Postseason Preview: Class 2A, Substate 8
Cooper DeJean The favorite: You could make a strong argument for either OA-BCIG or East Sac County as the favorite here, but we’re giving the slight edge to OA-BCIG, as the Falcons are going to be able to put…
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The favorite: You could make a strong argument for either OA-BCIG or East Sac County as the favorite here, but we’re giving the slight edge to OA-BCIG, as the Falcons are going to be able to put the best player on the floor in the district final in Cooper DeJean (23.0, 11.2 rebounds), who leads the team in every major category outside of steals. A gifted sophomore wing, he can dominate games on both ends of the floor, as evidenced by his 28-11-7-2 stat line against East Sac County earlier this year in a 66-60 win. Kaden Ladwig (16.9) and Landon Ray (15.0) give the Falcons a pair of big-time scorers alongside DeJean, pacing one of the best offensive teams in 2A, averaging 68.9 points a game.
The biggest threat: East Sac County is right there alongside OA-BCIG, a strong defensive team (49.0 points a game, 19th in 2A), and a balanced offensive team that sees all five starters averaging at least 7.3 points a game. Camden Schroeder (13.4), Ryan Bellcock (10.4), Griffin O’Neill (9.8) and Connor Crabb (7.3) have all made at least 22 3s this year, and as a team the Raiders shoot just under 36% from the arc as a team. If they’re able to knock down some shots from deep (they were just 5-17 from the arc in that early loss to OA-BCIG), they are more than capable of winning this district. That district final should be a one or two possession game throughout.
The dark horse: Traditional power Kuemper Catholic has had a down year following some major graduation losses, but the Knights and their staff know how to win games in the postseason, and playing in the 3A-dominant Hawkeye Ten, they won’t back down from anyone. Six players average between 5.6 and 12.8 points a game, giving them a balanced group that will compete with anyone.
Players to watch
2021 Cooper Dejean, OA-BCIG
2019 Landon Ray, OA-BCIG
2019 Kaden Ladwig, OA-BCIG
2019 Tyler Hanks, Alta-Aurelia
2021 Cameron Schroeder, East Sac County
2019 Brandyn Clair, East Sac County
2019 Ely Funermann, MVAOCOU
2019 Blake Baumhover, Kuemper Catholic
The favorite: It seems odd to say that Western Christian isn’t the favorite in a district, but at some point, the production of West Sioux has to be recognized. The Falcons rolled through the regular season undefeated, winning games by an average of 25 points, with the 3rd highest scoring offense in 2A at 75.9 points a game. While they haven’t played nearly the schedule that Western Christian or Rock Valley have, the Falcons have a highly athletic, experienced roster that has experienced extremely high levels of success across a multitude of sports. Hunter Dekkers (22.1, 68 3PM) paces the attack, dishing out 110 assists to just 40 turnovers, and he pairs with Baxter Walsh (15.5, 42 3PM) to give them a deadly shooting backcourt. That tandem has combined to go 110-235 (46.8%) from deep, and only North Linn has made more 3s this year among 2A teams.
The biggest threat: The Wolfpack of Western Christian are perhaps the most successful program in the state, and they spent some time ranked atop the 2A rankings this year. And perhaps they deserve to be the favorite here, given they’ve played the toughest schedule in 2A according to BC Moore’s power rating system. They recently received a boost in the form of 6-6 senior Jacob Vis (9.3) returning to the lineup. He suffered a major injury early in the season, and it wasn’t known if he would return this year, but he scored 5 points against LeMars on February 5. If it was known whether or not he was 100% healthy, this might be the team to beat. Carter Broek (13.5) has played well in the paint, while Clay VanTol (12.6, 46 3PM) and Dawson Feenstra (11.4, 33 3PM) give them some shooting. Will it shock anyone if Western Christian comes out of this district, wins the substate and ends up winning State again? Absolutely not.
The dark horse: Rock Valley has come on strong late in the season, posting wins over high-level teams like George-Little Rock and Boyden-Hull. The Rockets have had an up-and-down year, but going through the always tough Siouxland Conference will have them prepared for postseason play. Four players average in double figures in Brayton Van Kekerix (18.0, 42 3PM), Jaxon Rus (10.7, 62 3PM), Elliot Van Kekerix (10.0) and JT Van’t Hul (13.0), giving them a bevy of scoring options. This group has struggled with consistency, but proven capable of beating anyone on a given night and is a dangerous postseason team as a result.
Players to watch
2020 Hunter Dekkers, West Sioux
2019 Chase Ranschau, West Sioux
2020 Baxter Walsh, West Sioux
2019 Carter Broek, Western Christian
2019 Clay VanTol, Western Christian
2020 Dawson Feenstra, Western Christian
2019 Jacob Vis, Western Christian
2020 Ryan Hurd, Cherokee
2019 Brayton Van Kekerix, Rock Valley
2019 JT Van’t Hul, Rock Valley
SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION
OA-BCIG vs. West Sioux
Whoever comes out of District 16 should be considered the favorite here, and in this case it’s West Sioux. The Falcons have had a highly successful few years in the athletic department, and this group is ready to keep adding to that success. Hunter Dekkers controls the game throughout and sends West Sioux to Des Moines.