Iowa Playoffs: Class 3A, Substate 2 Preview
The favorite: The Division I-commited duo of Billy Brown (North Dakota) and Ryan Kriener (Iowa) provide Spirit Lake with a dynamic playmaking guard and a dominant force in the paint, something few teams in the state can match up with,…
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Continue ReadingThe favorite: The Division I-commited duo of Billy Brown (North Dakota) and Ryan Kriener (Iowa) provide Spirit Lake with a dynamic playmaking guard and a dominant force in the paint, something few teams in the state can match up with, let alone in this district. The Indians have already beaten Spencer twice, and they’ll likely have to do it a third time to get to the substate final. Brown (22.4 points, 56.8 FG%) and Kriener (21.9, 67.3%) take over 50% of the team’s shots, so any added contributions they can get from guys like Frankie Ramos, Jake Heitritter, Logan Backhaus or Zack Dykstra is just an added bonus.
The biggest threat: Spencer was swept during the regular season by Spirit Lake, but the second game was only a five-point loss, showing that they can play with the Indians. The Tigers are led by Jake Kluender (21.0, 10.0 rebounds) and Preston Funderburg (13.3 points, 41.4 3P%). The duo paces an offense that PG Blake Illg runs well, taking care of the ball and scoring at an efficient clip. On a neutral court, they’re capable of knocking off Spirit Lake.
The dark horse: Parker Lange (18.7 points) and Joshua Werge (14.6) pace Storm Lake’s attack. They average a respectable 63.9 points a game despite shooting just 39.3% as a team. Their pace could lead to some easy buckets, and if Lange and/or Werge gets hot, they could make a little noise.
Players to watch
Ryan Kriener, Spirit Lake, 2016
Billy Brown, Spirit Lake, 2016
Jake Kluender, Spencer, 2016
Blake Illg, Spencer, 2016
Preston Funderburg, Spencer, 2016
Parker Lange, Storm Lake, 2017
Joshua Werge, Storm Lake, 2017
The favorite: The Fuhs twins, Avery (16.1 points) and Alec (14.9), have led Webster City to an 18-2 record, including a pair of wins over Algona, their biggest threat to the district crown. Both are capable of lighting it up from deep, are very good at the free throw line and take care of the ball. The Lynx play a fairly deliberate style, grinding teams down and scoring at an efficient clip.
The biggest threat: Algona was swept in the regular season by Webster City, but those two losses were by a combined nine points. Landon Rash (22.0, 46.1 3P%) paces the attack, and he can light up the scoreboard. On a neutral floor in the district final, they’re certainly capable of knocking off Webster City.
The dark horse: Thomas Orness averages 17.1 points for Humboldt and is a solid perimeter shooter, knocking down 69 three-pointers in the regular season. If they’re able to slow the game down, and Orness can make some threes, they’ll have a chance at an upset.
Players to watch
Thomas Orness, Humboldt, 2016
Landon Rash, Algona, 2016
Avery Fuhs, Webster City, 2016
Alec Fuhs, Webster City, 2016
SUBSTATE PREDICTION
Spirit Lake vs. Webster City
Webster City attempts to slow the game down, but they’ve got no answer for Ryan Kriener in the paint. He has a huge game, leading Spirit Lake to the Well.