Class 3A Substate Final Preview

The Class 3A state tournament field will be determined on Monday night with eight substate finals being played all around the state. Below we previewed all eight games and made our picks to punch their tickets to Des Moines. Get out there on Monday night and check out some great basketball!   Class 3A postseason picks record: 42-6   Substate 1: #6 Heelan (11-12) at #1 MOC-Floyd Valley (19-4)   Heelan has played well in their first two postseason games, going on the road to beat both Sergeant Bluff-Luton and Glenwood, and the Crusaders are now just 32 minutes away from punching a ticket to the state tournament with a .500 record. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1765514' first='Noah' last='Conley'] (15.3) is a dynamic playmaker and scorer in the backcourt who has played really good ball down the stretch, and if Heelan is going to win a third straight road game, he'll need to be great. [player_tooltip player_id='2731823' first='Kasen' last='Thomas'] (9.0), Charlie Vaandrager (8.1), [player_tooltip player_id='2420797' first='Grant' last='Whitcomb'] (6.2), and Pierce Conley (5.0) are all solid role players alongside Conley and understand their roles well. Despite losing the 2024 Mr. Basketball to graduation, MOC-Floyd Valley has put together another fantastic season. They brought back five key contributors from last year's state semifinalist team, led by seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2398061' first='Blake' last='Aalbers'] (19.9, 46.3 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='1523401' first='Ahman' last='Langton'] (11.5, 3.7 assists), and [player_tooltip player_id='1951793' first='Owen' last='Vander Pol'] (11.0, 7.0 rebounds, 56.5 FG%). The trio of Aalbers, Langton, and [player_tooltip player_id='2887838' first='Carter' last='Van Gelder'] (8.0, 4.1 assists) give the Dutchmen a number of skilled playmakers in the backcourt, and Vander Pol and [player_tooltip player_id='1978131' first='Draeden' last='Punt'] (10.6, 52.5 FG%) give them a pair of strong players in the frontcourt. Punt is a tremendous athlete with size, length, and the ability to guard one through five. Heelan is playing well, but MOC has more options at their disposal and gets this one at home, edge Dutchmen. The pick: MOC-Floyd Valley   Substate 2: #2 Gilbert (15-8) at #1 Storm Lake (21-1)   Storm Lake survived a scare against Carroll in the semifinal, while Gilbert has dominated both Winterset and Humboldt to get here. The Tigers are playing really good basketball right now, led by juniors [player_tooltip player_id='1765542' first='Preston' last='Stensland'] (17.4, 53.1 FG%, 40.2 3P%) and [player_tooltip player_id='1765544' first='William' last='Terrones'] (8.8, 5.7 assists), and seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1413686' first='Brody' last='Hague'] (15.5), Connor Rash (9.9), and [player_tooltip player_id='2511628' first='Will' last='Hawthorne'] (7.3, 9.0 rebounds). They have a great starting five with pieces that complement each other well, and Terrones is a lead guard that you can trust to have the ball in his hands both late in the shot clock and late in games. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1765515' first='Jaidyn' last='Coon'] (23.5, 8.7 rebounds, 57.1 FG%) is a long, athletic 6-6/6-7 wing who is receiving a ton of Division I interest and is the focal point for the Tornadoes. Will Gilbert have an answer for him? If so, they still have several other quality options in [player_tooltip player_id='1765508' first='Cameron' last='Boyd'] (14.9, 45.8 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='2420801' first='Trey' last='Boettcher'] (8.1, 33.9 3P%), Garbieno Weno (7.5, 62.2 FG%), [player_tooltip player_id='2811931' first='Charlie' last='Dvergsten'] (7.1), [player_tooltip player_id='2420795' first='Timothy' last='Yanga'] (6.9), and [player_tooltip player_id='2419850' first='David' last='William']. Storm Lake has played a much weaker schedule throughout the course of the year, and this is going to be a really tight, competitive game, but we'll give Storm Lake the edge, playing at home with the best player on the floor. The pick: Storm Lake   Substate 3: #2 Solon (18-5) at #1 Clear Lake (23-0)   The top-ranked Lions are the biggest favorite of any team in these 3A substate finals, with BC Moore's power rankings system listing them as about a 26-point favorite. They rank 3rd in the class in scoring offense (74.6) and 1st in defense (43.0). Future Iowa tight end [player_tooltip player_id='1381416' first='Thomas' last='Meyer'] (16.9, 7.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 65.2 FG%) has been dominant on both ends of the floor, pacing the team on each side of the ball. Sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='2419796' first='Jaxson' last='McIntire'] (11.1) and [player_tooltip player_id='2377642' first='Carson' last='Riser'] (10.6, 41.9 3P%) provide perimeter scoring, seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1759906' first='Titan' last='Schmitt'] (9.7, 5.3 assists) and [player_tooltip player_id='2394706' first='Samuel' last='Howland'] (6.1) are veteran leaders alongside Meyer, and juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2413530' first='Max' last='Larson'] (5.1), [player_tooltip player_id='2389820' first='Trevor' last='Theobald'] (4.9, 3.2 assists), and Gage Larson (2.7) round out a deep rotation of athletic, skilled