Playoff Preview: 1A-4
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The favorite: Easton Valley was the #1 team in 1A last year before being upset in the district final. There was a lot of turnover from that roster this year, but the River Hawks are undefeated again by pounding teams…
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Continue ReadingThe favorite: Easton Valley was the #1 team in 1A last year before being upset in the district final. There was a lot of turnover from that roster this year, but the River Hawks are undefeated again by pounding teams by an average of 34 points a game. They’re led by senior forward Kaleb Cornilsen Kaleb Cornilsen 6'5" | PF Easton Valley | 2021 State IA (25.0, 8.9 rebounds), a versatile forward who runs the floor extremely well, has great footwork and a nice mid-range game. He missed that district final loss with an injury and has been on a mission this year. Senior guard Porter Fuegen (14.9) has stepped into a much larger role this year and has been very good, shooting nearly 40% from 3 and swiping 3.6 steals a game. His younger brother Carson Fuegen (3.5) isn’t much of a scorer, but he leads the team with 6.9 assists and 3.8 steals a game. They should cruise into the district final, as they’ve beaten Prince of Peace by 14 and 27, and Bellevue Marquette by 38.
The biggest threat: The best team at the bottom of the bracket is Wapello, led by do-everything junior guard Maddox Griffin Maddox Griffin 6'1" | PG Wapello | 2022 State IA (17.6). In addition to his scoring, the athletic guard is averaging 7.0 rebounds, 7.5 assists and 4.1 steals a game, while shooting 58% from the floor. His ability to dominate the game on both ends of the floor could mean that the Indians could make a big run here. Senior big Caden Thomas Caden Thomas 6'5" | PF Wapello | 2021 State IA (11.3, 6.6 rebounds) is an efficient scorer, and Trenton Murray (11.9) has given them a reliable second scorer on the perimeter.
The dark horse: Senior forward Kaden Schnede Kaden Schnede 6'2" | PF Calamus-Wheatland | 2021 State IA (16.8, 6.9 rebounds) leads a Calamus-Wheatland team that is capable of scoring in bunches, which makes the Warriors dangerous. They pound the offensive glass, pulling down 11.4 offensive boards a game, and they’d be comfortable getting into an up-and-down game against Wapello in the semifinal and Easton Valley in the final.
Players to watch
2021
Kaleb Cornilsen
Kaleb
Cornilsen
6'5" | PF
Easton Valley | 2021
State
IA
, Easton Valley
2021 Porter Fuegen, Easton Valley
2022
Maddox Griffin
Maddox
Griffin
6'1" | PG
Wapello | 2022
State
IA
, Wapello
2021
Caden Thomas
Caden
Thomas
6'5" | PF
Wapello | 2021
State
IA
, Wapello
2021
Kaden Schnede
Kaden
Schnede
6'2" | PF
Calamus-Wheatland | 2021
State
IA
, Calamus-Wheatland
2021
Carson Michels
Carson
Michels
6'0" | CG
Marquette Catholic | 2021
State
IA
, Bellevue Marquette
The favorite: Springville is the best team in this district, but the state did them no favors with the draw, as this district probably has the strongest top four of any in 1A. The Orioles have lost twice, both to top-ranked North Linn, by 7 and 10 points. A state qualifying team last year, they’ve absolutely drilled the rest of the teams on the schedule, winning their other 17 games by an average of 37.3 points a game. They’re similar to North Linn in the fact that they love to push the tempo, using their quickness to put pressure on the opponent on both ends of the floor. They force a ton of turnovers and are great at turning their steals into quick offense. Alex Koppes Alex Koppes 6'0" | PG Springville | 2021 State IA (20.4), a senior guard, is the leading scorer, and juniors Rhenden Wagaman Rhenden Wagaman 6'3" | SG Springville | 2022 State IA (15.8) and Luke Menster Luke Menster 5'10" | PG Springville | 2022 State IA (15.7) are also outstanding.
The biggest threat: Arguably the most exciting young duo in the state plays at tiny New London in sophomores, guard Blaise Porter Blaise Porter 6'1" | PG New London | 2023 State #298 Nation IA (21.8, 5.2 assists, 2.5 steals) and forward Kade Benjamin Kade Benjamin 6'6" | PF New London | 2023 State IA (18.8, 8.8 rebounds, 2.9 blocks). Porter already holds a Division I offer from Bryant, and Benjamin, a skilled 6-6 forward, figures to garner plenty of college interest as well. Devin Swanson (11.2), a junior forward, has given the Tigers solid production as well. New London lost to Notre Dame, 75-71, back on January 5, but they’ve won 8 of 9 games since that loss, trending in the right direction. They’re probably the most talented team in this district, just fairly inexperienced still.
The dark horse: As we already mentioned, Notre Dame already holds a win over likely semifinal opponent back in January. The Nikes have a dominant interior presence in 6-5 senior Josh Smith (16.8, 8.2 rebounds) who could really create some issues for Springville with his size if they met in the district final. Senior guard Matt Johnson (15.3, 45.2 3P%) is a knockdown shooter who could carry this team as well.
Players to watch
2021
Alex Koppes
Alex
Koppes
6'0" | PG
Springville | 2021
State
IA
, Springville
2022
Luke Menster
Luke
Menster
5'10" | PG
Springville | 2022
State
IA
, Springville
2022
Rhenden Wagaman
Rhenden
Wagaman
6'3" | SG
Springville | 2022
State
IA
, Springville
2023
Blaise Porter
Blaise
Porter
6'1" | PG
New London | 2023
State
#298
Nation
IA
, New London
2023
Kade Benjamin
Kade
Benjamin
6'6" | PF
New London | 2023
State
IA
, New London
2021 Josh Smith, Notre Dame
2021 Matt Johnson, Notre Dame
2022
Kole Becker
Kole
Becker
6'3" | PF
Lisbon | 2022
State
IA
, Lisbon
2021 Vasin Thurman, Holy Trinity
SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION
Easton Valley vs. Springville
Sign me up for a seven-game series, please. These are two of the best offensive teams in the state, and they should play a highly entertaining substate final with a trip to State on the line, should this meeting happen. While Easton Valley has arguably the best player on the floor, Springville has the next three best players, and as a result, we give the Orioles the slightest edge. After a 25-year break, Springville makes back-to-back trips to Des Moines.