Iowa Playoffs: Class 4A, Substate 7 Preview
Big man Ted Brown has been a dominant force for Dowling The favorite: There’s an argument to be made for Dowling Catholic to be considered the favorite not only in this substate, but in 4A overall. The Maroons have put…
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Continue ReadingBig man Ted Brown has been a dominant force for Dowling
The favorite: There’s an argument to be made for Dowling Catholic to be considered the favorite not only in this substate, but in 4A overall. The Maroons have put together an impressive resume, with no bad losses and plenty of quality wins. They’re very good defensively, allowing just 49 points a game and they’re an efficient offensive team, led by big man Ted Brown (14.1 points, 68.1 FG%). Joey Kern shoots 47.3% from the arc, helping to space the floor for Brown and penetrating point guard Sam Ingoli. This is a well balanced team that doesn’t force anything and plays very good defense.
The biggest threat: Ankeny handed Dowling one of their three losses this season. The Hawks have a deep rotation of players, but are led by the duo of Drew Maschoff (14.5) and Trystan Cummins (11.0). The sixth highest scoring team in 4A at 67.7 points a game, they’re capable of scoring in a number of ways and are strong defensively. They could struggle to keep Brown off the glass in a re-match.
The dark horse: There may not be a more dynamic trio of players in the state than Des Moines North’s Dontre English (22.0), Jal Bijiek (14.6) and Tyreke Locure (13.5). The Polar Bears play an up-tempo style that is an awful lot of fun to watch, and they’ve already beaten Ankeny, their semi-final opponent. Going to Ankeny for the rematch will be tougher, but they’ve got the talent to take down any team in this substate.
Players to watch
Ted Brown, Dowling Catholic, 2016
Joey Kern, Dowling Catholic, 2017
Sam Ingoli, Dowling Catholic, 2018
Drew Maschoff, Ankeny, 2017
Trystan Cummins, Ankeny, 2016
Conor Riordan, Ankeny, 2016
Dontre English, Des Moines North, 2016
Jal Bijiek, Des Moines North, 2017
Tyreke Locure, Des Moines North, 2019
Kyle Hart, Urbandale, 2016
SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION
West Des Moines Dowling vs. Ankeny
Ankeny has handed Dowling one of their three losses, but that came on the road. Dowling Catholic has been one of the state’s hottest teams heading into the postseason, and on a neutral floor, we’ll give them the slight edge. This may be the best substate final in the class.