players. The Spartans are led by senior wings [player_tooltip player_id='2721815' first='Caleb' last='Bock'] (14.3) and Isaiah Zoske (12.0). Solon has been solid defensively again this season, ranking 12th in 3A, allowing 51.8 points a game, and they'll need to try and grind this game to a halt if they want to pull off a huge upset. The pick: Clear Lake   Substate 4: #2 Xavier (14-9) at #1 Decorah (22-1)   After a somewhat shaky last few weeks of the regular season, Decorah has rebounded in a big way to start the postseason, blasting both Clinton (77-52) and Independence (93-46) to reach this substate final. The Vikings, paced by arguably the best inside-out tandem in the state, are averaging 76.4 points per game. Junior center [player_tooltip player_id='2413531' first='Cael' last='LaFrentz'] (30.0, 12.7 rebounds, 3.7 blocks) has been absolutely dominant on both ends of the floor, and his 6-11 frame is going to be incredibly difficult for any team to defend. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1381408' first='Zach' last='Driscoll'] (20.8, 7.6 assists) is an extremely skilled playmaker and three-level scorer who can take over games as a scorer or facilitator. [player_tooltip player_id='2731781' first='Noah' last='Milburn'] (9.8, 50.5 FG%) is a long, athletic wing who can defend multiple positions. Outside of those three, there isn't much scoring on the roster, but with a trio that has been that dominant, that's about all you need. While LaFrentz is tough to defend, Xavier may have the guy to do it in 6-8 junior [player_tooltip player_id='1765554' first='AJ' last='Evans'] (11.2, 7.0 rebounds, 1.9 blocks). A good athlete with length and timing as a shot blocker, he could be the answer to the LaFrentz riddle. If LaFrentz is able to get him into foul trouble, it could be an entirely different story, but if Evans can stay on the floor, the Saints will have a great chance at the upset. [player_tooltip player_id='1978144' first='Zander' last='Murray'] (14.3, 37.1 3P%) and [player_tooltip player_id='2204878' first='Kaleb' last='Wilgenbusch'] (13.0, 37.8 3P%) are both really good shooters, and [player_tooltip player_id='1361499' first='Lorenzo' last='Pino'] (8.0, 3.6 assists) has given them a skilled playmaker in the backcourt. The Saints have lost nine games, but seven of them came against teams playing in 4A substate finals, so they're battle tested and won't be intimidated by anything Decorah throws at them. The pick: Xavier   Substate 5: #4 Central DeWitt (12-11) at #3 Assumption (13-10)   Central DeWitt upset Waverly-Shell Rock to get here, and Assumption upset Clear Creek Amana, setting up a rubber match between these MAC rivals. These teams split during the regular season, with Central DeWitt winning 56-50 on December 17, and Assumption taking the rematch, 64-54, on January 31. Interestingly, each team won on the other's home court. Central DeWitt won the rebounding battle in both games, but the real difference maker in the Assumption win was a real improvement in ball security. In the loss, the Knights turned it over 21 times, allowing the Sabers to win despite shooting just 29.8% from the floor. Central DeWitt is led by senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1484410' first='Ryan' last='Watters'] (16.0, 9.1 rebounds, 55.7 FG%), a 6-7 stretch-forward who can score inside and out as well as control the glass on both ends of the floor. He pairs with [player_tooltip player_id='2731756' first='Hudson' last='Krukow'] (7.0) to give the Sabers some real size and length on the interior. [player_tooltip player_id='2811905' first='Max' last='Burgmeier'] (15.5, 43.1 3P%) is a knockdown shooter, and [player_tooltip player_id='1765533' first='Brady' last='Meadows'] (7.0, 4.3 assists) gives them a reliable playmaker. Despite getting just four points from leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id='1759943' first='Braylon' last='Thomsen'] (14.7, 42.6 3P%), Assumption rolled against CCA in large part because of a sensational game from 6-7 forward [player_tooltip player_id='2511468' first='Isiah' last='Rose'] (10.7, 52.4 FG%). Thomsen is a big, strong wing at 6-3/6-4 with length and shotmaking on the perimeter. Reigning all-tournament captain [player_tooltip player_id='1759900' first='Damyen' last='Jackson'] (14.4, 3.9 assists) is a dynamic playmaker in the backcourt, Rose has tremendous size and length, and [player_tooltip player_id='2397362' first='Joey' last='Funderburk'] (9.3, 7.0 rebounds) has been a revelation as a playmaker in the frontcourt. [player_tooltip player_id='1552452' first='Synceare' last='Simons'] (7.3) gives them more athleticism and length in the backcourt, and this is a team that is peaking at the right time. Assumption holds serve at home, and heads to Des Moines with a chance to defend their title. The pick: Assumption   Substate 6: #3 Keokuk (17-7) at #1 Knoxville (23-0)   Someone is going to end a long state tournament drought in this one, with Keokuk's last trip to Des Moines coming in 1999, and Knoxville's last tournament appearance being in 2000. Knoxville has been dominant this season, ranking 5th in scoring offense (71.9) and 2nd in defense (43.2), but there are some real questions about the strength of schedule that the Panthers have faced, ranking 61st out of 64 3A teams. That said, there is also something to be said for winning, and they've done an awful lot of that. They're led by the