STATE TOURNAMENT: Tuesday Preview
2A Quarterfinal: No.2 Pella Christian (20-4) vs No.7 Van Meter (23-1), 10:30 a.m.
Analysis: We saw these two teams play in early February, and it was — not surprisingly — a tight one. Van Meter lost their only game of the season that Saturday afternoon, and no doubt will be well-prepared for this one today. The Bulldogs have two legit 6-foot-8 posts — Grant Johnson and Ryan Schmitt — both are skilled with diverse skill sets. Pella Christian comes in with a star guard, Levi Jungling, who is playing in his third straight state tournament.
Players to Watch
Van Meter: Grant Johnson (No.62 in 2018), Blake Fryar (No.124 in 2018), Ryan Schmitt (No.29 in 2019)
Pella Christian: Levi Jungling (No.39 in 2017), David Kacmarynski (No.166 in 2017)
Our Pick: Pella Christian 54, Van Meter 49
2A Quarterfinal: No.3 Kuemper Catholic (22-2) vs No.6 Garner-Hayfield-Ventura (23-1), 12:15 p.m
Analysis: This could be a doozy in the paint with 6-foot-7 Matt Dentlinger and 6-foot-6 James Betz going at it. Both are combo-forwards, capable of scoring from inside or outside, and while Dentlinger may have a little more height, Betz has the bounce. Kuemper is widely-regarded as a favorite to come out of this evenly-matched 2A field, and G-H-V more of a dark-horse. We think this will be a tremendous game.
Players to Watch
G-H-V: James Betz (No.7 in 2019)
Kuemper Catholic: Matt Dentlinger (No.23 in 2017), Jacob Schaefer (No.199 in 2017)
Our Pick: G-H-V 49, Kuemper Catholic 48
3A Quarterfinal: No.1 Waverly-Shell Rock (22-1) vs no.8 Atlantic (19-5), 2:00 p.m.
Analysis: There’s some star-power in this game as two Division I players will take the court, and some rim-rattling may be in order. Austin Phyfe is Iowa’s 3rd-ranked 2017, and a future UNI Panther. The 6-foot-9 power forward has been having his way in the post all season long. Atlantic has a 6-foot-7 guard Garrett Franken, who’s capable of playing all five positions. Both guys have stellar supporting casts around them. But the Go-Hawks are probably deeper.
Players to Watch
Waverly-Shell Rock: Austin Phyfe (No.3 in 2017), Austin Alexander (No.43 in 2018), Scott Leonard (No.98 in 2018)
Atlantic: Garrett Franken (No.12 in 2017), Jacob Bahe (N0. 157 in 2018), Luke Velky (No.81 in 2019), Mosai Newson (No.88 in 2019)
Our Pick: Waverly Shell-Rock 62, Atlantic 55
3A Quarterfinal: No.4 Cedar Rapids Xavier (13-11) vs No.5 Mount Pleasant (22-2), 3:45 p.m.
Analysis: Don’t let the middling record fool you, these Xavier kids can hoop, and they are playing their best ball of the season right now. Most of their schedule is played against 4A competition, so that explains the double-digit loss total. The 3A defending state champion Saints face a very talented bunch from Mount Pleasant, which is led by Brady Sartorius, one of Iowa’s best point guards.
Players to Watch
Xavier: Max Techau (No.28 in 2017), Matthew Mims (No.9 in 2018), Jackson Joens (No.11 in 2019), Nolan Butkowski (No.145 in 2017), Quinn Schulte (No.48 in 2019)
Mount Pleasant: Brady Sartorius (No.14 in 2018), Jordan Magnani (No.123 in 2018), Colin Mulford (No.164 in 2018), Kieran Kohorst (No.181 in 2018)
Our Pick: Xavier 70, Mount Pleasant 62
3A Quarterfinal: No.2 West Delaware (24-0) vs No.7 Dallas Center-Grimes (15-9), 6:35 p.m.
Analysis: The only undefeated team in the field, West Delaware comes in as the favorites in this one behind one of the state’s best sophomores Derek Krogmann. Dallas Center-Grimes has had an up-and-down season; the Mustangs started 9-0 before dropping nine of their next 12. Well, they’ve now won three straight, defeating Greene County, Ballard and Boone to get here. Which DC-G will we see today?
Players to Watch
West Delaware: Derek Krogmann (No.4 in 2019), Tyler Kelley (No.112 in 2018), John Nagel (No.83 in 2017), Ryan Trainer (No.220 in 2017)
Dallas Center-Grimes: Trevor Grove (No.102 in 2017), Steve Borneman (No.114 in 2018)
Our Pick: West Delaware 61, Dallas Center-Grimes 56
3A Quarterfinal: No.3 Pella (22-2) vs No.6 Sergeant Bluff-Luton (15-9)
Analysis: The Warriors have a wealth of talent at their disposal, and though they have nine losses, many of those are to 4A programs. They beat Algona, Spirit Lake and Bishop Heelan to earn their spot in this field, so it was no cakewalk. Pella come in as mainstays at the tourney, this is the Dutch’s 16th ever trip, and third straight. Donovan Holterhaus and Ryan Van Wyk are game-changers for the Dutch.
Players to Watch
Pella: Ryan Van Wyk (No.26 in 2017), Donoban Holterhaus (No.62 in 2017), Nick Finney (No.120 in 2017)
Sergeant Bluff-Luton: Chris Kroll (No.71 in 2017), Jackson Wright (No.155 in 2017), Keegan Savory (No.186 in 2017)
Our Pick: Sergeant Bluff-Luton 71, Pella 69