Playoff Preview: 1A-4

<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/1A-7.png"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-1126626" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/1A-7-1024x800.png" alt="" width="850" height="664" /></a> The favorite: Easton Valley was the #1 team in 1A last year before being upset in the district final. There was a lot of turnover from that roster this year, but the River Hawks are undefeated again by pounding teams by an average of 34 points a game. They’re led by senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="796176" first="Kaleb" last="Cornilsen"] (25.0, 8.9 rebounds), a versatile forward who runs the floor extremely well, has great footwork and a nice mid-range game. He missed that district final loss with an injury and has been on a mission this year. Senior guard Porter Fuegen (14.9) has stepped into a much larger role this year and has been very good, shooting nearly 40% from 3 and swiping 3.6 steals a game. His younger brother Carson Fuegen (3.5) isn’t much of a scorer, but he leads the team with 6.9 assists and 3.8 steals a game. They should cruise into the district final, as they’ve beaten Prince of Peace by 14 and 27, and Bellevue Marquette by 38. The biggest threat: The best team at the bottom of the bracket is Wapello, led by do-everything junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="962646" first="Maddox" last="Griffin"] (17.6). In addition to his scoring, the athletic guard is averaging 7.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 4.1 steals a game, while shooting 58% from the floor. His ability to dominate the game on both ends of the floor could mean that the Indians could make a big run here. Senior big [player_tooltip player_id="964901" first="Caden" last="Thomas"] (11.3, 6.6 rebounds) is an efficient scorer, and Trenton Murray (11.9) has given them a reliable second scorer on the perimeter. The dark horse: Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="964911" first="Kaden" last="Schnede"] (16.8, 6.9 rebounds) leads a Calamus-Wheatland team that is capable of scoring in bunches, which makes the Warriors dangerous. They pound the offensive glass, pulling down 11.4 offensive boards a game, and they’d be comfortable getting into an up-and-down game against Wapello in the semifinal and Easton Valley in the final. Players to watch 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="796176" first="Kaleb" last="Cornilsen"], Easton Valley 2021 Porter Fuegen, Easton Valley 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962646" first="Maddox" last="Griffin"], Wapello 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="964901" first="Caden" last="Thomas"], Wapello 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="964911" first="Kaden" last="Schnede"], Calamus-Wheatland 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="964889" first="Carson" last="Michels"], Bellevue Marquette   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/1A-8.png"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-1126627" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/1A-8-1024x801.png" alt="" width="850" height="665" /></a> [caption id="attachment_1040525" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Alex-Koppes.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1040525" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Alex-Koppes-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Koppes[/caption] The favorite: Springville is the best team in this district, but the state did them no favors with the draw, as this district probably has the strongest top four of any in 1A. The Orioles have lost twice, both to top-ranked North Linn, by 7 and 10 points. A state qualifying team last year, they’ve absolutely drilled the rest of the teams on the schedule, winning their other 17 games by an average of 37.3 points a game. They’re similar to North Linn in the fact that they love to push the tempo, using their quickness to put pressure on the opponent on both ends of the floor. They force a ton of turnovers and are great at turning their steals into quick offense. [player_tooltip player_id="964829" first="Alex" last="Koppes"] (20.4), a senior guard, is the leading scorer, and juniors [player_tooltip player_id="962618" first="Rhenden" last="Wagaman"] (15.8) and [player_tooltip player_id="962643" first="Luke" last="Menster"] (15.7) are also outstanding. [caption id="attachment_1086716" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Blaise-Porter.jpeg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1086716" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Blaise-Porter-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Porter[/caption] The biggest threat: Arguably the most exciting young duo in the state plays at tiny New London in sophomores, guard [player_tooltip player_id="956871" first="Blaise" last="Porter"] (21.8, 5.2 assists, 2.5 steals) and forward [player_tooltip player_id="956872" first="Kade" last="Benjamin"] (18.8, 8.8 rebounds, 2.9 blocks). Porter already holds a Division I offer from Bryant, and Benjamin, a skilled 6-6 forward, figures to garner plenty of college interest as well. Devin Swanson (11.2), a junior forward, has given the Tigers solid production as well. New London lost to Notre Dame, 75-71, back on January 5, but they’ve won 8 of 9 games since that loss, trending in the right direction. They’re probably the most talented team in this district, just fairly inexperienced still. The dark horse: As we already mentioned, Notre Dame already holds a win over likely semifinal opponent back in January. The Nikes have a dominant interior presence in 6-5 senior Josh Smith (16.8, 8.2 rebounds) who could really create some issues for Springville with his size if they met in the district final. Senior guard Matt Johnson (15.3, 45.2 3P%) is a knockdown shooter who could carry this team as well. Players to watch 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="964829" first="Alex" last="Koppes"], Springville 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962643" first="Luke" last="Menster"], Springville 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962618" first="Rhenden" last="Wagaman"], Springville 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="956871" first="Blaise" last="Porter"], New London 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="956872" first="Kade" last="Benjamin"], New London 2021 Josh Smith, Notre Dame 2021 Matt Johnson, Notre Dame 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="784986" first="Kole" last="Becker"], Lisbon 2021 Vasin Thurman, Holy Trinity     <h3 style="text-align: center;">SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION</h3> Easton Valley vs. Springville Sign me up for a seven-game series, please. These are two of the best offensive teams in the state, and they should play a highly entertaining substate final with a trip to State on the line, should this meeting happen. While Easton Valley has arguably the best player on the floor, Springville has the next three best players, and as a result, we give the Orioles the slightest edge. After a 25-year break, Springville makes back-to-back trips to Des Moines.