STATE: 2A Tournament Preview
No. 1 Seed – North Linn (23-0) About: For the third-straight season, North Linn is in the state tournament, but there’s one major difference…
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No. 1 Seed – North Linn (23-0)
About: For the third-straight season, North Linn is in the state tournament, but there’s one major difference this season: they’re not in the 1A field like they were in year’s past. But is it really that different fro the Lynx? They come in as the top seed, and with the top offense in all of 2A that pairs with its third-best defense. Other teams in the field played tougher schedules, but the Lynx, led by all-time Iowa high school great Jake Hilmer, are the favorites to bring home a title this season.
Why They Win it All? Hilmer is the state’s all-time leader is assists and steals, and he’s likely more motivated than ever to get that state title this season, after coming up short the last two. He’s got a good group of role players surrounding him, including younger brother, Austin Hilmer, who averages 10.9 points per game.
Chances They Win It All? 25% The Lynx are not overwhelming favorites to win it all, and actually have a really tough opening round game against 8-seed Des Moines Christian. But with the numbers they put up this season and with Mr. Basketball candidate Jake Hilmer leading the way, they are certainly the favorites.
No. 2 Seed – South Hamilton (21-1)
About: For the fourth time in the last six years, South Hamilton finds itself playing at Wells Fargo Arena in March. The Hawks have had early exits in each of those four trips. We think this is the year they make a deep run in the tourney. The Hawks are strong on offense, they average 68 points per game, which was seventh-best in all of 2A.
Why They Win it All? Led by seniors Conner Hill and Logan Peters, the Hawks certainly have the star-power to get them through to the finals. Cole Berg is another senior guard that’s liable to go off for 21-1 Hawks.
Chances They Win It All? 15% The Hawks have been here before, this being their third-straight year at state. All three of SH’s main scorers, Hill, Peters and Berg have state tourney experience, and were key pieces of the team that lost unexpectedly in the first round last season. We think they’ll be greatly prepared this year for 7-seed Rock Valley — after that game, things could get considerably tougher.
No. 3 Seed – Boyden-Hull (22-2)
About: For the first time in school history, Boyden-Hull is playing in the 2A state tourney (they played in 16 1A state tourneys from 1971-2013). And it’s not like they were fortunate to get here, the Comets have been one of the strongest teams in Iowa all season. They started the season 19-0 before finally losing to Rock Valley, also a state-qualifier, on Feb. 4th. The Comets come into state battle-tested, they played the sixth-toughest schedule in Iowa this season, according bcmoorerankings.com.
Why They Win it All? Because they have the talent and offensive firepower to do so. Boyden-Hull sports the sixth-best offense in Class 2A; it’s Beau De Jongh, Keyton Mosser, Spencer Te Slaa and Tanner Te Slaa that lead the charge.
Chances They Win It All? 15% This Boyden-Hull group lacks state tourney experience, but because of the tough schedule they played, it might not matter as much as it otherwise would. If they can stay poised and not be spooked by the bright lights, they got a decent shot in this wide-open field.
No. 4 Seed – Van Meter (21-2)
About: After not being in the state tourney since 1936, the Bulldogs have now made it three straight years. Despite the recent success of the program, Van Meter is still looking for its first-ever win at state. They’ll have a tough one against Dike-New Hartford in the opening round this year. We think Ryan Schmitt and Co. will win a tight one against the Wolverines.
Why They Win it All? After two years of getting acclimated to the bright lights and different dimensions of Wells Fargo Arena, guys like Schmitt and Anthony Pothoff should be well-adjusted to the different conditions of the state tourney. We think that could make a big difference this year.
Chances They Win It All? 13% They’re not the favorite here, but the Bulldogs’ chances aren’t too much below favorite North Linn. This is a wide-open field, and Van Meter has a shot.
No. 5 Seed – Dike-New Hartford (21-1)
About: Another program that has been a mainstay at the state tourney of late, this is the third trip the Wolverines have made to state in the last seven years. Although Dike won a state title in 1980, Dike-New Hartford is hoping to claim its first-ever state title this season. They’re led by South Dakota football signee Colton Harberts, who averages 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.
Why They Win it All? Harberts has the size and ability to be a serious game-changer, and senior Cade Fuller will be one of the best players in the field, too. With a senior duo like that leading the charge, there’s always a chance for a deep run.
Chances They Win It All? 8% The Wolverines are slight underdogs to even get past Van Meter in the first round, after that they’d get the winner of North Linn and Des Moines Christian, and it’s likely another upset would need to occur. What the Wolverines do have going for them, is how unpredictable this field is; it’s one of those tourneys where it wouldn’t be shocking to see a lower seed win it all.
No. 6 Seed – Iowa City Regina (20-2)
About: Junior point guard Masen Miller has emerged as a bona-fide star this season, he’s leading the Regals with 20.6 points per game, and also leads them in steals, assists and rebounds. The Regals were a powerhouse in the late-70s, winning three titles in four years, but they haven’t won a title since 1979.
Why They Win it All? If Miller — one of the 2A field’s very best shooters — can get red-hot, and if Ashton Cook and Bryce Barnett both play their best basketball, then there’s no reason to believe that the Regals don’t have a shot here.
Chances They Win It All? 8% Again, the field is wide-open. If any team here gets red-hot, they’re likely to make a very deep run. Regina has won 15-straight games coming into the tourney, so they’re definitely feeling pretty good about themselves.
No. 7 Seed – Rock Valley (18-7)
About: Here’s a program with quite a bit of tradition, and in the not-so-distant past, they were one of the more dominant programs in the state. This is Rock Valley’s 14th appearance at state, and they’ll be vying for a fifth-ever title, and the first since 2010.
Why They Win it All? The Rockets don’t have as impressive a record as some other teams in the field, but a lot of that has to do with the very tough schedule. Of the eight teams in the 2A field, none played a more difficult schedule than Rock Valley, according to bcmoorerankings.com
Chances They Win It All? 8% The tough schedule certainly comes into play here, that has undoubtedly conditioned the Rockets to play against an extremely tough South Hamilton squad. They’ll be underdogs in that quarterfinal match, but not by much.
No. 8 Seed – Des Moines Christian (17-6)
About: Here’s a program that’s enjoyed a great deal of success in recent history, this is the Lions’ seventh-ever trip to state, and they’ve all occurred since 1997. There’s no Sean Sonderleiter-type player on this team, but junior guard Curran Ingram is a budding star.
Why They Win it All? This is a team that has a clear star player with Ingram, who is averaging 15.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per game, then they have an army of solid role players with a lot of height and length. Seth Juhl is a dynamic point guard who is a top-notch play-maker. This is a very dangerous 8-seed.
Chances They Win It All? 8% Considering they have to play top-seed North Linn to kick off their week, these chances are actually pretty good. We think, at the very least, DMC will give North Linn all it can handle.
Staff Picks
Tony Roe
Quarterfinals: North Linn, D-NH, South Hamilton, Boyden-Hull
Semifinals: North Linn, South Hamilton
Champion: North Linn
TJ Rushing
Quarterfinals: North Linn, Van Meter, South Hamilton, Boyden-Hull
Semifinals: North Linn, South Hamilton
Champion: North Linn
Travis Hines
Quarterfinals: North Linn, D-NH, South Hamilton, Regina
Semifinals: North Linn, South Hamilton
Champion: North Linn
Josh Sachnoff
Quarterfinals: North Linn, D-NH, South Hamilton, Boyden-Hull
Semifinals: North Linn, Boyden-Hull
Champion: North Linn