Class 3A, Substate 2 Preview
The favorite: One of the state’s most pleasant surprises this season has been Boone. The Toreadors enter the postseason with a 16-5 mark, and winners of 10 straight games. They’re led by guard Ethan Lewis (14.4, 45.5 3P%), a marksman…
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Continue ReadingThe favorite: One of the state’s most pleasant surprises this season has been Boone. The Toreadors enter the postseason with a 16-5 mark, and winners of 10 straight games. They’re led by guard Ethan Lewis (14.4, 45.5 3P%), a marksman from deep that helps space the floor for their other top weapons, Tanner Schminke (10.1) and John Herrick (11.1). They swept Perry in the regular season, with the home game being a 15-point victory, and as the district’s top seed, they’ve got the added benefit of hosting the district final. Boone is playing some really good basketball down the stretch and has to be considered the favorite here.
The biggest threat: Perry was swept in the regular season by Boone, but the Bluejays lost the later meeting on February 7th by just a point, 50-49. This group has been streaky this season, starting the season off with four straight losses, followed by five wins. They’ve got another five-game winning streak and three-game losing streak thrown in there as well. Janier Puente (18.2, 10.6 rebounds) is the athletic, physical type of big man who could give Boone some issues, and the Kyle Nevitt/Rashon Ivory combination in the backcourt gives them some added dimensions as well. Perry has proven they can play with Boone, the question is whether or not they can get over the hump and get a win on the road.
The other two: Three players average in double figures for Gilbert, led by Steven Lawrence (12.0). Will Turner (10.7) is a capable point guard who can make an impact on both ends of the floor for the Tigers, and this is a pretty solid defensive team, allowing just 55.9 points a game. If they’re able to slow the game against Perry down a bit, they’ll have a chance to move into the district final…Humboldt has just two wins over 3A competition this season, and they’re running into a buzzsaw in Boone. If either Devon Clark or Calvin Carlson is able to get hot from the arc, the Wildcats may be able to stick around for a while, but they don’t have too much of a chance here.
Players to watch
Ethan Lewis, Boone, 2017
John Herrick, Boone, 2018
Janier Puente, Perry, 2017
Rashon Ivory, Perry, 2018
Kyle Nevitt, Perry, 2017
The favorite: Another one of the state’s pleasant surprises this year, Dallas Center-Grimes was setting 3A on fire for a while early on, winning nine straight to open the season. They’ve faltered a bit down the stretch, finishing the regular season with a 12-9 record, but it was still enough to get them the top seed in this district. The Mustangs are led by senior guard Trevor Grove (16.3, 54.5 FG%), who has seemingly come out of nowhere to become one of the best players in the Little Hawkeye Conference. One of the most efficient offensive teams in 3A (50.2 FG% as a team), that number is even more impressive when you consider the gauntlet of teams that DC-G had to go through on a nightly basis in league play. Playing in the Little Hawkeye will give them a significant edge in this district, as none of the other three teams have seen close to the competition they have.
The biggest threat: Despite having a much worse record than Webster City, we consider Ballard to be the favorite in that semifinal. The Bombers are far more tested, having gone through the Raccoon River Conference and playing a number of tough non-conference games. Led by Tyler Ihle (14.8) and Max Stoltz (13.9), this is a team that loves to shoot the 3-ball, and if they are falling, watch out.
The other two: Webster City has put together a gaudy 15-5 record, but it comes against a schedule that ranks No. 59 (out of 64) according to BC Moore’s power rankings. The Lynx have a trio of double figure scorers in Jordan Tanner (14.7), Connor Shannon (13.7) and Cameron Moen (10.3), and Shannon is capable of controlling the glass, pulling down 11 rebounds a game. His ability to score inside and out could be a problem for Ballard in the semifinal…Like Webster City, Greene County has played a very soft schedule (No. 61 in 3A). The Rams do have a pair of big-time scorers and shooters in Trey Tucker (25.1, 43.5 3P%) and Trey Hinote (15.9, 44.4 3P%) who could carry them to a few wins and a district title, but the differences in competition between Greene County and DC-G is remarkable, and could be a key factor here.
Players to watch
Trevor Grove, Dallas Center-Grimes, 2017
Tyler Ihle, Ballard, 2017
Max Stoltz, Ballard, 2017
Connor Shannon, Webster City, 2017
Trey Tucker, Greene County, 2017
Trey Hinote, Greene County, 2019
SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION
Boone vs. Dallas Center-Grimes
Two teams that have been heading in opposite directions as the season nears the end, give the edge to red-hot Boone. The Toreadors haven’t been to the state tournament since 1988, and we expect that to change.