Class 4A State Tournament Preview
In this article:
#1 seed: Kennedy (23-0)About the Cougars: The Cougars have been absolutely dominant this season, entering the tournament undefeated and with the #1 scoring offense and defense in the state. They’re putting up 77.7 points a game, allowing just 42.0, and…
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Continue Reading#1 seed: Kennedy (23-0)
About the Cougars: The Cougars have been absolutely dominant this season, entering the tournament undefeated and with the #1 scoring offense and defense in the state. They’re putting up 77.7 points a game, allowing just 42.0, and have had just two games decided by single digits this season. They survived a serious scare from North Scott in the substate final, winning 57-55, and will be looking to make some noise in Des Moines after being upset in the quarterfinals last year. Junior guard
Trey McKowen
Trey
McKowen
5'11" | PG
Kennedy | 2025
State
IA
(13.5, 4.1 assists, 2.6 steals, 40.2 3P%) leads a very balanced offensive attack that features five players averaging at least 8.8 points a game, and another five averaging between 3.4 and 5.3 a night. While the rotation will almost certainly tighten up a bit in the tournament, the Cougars can go deep with a number of different looks that they can throw at teams.
Joseph Bean
Joseph
Bean
6'3" | PG
Kennedy | 2024
State
IA
(12.9, 39.8 3P%), a Xavier transfer, has given them a steady presence in the backcourt after playing for the 3A championship with the Saints last year, and
Micah Schlaak
Micah
Schlaak
6'6" | PF
Kennedy | 2024
State
IA
(10.7, 41.0 3P%) is a versatile 6-6/6-7 forward who can score inside and out as well as protect the paint defensively.
Trevan Krumrei
Trevan
Krumrei
6'5" | SF
Kennedy | 2024
State
IA
(10.2, 45.2 3P%) is a long wing shooter, and senior guard
Griffin Gerdes
Griffin
Gerdes
6'1" | PG
Kennedy | 2024
State
IA
(5.3) has been extremely reliable off the bench as a two-way guard who limits mistakes, plays good defense, and knocks down his open looks. That’s a lot of talent, but the most important player on the roster is senior guard
Cyrus Courtney
Cyrus
Courtney
6'1" | SG
Kennedy | 2024
State
IA
(8.8, 4.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 3.0 steals). A hyper-athletic 6-2 guard who can guard one through five, create off the dribble, and score in the mid-range. His versatility really makes Kennedy go on both ends of the floor.
Why they can win it all: Jon McKowen is one of the best defensive coaches in the state, and he’ll always have a good game plan drawn up. The Cougars can throw a ton of different defensive looks at you, and with their great balance and depth on the offensive end, they have a better chance to overcome an off night from a player than they did last season.
#2 seed: Valley (18-5)
About the Tigers: The defending champions are back for more after an up-and-down year that has featured injuries to their two best players –
Curtis Stinson Jr
Curtis
Stinson Jr
6'5" | PG
Valley | 2025
State
#157
Nation
IA
(19.8, 7.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists) and
Xzavion Robinson
Xzavion
Robinson
6'1" | PG
Valley | 2025
State
#342
Nation
IA
(15.8, 3.1 assists). Robinson missed the pre-holiday break portion of the schedule recovering from a shoulder injury, and shortly after he returned, Stinson missed a few weeks with a leg injury. Then Robinson turned his ankle in the substate final, and his health is a bit of a question heading into the week. If Stinson and Robinson are both healthy, this is still the best team in the state. Those two are dynamic playmakers with the ball in their hands who are capable of taking over the game on either end of the floor.
Kiki Deng
Kiki
Deng
6'4" | SG
Valley | 2025
State
IA
(10.5) is a long, athletic wing defender, as is Des Moines North transfer
Jayden McGregory
Jayden
McGregory
6'1" | PG
Valley | 2026
State
IA
(10.5), while
Trevin Jirak
Trevin
Jirak
6'9" | C
Valley | 2025
State
#349
Nation
IA
(10.0, 7.6 rebounds, 1.9 blocks) protects the rim and finishes at the bucket and
Kyle Cason
Kyle
Cason
6'0" | SG
Valley | 2025
State
IA
(9.5, 34.3 3P%) is the glue guy who does a bit of everything.
Why they can win it all: They proved last year, largely with the same roster, that once the bright lights hit, they hit another level. This is the most talented team in the state, and if they’re healthy, they’re probably the team to beat.
