Playoff Preview: 3A-8

<p><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/3A-8.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1130429" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/02/3A-8.png" alt="" width="788" height="697" /></a></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> [caption id="attachment_1033617" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Elvis-Nnaji.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1033617 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/08/Elvis-Nnaji-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> Glasgow[/caption] <p><strong>The favorite:</strong> The best backcourt in 3A basketball belongs to <strong>Dallas Center-Grimes</strong>, and as a result, the Mustangs are the clear favorite in this substate. They’ve spent a good chunk of the season ranked #1 in 3A on the strength of that talented backcourt, and they have to be considered one of the top 3-4 contenders in the class. They’re led by junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="682270" first="Cole" last="Glasgow"] (17.2), a talented and efficient scorer who holds a handful of mid-major offers. Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="796144" first="Luke" last="Rankin"] (13.8, 8.5 assists) is one of the best pure lead guards in the state, a very talented passer who takes excellent care of the ball and can stretch the floor. And junior guard <strong>Bo Huston</strong> (12.2, 48.8 3P%) has been a sniper on the perimeter alongside Glasgow and Rankin, giving them a real three-headed monster. [player_tooltip player_id="964840" first="Alex" last="Thomas"] (8.2), a 6-5 forward, provides some size and athleticism in the paint. Guard play wins in high school basketball, and DCG has outstanding guards. </p> <p><strong>The biggest threat: Glenwood</strong> enters the postseason hot, winning 10 straight games. The Rams are heavy favorites to come out of the bottom of this bracket, holding a sweep of both of their possible semifinal opponents. They’re led by senior combo forward [player_tooltip player_id="796117" first="Ryan" last="Blum"] (23.9, 8.8 rebounds), a talented scorer who was a key piece for Glenwood’s state title team as a freshman. The Rams crash the offensive glass hard, pulling down over 12 offensive boards a game, which helps offset a 40.8% field-goal percentage as a team. </p> <p><strong>The dark horse: Atlantic</strong> swept Creston in the regular-season, and should be favored to meet up with rival Glenwood in the semifinals. The Trojans are led by senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="964844" first="Skyler" last="Handlos"] (16.6, 5.8 rebounds) and junior <strong>Dayton Templeton</strong> (11.2, 6.3 rebounds). Like Glenwood, they hit the offensive boards hard, pulling down nearly 11 of them a game.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Players to watch</span><br /> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="682270" first="Cole" last="Glasgow"], Dallas Center-Grimes<br /> 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="796144" first="Luke" last="Rankin"], Dallas Center-Grimes<br /> 2022 Bo Huston, Dallas Center-Grimes<br /> 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="796117" first="Ryan" last="Blum"], Glenwood<br /> 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="964844" first="Skyler" last="Handlos"], Atlantic<br /> 2022 Connor Frame, Harlan<br /> 2024 Jack Cooley, Clarke<br /> 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="964918" first="Colby" last="Burg"], Creston<br /> 2021 [player_tooltip player_id="964919" first="Tate" last="Stine-Smith"], ADM<br /> <br /> </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="text-align: center;">SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION</h3> <p style="text-align: center;"><em>Dallas Center-Grimes vs. Glenwood</em></p> <p>Dallas Center-Grimes has been to State five times (2010, 11, 13, 15, and 17), but have never won a game there. This group has a real chance to do so. Glenwood struggles to defend the Mustangs’ three-headed guard monster, and <strong>Dallas Center-Grimes</strong> cruises to Des Moines. </p>