Playoff Preview: 2A-4
Michael Keegan The favorite: Playing in the 3A WaMaC prepares Beckman Catholic well for postseason play, and the Blazers are a pretty heavy favorite to come out of this district. Michael Keegan (19.1) is one of the most important…
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The favorite: Playing in the 3A WaMaC prepares Beckman Catholic well for postseason play, and the Blazers are a pretty heavy favorite to come out of this district. Michael Keegan (19.1) is one of the most important players in the state with his ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor. He leads Beckman in every category except for assists (he still has 81 helpers), and has blocked 70 shots. A highly efficient scorer who can get the job done from all three levels, he’ll be the best player on the floor in every game Beckman plays in this district and substate. Mason White (9.4), Luke Goedken (8.0), Jack Gehling (6.8) and Tom Jaeger (6.6) are all solid players who contribute across the board as well.
The biggest threat: Waukon and Crestwood are the top two threats to Beckman Catholic in this district. They split their season series, with each team losing at home, and since Waukon not only gets the first round bye, but also gets to host Crestwood in the semifinal, they get the edge here as our pick to come out of the bottom of the bracket. The Indians have a trio of double figure scorers in Creed Welch (15.5), Ethan O’Neill (12.9) and Braden Hemann (12.4), each of whom can shoot it from deep.
The dark horse: Crestwood won their last three games of the regular season, and the Cadets have five players averaging between 7.6 and 11.8 points a game, led by Garrett Ollendieck. Carter Henry has dished out 137 assists, but has also turned it over 80 times this season. Ball protection needs to be better as a team if the Cadets are going to make a run here.
Players to watch
2020 Michael Keegan, Beckman Catholic
2021 Mason White, Beckman Catholic
2020 Garrett Ollendieck, Crestwood
2021 Carter Henry, Crestwood
2021 Creed Welch, Waukon
2022 Braden Hemann, Waukon
2021 Kole Johnson, North Fayette Valley
2020 Collin Bacon, Postville
2021 Jacob King, Oelwein
The favorite: Monticello, a strong team filled with juniors, has lost just twice this season – to 4A Cedar Rapids Washington, and to Camanche, a team that has spent a majority of the season ranked #1 in 2A. The Panthers have gone 8-0 against teams in this district, posting at least one win against each team in the group, Since that loss to Camanche, they’ve been outstanding on the defensive end of the floor, allowing just 35.3 points a game in nine straight wins. They’re led by 6-5 big man Justin Recker (17.9), a highly efficient forward who is shooting 67.6% from the floor. He’s excellent around the rim with great footwork, and can stretch out to the arc. Freshman guard Tate Petersen (9.7) has given them some much needed shooting, knocking down 46 3s this season at a 44.7% clip, and Luke Lambert (10.6) is a tough, physical guard who leads the team in rebounding and assists. This group has played together for forever and they play extremely well together (evidenced by the 377 assists against just 167 turnovers this year). They entered the season ranked #2 by us in the 2A poll, and have to be considered the favorite here.
The biggest threat: After a slow start to the season, Cascade has won seven of their last eight down the stretch, so they’re hot coming into postseason play. The Cougars recently played Monticello to a 7-point defeat, and they’ve been great on the defensive end this year, ranking 4th in 2A allowing just 38.4 points a game. An incredibly balanced team, nobody averages more than 9.6 points a game, and four of them are averaging at least 8.0 a night, led by 6-6 big man Alex Aitchison (9.6), who is the center piece of their 2-3 zone. Cascade is always extremely tough to play because of they way they move the ball and defend.
The dark horse: If Regina was healthy, the Regals may have been considered the favorite in this district. Alas, second leading scorer Ashton Cook is out for the rest of the season. Still, they’ve got the best individual player in the district in Truman State commit Masen Miller (26.9), which makes them dangerous. Miller is a pure shooter who has knocked down a state-high 85 3s this season, despite constantly seeing junk defenses thrown at him. He’s the type of player who can get hot and lead this group on a run.
Players to watch
2021 Justin Recker, Monticello
2021 Luke Lambert, Monticello
2023 Tate Petersen, Monticello
2020 Masen Miller, Regina
2020 Alex Aitchison, Cascade
2020 Dakota Stevenson, Northeast
2020 Trent Pelzer, Tipton
2020 Frank Bierman, Tipton
2022 Colby Sieverding, Bellevue
SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION
Beckman Catholic vs. Monticello
This game is pretty much a toss-up. We’re big fans of both of these teams, and think they’re both real state title threats. We’re taking Monticello, who we were higher on to open the year, in a tight one, as the Panthers make it to State for the first time in 60 years.