#3 seed: Cedar Falls (20-3)
About the Tigers: Cedar Falls has lost three games this season by a combined 12 points, and two of those losses came to state tournament teams (Kennedy by 4, Assumption by 6), and the other came to Iowa City West, a substate finalist, by 2. The Tigers are one of the hottest teams in the state, having won 14 of their last 15 games, and entering the tournament on a nine-game winning streak. A deep and balanced team, ten players average at least 3.1 points a game, giving them depth that is unmatched by any other team in the field. They’re led by sophomore forward
William Gerdes
William
Gerdes
6'8" | PF
Cedar Falls | 2026
State
IA
(12.0, 70.8 FG%), a 6-8 big who holds an offer from Nebraska. Junior guard
Anthony Galvin
Anthony
Galvin
6'0" | PG
Cedar Falls | 2025
State
IA
(11.3, 36.4 3P%) is a true point guard who likes to create for his teammates and shoots it well off the dribble, while senior forward
Cade Courbat
Cade
Courbat
6'8" | PF
Cedar Falls | 2024
State
IA
(11.0, 1.5 blocks) is a really good defender who can defend one through five. A deep, talented, and complementary team, few teams have been playing better than Cedar Falls.
Why they can win it all: Coach Ryan Schultz has won a pair of state titles and knows what it takes to win at this level and in this setting. This team is playing at an incredible level and with their depth, they have a ton of versatility on both ends of the floor.
#4 seed: Senior (21-2)
About the Rams: The Rams are a bit of a throwback team, playing through their big men –
Jacob Williams
Jacob
Williams
6'4" | PF
Senior | 2024
State
IA
(16.6, 8.4 rebounds, 63.8 FG%) and
Tevin Schultz
Tevin
Schultz
6'7" | PF
Dubuque Senior | 2026
State
IA
(14.8, 60.1 FG%). Williams is an athletic lefty who can score inside and out, protect the paint, and he has really improved as a shot creator off the dribble over the last year, while Schultz is a stretch-4 who is burying 36% of his 3-point attempts. Those two are the only ones averaging in double-figures, but this is a pretty deep team, with five others averaging between 4.5 and 6.9 points a game.
Cooper Porter
Cooper
Porter
5'11" | PG
Senior | 2026
State
IA
(6.9, 50.6 3P%) and
Drake Medinger
Drake
Medinger
6'2" | SG
Senior | 2026
State
IA
(5.3), a pair of sophomores, can provide some additional perimeter scoring in spurts. This is a long, athletic team that plays great defense and they’re able to throw a lot of different looks at teams on that end of the floor.
Why they can win it all: A long, athletic team, Senior is one of the best defensive teams in the field, and they have the big men who can give teams problems.
#5 seed: Ankeny (17-6)
About the Hawks: Senior guard
Carson Johnson
Carson
Johnson
5'11" | PG
Ankeny | 2024
State
IA
(23.4, 3.6 assists) has been arguably the best player in the state this season. A skilled 6-0 guard who can create and shoot it off the dribble as well as anyone, he’s posting 51-47-90 shooting splits and has had several explosive scoring games. Sophomore guard
Rio Aguirre
Rio
Aguirre
6'1" | PG
Ankeny | 2026
State
IA
(13.4, 42.9 3P%) and senior
Lio Aguirre
Lio
Aguirre
6'3" | SF
Ankeny | 2024
State
IA
(12.7, 6.4 rebounds) are really good pieces alongside Johnson, with Rio shooting it really well off the dribble and the catch, and Lio using his physicality to play downhill and get to the rim. They have a number of quality role players who fill in alongside those three, playing their roles on both ends of the floor and filling in the gaps. The Hawks hold four wins over teams in this tournament field (Johnston twice, Bettendorf, and Valley), as well as several other high-quality wins over the course of the season.
Why they can win it all: We saw Ankeny go on a title-winning run a few years ago behind the dynamic play of guard Braxton Bayless, and if anyone is going to go on a run like that, it’s Johnson and the Hawks. He’s the most dynamic individual player in the field.
#6 seed: Bettendorf (17-6)
About the Bulldogs: Behind the strong play of senior wing
Caden Wilkins
Caden
Wilkins
6'7" | SF
Bettendorf | 2024
State
#196
Nation
IA
(18.5, 6.3 rebounds, 37.0 3P%) the ‘Dogs have won 10 straight games entering the tournament. Wilkins, the top-ranked senior in the state, is a versatile three-level scorer who can create his own shot off the dribble or shoot it well off the catch, and he can drop 30 points in any given game. Junior wing
Ben Kerkhoff
Ben
Kerkhoff
6'5" | SF
Bettendorf | 2025
State
IA
(10.1, 42.7 3P%) has emerged as a solid second scorer, a knockdown shooter off the catch with a pure stroke. Senior guard Tre’Von Coney (8.3, 4.7 assists), a Davenport North transfer, has given them some athleticism and playmaking in the backcourt, and they have some beef in the paint with the tandem of
Asher Wade
Asher
Wade
6'7" | C
Bettendorf | 2024
State
IA
(8.0, 6.1 rebounds) and
Amari Washington
Amari
Washington
6'4" | SF
Bettendorf | 2025
State
IA
(4.7, 3.6 rebounds). This group is always good defensively, and they’re going to be a tough, physical team.