Norris brothers - senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1668669' first='Landen' last='Norris'] (20.5, 7.8 rebounds, 59.2 FG%) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2231637' first='Lincoln' last='Norris'] (17.3, 44.2 3P%). Landen is a skilled playmaker with good size, and he can score and create quality looks for himself and his teammates off the dribble, while Lincoln is one of the state's elite shooters. [player_tooltip player_id='2511505' first='Kaiden' last='Smith'] (9.8, 7.1 rebounds) is a versatile defender who will have his hands full with Keokuk big man [player_tooltip player_id='1978100' first='Jaxon' last='Clark'] (22.4, 14.5 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 67.9 FG%). Clark, who has recently gone on unofficial visits to Purdue, Illinois, and Iowa, is a dominant two-way big man at 6-10/6-11 with a big frame, soft hands, great footwork and touch, and the ability to step out and stretch the floor. He's going to be productive, but if Keokuk is going to pull off the upset, they'll need to get big production out of seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1720208' first='Brenton' last='Hoard'] (11.2), [player_tooltip player_id='2398015' first='Tramell' last='Smith'] (9.3), and Blake Chase (7.4). The Chiefs have not shot it well from 3-point range this season (27.3 3P%), and they'll need to knock down shots if they're going to keep pace. The pick: Knoxville   Substate 7: #2 Pella (18-6) at #1 ADM (20-4)   There's an argument to be made that since the holiday break these are two of the top five teams in the class. ADM has gone 15-3 since the break, with all three losses coming against teams playing on Monday night as well, and the Gilbert and Ballard losses coming by a combined four points (Clear Lake won comfortably, 78-62). Pella has gone 14-4 since the break, with losses coming to Knoxville, 2A #1 Western Christian, and twice to Dallas Center-Grimes, a team playing in a 4A substate final. Pella is led by juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2120763' first='Jack' last='McGuire'] (15.2) and [player_tooltip player_id='2413561' first='Austin' last='Schulte'] (11.0), a pair of big-time contributors from last year's state qualifying team. A deep, talented team that likes to put pressure on opposing teams with their length and ability to fly all over the floor defensively, Pella will look to speed up the game as often as they can because they're much better in transition than in a halfcourt, slower game. ADM is a high-powered attack, averaging 69.0 points per game, and the Tigers can play fast or get good shots in the halfcourt. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1978130' first='Hudson' last='Lorensen'] (24.9, 54.5 FG%, 43.2 3P%) is one of the state's elite scorers and shotmakers, a guard with tremendous feel and instincts. [player_tooltip player_id='1978115' first='Trey' last='Bryte'] (13.0, 6.7 rebounds, 6.6 assists) is a really talented playmaker in the backcourt, a nightly triple-double threat with the size to see over the defense and shoot over it, and [player_tooltip player_id='1978146' first='Hudson' last='Shull'] (10.0, 42.3 3P%) has been really good as a tertiary scorer and secondary playmaker. The offense is a little more consistent with ADM, and they're getting this one at home, but this could truly go either way, and whoever wins this one will be a real threat to win it all in 3A. The pick: ADM   Substate 8: #2 Des Moines Christian (18-5) at #1 Ballard (20-2)   Two of the top defensive teams in the class meet in this one, with Des Moines Christian ranking 3rd in scoring defense (45.1 points per game allowed) and Ballard ranking 10th (51.4). The Lions are coming off a semifinal in which they allowed just 31 points to Bondurant-Farrar and they seem to be clicking on all cylinders right now. Offensively, they're led by senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1759901' first='Seaton' last='Ingram'] (17.1, 7.5 rebounds) and junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1978133' first='Max' last='Town'] (15.8, 34.2 3P%). Ingram is a really long, athletic wing who can defend multiple positions, and Town is a guard with good size who can knock down shots from distance. A disciplined, well-coached defensive team with some real versatility, they'll have a lot of different looks to throw at Ballard. The Bombers are looking to get back to the state tournament for a second straight season, led by junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1765518' first='Jude' last='Gibson'] (16.0, 3.2 assists), senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2397342' first='Jackson' last='Brown'] (12.7, 39.6 3P%), and sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id='2419750' first='Parker' last='Miller'] (10.7, 6.1 rebounds). Gibson is a really talented playmaker who puts constant pressure on opposing defenses with his ball-handling, vision, and speed, and the Bombers are able to surround him with really nice complementary pieces. Points will be at a premium, and Ballard gets this one at home, giving them an edge. The pick: Ballard

The Class 3A state tournament field will be determined on Monday night with eight substate finals being played all around the state. Below we previewed all eight games and made our picks to punch their tickets to Des Moines. Get out there on Monday night and check out some great basketball!