Power Score Top 3 Matchups This Week (Jan. 26)

With some of the top teams in 3A facing off as potential previews for the playoffs, plus two newly successful programs on the block in the Des Moines Metro squaring off, this week's Power Score Top 3 Matchups is as fun as they come.   No. 45 Center Point-Urbana (11-3) at No. 49 Mt. Vernon (10-3), Friday Jan. 30 at 6:00   Two top-12 teams in Class 3A's power scores and on the fringe of the top 50 teams in all classes, CPU and Mount Vernon clash in an early game Friday evening. The Stormin' Pointers enter the matchup with five-straight wins, while the Mustangs are fresh off a victory over Bondurant-Farrar, following back-to-back losses.   Led by senior guard, [player_tooltip player_id='1765520' first='Cooper' last='Grimm'] and his 14.6 points per game (PPG), CPU's five starters each average 7.3 or more points per contest, making them one of the more balanced teams in the area as far as 3A goes. Following Grimm's scoring, along with his team-leading 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per contest, are [player_tooltip player_id='2886825' first='Cayle' last='Estling'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3219730' first='Lucas' last='Lopata']. Estling, a senior, puts up 10.1 PPG in addition to 2.3 steals per contest, while Lopata adds 9.2 PPG. [player_tooltip player_id='2413508' first='Kinnick' last='Covington'] and Noah Estling round out the starting line up for the Pointers, offering the most playable size on their roster, eaach standing at 6-foot-4.   Surprise, surprise, [player_tooltip player_id='2413532' first='Kellen' last='Haverback'] leads the way for the Mustangs on the other side of the gym. A multi-sport star that is committed to Drake to play quarterback, the senior is averaging 21.2 PPG while shooting 38.4% from deep. The 6-foot-3 guard also leads the Mustangs with 4.8 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. He, along with juniors [player_tooltip player_id='3344388' first='Maddox' last='Thede'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2906500' first='Luke' last='Rushford'] combine as the top three scorers, with Thede and Rushford combining for 19.6 points per contest. Rushford leads the Mustangs in assists per game with 2.8, while also shooting 15-of-34 from deep, 44.1% from three.   No. 3 Ballard (13-0) at No. 16 ADM (12-2), Friday Jan. 30 at 7:30   The top-ranked 3A team and No. 3 overall behind two 4A powers, Cedar Falls and Waukee Northwest, in the Power Score rankings, Ballard will face its first true test from a 3A opponent on Friday. With an undefeated record going in, the Bombers have beaten every single opponent other than Norwalk by double-digits so far this season.   They've got three double-digit scorers in [player_tooltip player_id='2419714' first='Evan' last='Abbott'], [player_tooltip player_id='1765518' first='Jude' last='Gibson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2419750' first='Parker' last='Miller'], who combine to average a whopping 47.1 PPG. Abbott is the leading scorer of the crew, as the 6-foot-5 prospect puts up 19.6 PPG, to pair with 4.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2 steals per contest. Up next is the senior, Gibson, the leading scorer from last season's team that fell to eventual champion MOC-Floyd Valley in Des Moines. The 6-foot lead guard is not only averaging 15.6 PPG, but adding a team-best 4.8 assists (with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.85) and shooting 48.1% from deep. Add [player_tooltip player_id='2419750' first='Parker' last='Miller'] who's putting up 12.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.8 steals per game and the Bombers look like one of the clear favorites for the 3A crown.   One of the teams that could dethrone them when the time comes, though, is ADM. Sure, the pair matched up earlier this season with Ballard taking the victory, 54-33. ADM's double-digit scorers, [player_tooltip player_id='1978130' first='Hudson' last='Lorensen'] (21.9 PPG) and [player_tooltip player_id='1978115' first='Trey' last='Bryte'] (14.6 PPG) had one of their worst combined performances of the year, shooting 8-for-26 to finish with 20 points, including one made three-pointer and shooting 3-of-7 from the free throw line. That, and they combined for 14 turnovers.   For the season, Lorensen -- ADM's all-time leading scorer -- and Bryte have combined to average not only their shared 36.5 PPG, but Lorensen is shooting just under 50% from three (43-of-87) and. Bryte is also averaging 9.4 rebounds, 7.6 assists, 2.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. If their star duo can get going, Ballard may not run away with this one.   No. 14 Des Moines Roosevelt (10-3) vs. No. 34 Des Moines East (9-3), Friday Jan. 30 at 7:45   In what's been a relatively rarely successful season for each of these programs, Des Moines Roosevelt and Des Moines East will face off on Friday night to determine which one of the two typically lowly 4A programs is legitimate in their three-loss start to the 2025-26 campaign.   Based on schedules and the programs each school has taken losses to so far, Roosevelt looks like the early favorite. Only dropping games to Ames, Waukee and Dowling Catholic -- each top seven teams in the Power Score rankings -- the Roughriders appear to for real. Led by Division I prospect [player_tooltip player_id='2204081' first='Charlie' last='King'], Roosevelt has a bonafide scorer in the 6-foot-5 guard. Averaging 21.3 points on 51.3% shooting from the floor, King is one of the top scorers in the Des Moines Metro. Adding 8.7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2.6 steals per game, King is more often than not the best player on the court at any given time. Rounding out the other four players that see the court the most for the Roughriders, [player_tooltip player_id='2136936' first='Chance' last='Burkett'], [player_tooltip player_id='2772350' first='Frank' last='Lee IV'], [player_tooltip player_id='2754693' first='D'Mir' last='Coleman'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2519967' first='Finley' last='Newman'] each average 9.4 points or more per game, with Burkett and Lee upwards of 11 points per contest. Coleman's 6-foot-9 frame and 8 rebounds per game don't hurt, either.   King may be the straw that stirs the drink for the Roughriders, but he's got some help this season, too.   Meanwhile, Easts losses look a little different. Falling at the hands of 3A Newton, Sioux City West, and losing to Roosevelt by 20 earlier this season, the Scarlets don't have the same resume as the Roughriders.   They do have [player_tooltip player_id='2617518' first='Jayvion' last='Hanson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2615603' first='Samson' last='Amenu'], though. The two double-digit scorers for East, Hanson is averaging 15 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.9 steals per contest, while Amenu is putting up 13.1 points, 3.7 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 2 steals per game. A high-volume shooting duo, the junior-senior tandem has to be riding a high of one of their better starts in recent memory, and if their confidence is high and their shooting hands hot, the Scarlets could avenge the early January blowout loss.

With some of the top teams in 3A facing off as potential previews for the playoffs, plus two newly successful programs on the block in the Des Moines Metro squaring off, this week's Power Score Top 3 Matchups is as fun as they come.