STATE TOURNAMENT: Saturday Preview
3A Championship: Dubuque Wahlert (21-5) vs. Cedar Rapids Xavier (18-8), 6:05 p.m.
Analysis: The 3A championship game is intriguing for a number of reasons. First, Dubuque Wahlert is looking to win their third straight state title. It’s a feat that would put a bow on the cap of star big man Cordell Pemsl, who has had one of the most decorated careers in Iowa prep history. Second, it’s a battle between a pair of Mississippi Valley Conference rivals. The first meeting was a 12-point Wahlert win on the last night of the regular season, with that game coming in Dubuque. Pemsl had a huge 35-point, 11-rebound game in that one, something that Xavier will need to correct in this meeting if they want to have a chance at winning the school’s first state title.
Wahlert has gotten to this point by outlasting a superb performance from MOC-Floyd Valley’s Levi Jansen in the quarterfinals, and then using a dominant second half to pull away from top-seeded Chariton in the semifinals. The Golden Eagles are led by the aforementioned Pemsl, an Iowa commit, who has recorded a pair of double-doubles in the tournament (19 and 10, followed by 20 and 15). As we mentioned, he had a huge night in the Golden Eagles previous win over the Saints. He’s far from alone, however, as point guard David Wedewer has been sensational throughout his Wells Fargo Arena career, Riley Till provides some length and defensive ability on the perimeter, and Josh Schmitt has been lights out from the arc to help space the floor.
Xavier beat Spirit Lake’s pair of Division I commits in the first round, then held off a furious rally from Pella in the semifinals to advance to tonight’s championship. The Saints have arguably the best starting five in the class with each of Matthew Mims, Nolan Butkowski, Jackson Joens, Ryan Stulken and Max Techau having their big moments throughout the week. The star of the week, however, has been Mitchell Burger, the Saints leading scorer throughout the season. He’s been coming off the bench throughout the tournament, following missing a few games due to a “coach’s decision”. He brings a spark off the bench with his defensive abilities and scoring prowess.
If the Saints can find a way to slow down Cordell Pemsl, they are capable of winning tonight. That’s easier said than done, but we’ll see if Coach Ryan Luehrsmann has something up his sleeve. There’s no denying that these are the two most talented teams in Class 3A, and this championship game should be a doozy.
Players to watch
Dubuque Wahlert: Cordell Pemsl (No. 1 in ’16), David Wedewer (No. 28 in ’16), Riley Till (No. 32 in ’16), Sage Maiers (No. 52 in ’16), Josh Schmitt (No. 180 in ’16)
Cedar Rapids Xavier: Mitchell Burger (No. 55 in ’16), Ryan Stulken (No. 146 in ’16), Max Techau (No. 17 in ’17), Jackson Joens (No. 9 in ’18), Matthew Mims (No. 18 in ’18)
Our pick: Dubuque Wahlert 65, Cedar Rapids Xavier 61
4A Championship: West Des Moines Valley (22-3) vs. Iowa City West (21-4), 8:05 p.m.
Analysis: If you’re a basketball fan in the area, even without a real rooting interest in either school, come out and watch this game just because of the sheer amount of talent that will be on the floor. Four of our top 13 players in the 2016 class will be on the court, and three of our top five in the 2017 class. There is talent to burn among these two teams, and the result should be a fantastic game. It’s a game that we called for, pegging West and Valley as our 1-2 in our preseason 4A rankings, and one that we are very much looking forward to.
Both used buzzer beaters to get to this point, with Valley knocking off Pleasant Valley on a Turner Scott game-winner in their second overtime of the semifinals, and West’s Tanner Lohaus hitting an incredible tip-in of a Devontae Lane miss to beat Cedar Falls in regulation. Both teams overcame ridiculous efforts from a pair of stars, PV’s Will Carius and Cedar Falls’ A.J. Green, in their wins.
Valley has used a mixture of defenses to suffocate opponents, most notably a 1-3-1 with the long, athletic Peyton Long at the top of it, causing lots of problems for teams. Their scoring production has come through their trio of stars: Turner Scott, Carlo Marble and Quinton Curry. Against West, they’ll probably need to get some production out of someone else, most likely Pete Economos, who would be a big help if he could knock down a few perimeter jumpers. The Tigers have a dynamic guard in Scott, a scoring wing in Marble and an at times dominant big man in Curry. This is a team that is built to win it all, and they’ve got a great shot.
West came into the season as the prohibitive favorites in 4A, and while they haven’t been as dominant as many expected them to be, they’ve still reached the title game, where they’ll have a chance to win their fourth title in the last five seasons. The Trojans are led by point guard Connor McCaffery, but his classmate, off-guard Devontae Lane has been the star of the week, averaging 18.5 points a game through the first two contests. They’ve got loads of talent on the roster, with the aforementioned duo joined by seniors Wali Parks, Tanner Lohaus and Alex Henderson in the starting lineup. Parks is one of the most athletic players in the state, a playmaking forward who can present problems with his speed and ability to get off the floor quicker than anyone. Lohaus, a UNI commit, is an all-around solid player on both ends who will likely be tasked with trying to slow down Curry. And Henderson is a consummate teammate who defends, moves the ball and knocks down open shots. Coach Steve Bergman has been around the block a time or two, and as one of the best defensive minds in the state, he’ll most certainly have a game plan in place to slow the penetration of Turner Scott.
The two most talented rosters in 4A will take the floor in Iowa’s final high school game of the season, just the way it should be. It should be a chess match between a pair of bright coaches, and a lot of fun to watch. Enjoy this one.
Players to watch
West Des Moines Valley: Carlo Marble (No. 8 in ’16), Turner Scott (No. 13 in ’16), Pete Economos (No. 154 in ’16), Quinton Curry (No. 5 in ’17), Charley Crowley (No. 42 in ’17)
Iowa City West: Wali Parks (No. 4 in ’16), Tanner Lohaus (No. 5 in ’16), Alex Henderson (No. 35 in ’16), Connor McCaffery (No. 1 in ’17), Devontae Lane (No. 3 in ’17), Patrick McCaffery (No. 1 in ’19)
Our pick: Iowa City West 58, West Des Moines Valley 55