Power Score Top 3 Matchups This Week (Feb. 16)

Two central Iowa squads get a tune-up game before the playoffs, Cedar Falls and Dubuque Senior face off as two of the top teams in 4A, and programs from the Quad Cities that sport two of the best scorers in Iowa's largest class matchup as a potential preview of what's to come in the second round of the playoffs.   No. 33 Norwalk (14-6) at No. 9 ADM (18-2), Tues. Feb. 17 at 7:15   A 4A program on the rise and a 3A title contender face off ahead of the playoffs beginning in their respective classes next week. A clash between two teams with some of the top talent in 3A and 4A, the Warriors and Tigers will get their final regular season test before we hit "win or go home" season.   Norwalk is led by one of the top 4A surprise standouts this winter in [player_tooltip player_id='2419755' first='Tillman' last='Papcun'], a sharp-shooting guard that ranks 9th in 4A in scoring at 20.6 points per game. The 6-foot-1 junior is not only scoring at a high rat but doing it efficiently, too. Shooting 51.8% from the field, 44.3% from three and 84.8% from the stripe, Papcun is in the periphary of the rarified air that of 50-40-90 shooters. If he keeps it up at this clip, he may have Division I programs knocking on his door this summer. He also leads the Warriors with 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals per contest.   Across from him will be one of the best trios in the state. [player_tooltip player_id='1978130' first='Hudson' last='Lorensen'], [player_tooltip player_id='1978115' first='Trey' last='Bryte'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1978146' first='Hudson' last='Shull'] combine for a monstrous 48 points per game, with Upper Iowa commit, Lorensen leading the way at 22.4 points per contest. With Lorensen, ADM's all-time scoring leader, and Bryte, ADM's all-time leader in assists, plus the multi-sport star Shull, 2026 appears to be the time to win a state title if there ever was one for the Tigers. All three shoot upwards of 40% from the three, 80% from the line and 48.5% from the field, making for quite the offense to defend. Through in the fact that Bryte grabs 9.3 rebounds and dishes out 7.9 assists per game and ADM, who has won 12 of their last 13, may be the team to beat in 3A.   No. 1 Cedar Falls (19-0) at No. 3 Dubuque Senior (18-1), Tues. Feb. 17 at 7:30   Speaking of the team to beat in their class -- Cedar Falls has gone virtually the whole season as the top team in 4A and the top squad in our Power Score rankings. They'll face another power in Iowa's largest class before their pursuit of a state title begins, traveling to Dubuque to take on the Rams on Tuesday. Facing off for the first time this year, the Tigers will look to handle Senior just their second loss of the season -- the first coming at the hands of Ames, 52-49 in the Conference Crossover in Cedar Rapids.   For Cedar Falls, the backcourt-frontcourt duo of seniors, [player_tooltip player_id='1777914' first='Jaydon' last='Kimbrough'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1765553' first='William' last='Gerdes'] have been killing opponents all season. With Gerdes averaging 21.3 points and Kimbrough putting up 19.7 per contest, the pair have been two of the top scorers in the state. Gerdes, a UNI commit, also leads the Tigers with 6.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. The pair is both shooting 42% from three this season, too.   The Rams are led by the second-most prolific scorer in 4A this season, [player_tooltip player_id='1172887' first='Tevin' last='Schultz']. A Rockhurst University signee, Schultz is putting up 25.4 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, leading Dubuque in both stat lines while shooting 64.9% from the field, 43.4% from three and 77% from the free throw line. Throw in the fact that fellow senior and guard, [player_tooltip player_id='1765536' first='Cooper' last='Porter'] has one of the top assist-to-turnover ratios in the state of 5.1 while scoring 12.5 points per game and shooting 45.9% from three, and the Rams are set to be about as much of a challenge as the Tigers have faced all season long.   No. 36 North Scott (13-6) at No. 14 Bettendorf (15-4), Thurs. Feb. 19 at 7:30   Since we brought up the second-leading scorer in 4A, may as well go up to number one while we're at it. Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2309944' first='Josiah' last='Harrington'] leads Iowa's largest class in scoring at 25.7 points per game. The 6-foot-7 Iowa State commit, who's also averaging 9.2 rebounds per game, is easily the top prospect in the class of 2027, and he's not slowing down any time soon. Though the Lancers are currently ranked as just the 36th-best team in all classes, Harrington is one of few players in the state that could will his team to Des Moines.   If North Scott does make a run to Des Moines, they'll have to go through Bettendorf to get there, and Thursday's matchup is a perfect preview for the potential second round game in the playoffs. The Bulldogs won't be an easy out, though, should they matchup again following Thursday's contest.   Junior [player_tooltip player_id='2754678' first='Michael' last='Gordon'] has been the headliner for Bettendorf this season, averaging 20.1 points per game, along with 1.7 steals per contest. A volume shooter that can get hot in a hurry and make a flurry of difficult shots, Gordon isn't a player that can be given space on the outside -- otherwise he's going to launch, and make you pay.

Two central Iowa squads get a tune-up game before the playoffs, Cedar Falls and Dubuque Senior face off as two of the top teams in 4A, and programs from the Quad Cities that sport two of the best scorers in Iowa's largest class matchup as a potential preview of what's to come in the second round of the playoffs.