball well, but can they compete on the glass with Grundy? <br><strong>The pick: Grundy Center</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Substate 5: West Burlington (21-2) vs. Grand View Christian (22-1) [at Oskaloosa]</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The game of the night takes place in Oskaloosa, with a fascinating contrast in size and styles. Grand View Christian is huge, led by 6-9 Illinois-Chicago commit, senior [player_tooltip player_id='1381402' first='Emiliano' last='Barrantes'] (21.4, 13.8 rebounds, 4.2 blocks) and 6-5 wing [player_tooltip player_id='2287857' first='Brayden' last='Hoben'] (16.4, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks), giving them a size edge over West Burlington, a team that does love to attack the rim. Guard [player_tooltip player_id='2413533' first='Jameson' last='Scharnberg'] (16.7, 40.5 3P%) leads a backcourt that has quite a bit of shooting, and the Thunder are shooting nearly 37% from the 3-point line as a team. West Burlington counters with North Florida commit [player_tooltip player_id='1381425' first='Mason' last='Watkins'] (30.3, 5.4 assists, 40.1 3P%), who has arguably been the best player in 2A this season. A dynamic athlete and efficient three-level scorer, he'll need to have a huge game for the Falcons. They're undersized, but one of the most athletic teams in the class. [player_tooltip player_id='2397997' first='Quincy' last='Collins'] (17.3, 7.2 rebounds), [player_tooltip player_id='2397376' first='Kobe' last='Davis'] (11.0, 5.7 assists), and [player_tooltip player_id='2731885' first='Ayden' last='Figuereo'] (9.6, 9.4 rebounds) will all need to pound the glass, and things could really change in a hurry if they're able to attack and get Barrantes into foul trouble. We took GVC in the substate preview, and stick with it, but this could go either way.<br><strong>The pick: Grand View Christian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Substate 6: Union (16-9) vs. Kuemper Catholic (22-1) [at Drake, 5:00 pm]</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>BC Moore lists Kuemper Catholic is a 25-point favorite in this one, and for good reason. They've been absolutely dominant this season, winning games by an average of 31 points, with their lone loss coming to a 4A Dowling Catholic team that has also reached the substate finals. Kuemper averages 83.6 points per game and has so many different ways to beat you, posting 56-39-73 shooting splits as a team. Junior [player_tooltip player_id='1765513' first='Ryan' last='Clair'] (14.9, 66.8 FG%) is a dominant big man on both ends of the floor. Sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='2420805' first='Dylan' last='Schon'] (13.7) and [player_tooltip player_id='2420798' first='Griffin' last='Glynn'] (9.8) can score from anywhere on the floor. Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='1765503' first='Brock' last='Badding'] (12.6, 39.0 3P%) and [player_tooltip player_id='2519974' first='Jack' last='Badding'] (8.3, 33.0 3P%) are both really good shooters. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1951817' first='Tregan' last='Beiter'] (9.6) and [player_tooltip player_id='1759944' first='Carson' last='Kanne'] (7.5, 7.2 assists) provide leadership and playmaking. This is a deep, explosive team capable of dropping a 20-0 run on anyone in the blink of an eye. If Union wants to stick around in this one, they'll need to either knock down shots from deep or grind it to a halt. The latter is much easier said than done, so a lot will be asked of [player_tooltip player_id='2678903' first='Tate' last='Van Dyke'] (12.2, 45.2 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='1726227' first='Caden' last='Sorensen'] (11.2, 27.6 3P%), and [player_tooltip player_id='1986602' first='Cameron' last='Mullen'] (10.9, 31.8 3P%), who are going to need to probably knock down at least 12-13 3s if they're going to keep pace with Kuemper.<br><strong>The pick: Kuemper Catholic</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Substate 7: Albia (19-3) vs. Treynor (21-3) [at Southwestern Community College]</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Treynor is one of the hottest teams in the class, winners of 16 straight heading into this substate final. The Cardinals have been smothering on the defensive end, allowing just 45.3 points per game, 3rd in the class. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1978103' first='Alec' last='Lovely'] (19.2, 4.2 assists) is the headliner of the group, a standout at the state tournament last year as a sophomore who is looking to lead his team back to Des Moines. [player_tooltip player_id='2886836' first='Ethan' last='Hill'] (11.7), [player_tooltip player_id='2413619' first='Corbin' last='Thien'] (9.1), [player_tooltip player_id='2820130' first='Peter' last='Young'] (8.8), and [player_tooltip player_id='2820123' first='Jared' last='Schwarte'] (6.3) all know their roles and play them well alongside Lovely. Sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id='2297904' first='Gage' last='Chance'] (19.3, 7.5 rebounds) has been fantastic on both ends of the floor for Albia and with his size and length on the wing, he could have an advantage in this one. Cooper Bradley (11.2), Cael Schofield (7.9), Luke Wynn (7.2), Grant Powers (5.7), and Rowen Archer (5.3) are all seniors who provide a lot of experience, but Albia hasn't reached this stage in a while, whereas Treynor has become a state tournament regular, which could give them an edge.<br><strong>The pick: Treynor</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Substate 8: OABCIG (18-4) vs. Western Christian (21-3) [at Buena Vista, 4:00 pm]</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>OABCIG has had a really nice season, but this is probably the biggest mismatch of the 2A finals. Defending champion Western Christian has been the top-ranked team in 2A all season, compiling an absolutely ridiculous resume of wins. Led by seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1436462' first='Kaden' last='Van Regenmorter'] (19.5, 5.0 assists, 42.8 3P%) and [player_tooltip player_id='1484412' first='Karsten' last='Moret'] (15.1, 51.4 3P%), they have an incredibly efficient offensive attack that is posting 49-41-72 shooting splits against the toughest schedule in the class. OABCIG has some good athletes - [player_tooltip player_id='2381205' first='Brysen' last='Kolar'] (17.5), Evan Hoffman (14.6, 8.6 rebounds), and Jaxx Dejean (11.0, 8.7 rebounds) in particular - but the Falcons are running into a buzzsaw here.<br><strong>The pick: Western Christian</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->