Why they can win it all: Wilkins is one of the best players in the state, and with his size and shotmaking, he can carry a team. They’re playing really well right now, and they can carry that momentum into this tournament and go on a run.
#7 seed: Johnston (14-9)
About the Dragons: In his first year at Johnston, Courtney Henderson has led the Dragons to the state tournament. He inherited a really talented roster, and gained the services of two talented transfers, but they got off to a slow start, trying to get acclimated to a new system and style of play, entering the holiday break with a 4-5 record. Since the break, they’ve played really good basketball, including a pair of tight postseason wins over Ames and Sioux City East to get here. Senior guard
Trovary Cavil
Trovary
Cavil
5'11" | PG
Johnston | 2024
State
IA
(14.6, 3.5 assists), a Des Moines Lincoln transfer, is having a great year as their lead guard, having his most efficient season by shooting nearly 48% from the field and 42% from 3. He’s a skilled ball-handler who creates well off the dribble, has a really good mid-range game, and is a very reliable free-throw shooter (91.3%), a huge benefit in tight games. Junior wing
Jalen Richardson
Jalen
Richardson
6'4" | SF
Johnston | 2025
State
IA
(10.4, 6.0 rebounds) is a bit of a Swiss Army knife on the defensive end, a lanky 6-4/6-5 wing who can defend one through five, and Marshalltown transfer
Dalen Huston
Dalen
Huston
6'3" | SF
Johnston | 2024
State
IA
(8.7) gives them an explosive athlete who finishes above the rim and contributes on both ends. Guards
Tino Daye Jr
Tino
Daye Jr
6'0" | PG
Johnston | 2026
State
IA
(7.2) and
Prestige Taylor
Prestige
Taylor
5'11" | PG
Johnston | 2025
State
IA
(5.7) give the Dragons some additional ball-handling and playmaking alongside Cavil. A Henderson-coached team is always going to be solid defensively, and it’s going to be tough to score against them.
Why they can win it all: This is one of the best defensive teams in the field, and playing against them is no easy task. Cavil is the type of guard who can take over games over the course of the week.
#8 seed: Dallas Center-Grimes (20-3)
About the Mustangs: In all honesty, I was a bit surprised to see DCG get the 8th seed in this tournament. Yes, they play in the Little Hawkeye Conference, which is a majority 3A league, but they hold a 16-point win over Ankeny and several other really good wins against quality teams. They’ve lost just once since the holiday break, a 10-point setback against Waukee Northwest, and enter the tournament on a nine-game winning streak. Senior forward
Calix Cahill
Calix
Cahill
6'5" | PF
Dallas Center-Grimes | 2024
State
IA
(16.2, 8.1 rebounds, 63.9 FG%) is a bouncy 6-6/6-7 forward who finishes really well around the rim, protects the paint defensively, and controls the glass.
Jackson Green
Jackson
Green
6'3" | SG
Dallas Center-Grimes | 2024
State
IA
(16.1, 41.6 3P%) and
Jonathan Howard
Jonathan
Howard
6'1" | SG
Dallas Center-Grimes | 2024
State
IA
(12.4, 35.8 3P%) are both really good shooters who move well without the ball in their hands, and the tandem of
Tate Perrin
Tate
Perrin
5'10" | PG
Dallas Center-Grimes | 2025
State
IA
(6.0, 4.3 assists) and
Jaden Jones
Jaden
Jones
6'3" | SG
Dallas Center Grimes | 2024
State
IA
(5.3, 4.7 assists) does a good job setting everyone up. The ‘Stangs only go about seven deep, but those seven are really good, and they play really well together.
Why they can win it all: Joel Rankin won a state tournament a few years ago, and while that was down in 3A, it’s a good experience that he can carry into this 4A tournament with this group. Their top seven is really talented, they share the ball extremely well (21.0 assists a game), and they all fit together well.
Staff picks
Tony
Quarterfinals: Kennedy, Ankeny, Valley, Cedar Falls
Semifinals: Kennedy, Valley
Champion: Valley