Playoff Preview: 1A-5
In this article:
Hilmer The favorite: There won’t be a bigger favorite in any district or substate than North Linn is in this district. The Lynx are the top-ranked team in 1A, cruising to a 19-0 record as of time of writing, with…
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Continue ReadingThe favorite: There won’t be a bigger favorite in any district or substate than North Linn is in this district. The Lynx are the top-ranked team in 1A, cruising to a 19-0 record as of time of writing, with an average margin of victory of 46 points a game. Paced by junior lead guard Austin Hilmer Austin Hilmer 5'10" | PG North Linn | 2022 State IA (19.5, 8.5 assists, 4.2 steals), the Lynx have 1A’s highest-scoring offense at 81.6 points a game. Sophomore wing Tate Haughenbury (16.0), junior guard Dylan Kurt Dylan Kurt 6'3" | SF North Linn | 2022 State IA (15.1), and junior wing Cade Haughenbury Cade Haughenbury 6'2" | SF North Linn | 2022 State IA (10.2) give the Lynx a quartet of double-figure scorers, and Ben Wheatley (9.8) is another capable scoring threat. This group, in large part because of Hilmer, does a great job sharing the basketball, dishing 20.5 assists a game, and they thrive on creating chaos on the defensive end of the floor. If you can’t protect the ball, you have no chance at beating this group because they turn defense into offense in the blink of an eye.
The biggest threat: The most likely opponent for North Linn in the district final is Tri-Rivers rival Alburnett. The Pirates have had an up-and-down year, but they’ll get their first two games at home, and this is a group that really pounds the offensive glass, which will gain them valuable extra possessions. As a team, they pull down 12.5 offensive rebounds a game. Senior guard Hunter Caves Hunter Caves 6'0" | PG Alburnett | 2021 State IA (15.9, 6.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.0 steals) is a big, physical guard who can control the game on both ends of the floor, while the senior forward duo of Shane Neighbor Shane Neighbor 6'2" | PF Alburnett | 2021 State IA (13.5, 5.1 rebounds) and Reed Stallman Reed Stallman 6'3" | PF Alburnett | 2021 State IA (11.2, 7.1 rebounds) help control the glass.
The dark horse: Hillcrest Academy is probably the third-best team in this district, but the Ravens have the unfortunate draw of getting North Linn in the semifinals, so the “dark horse” in this district is English Valleys. The Bears are enjoying one of the best seasons in school history, and are led by junior forward Kaden Hall Kaden Hall 6'2" | PF English Valleys | 2022 State IA (19.6, 12.8 rebounds, 2.6 blocks), who is talented enough to carry this team to the district final. He’s a versatile forward who can dominate the game on both ends of the floor.
Players to watch
2022
Austin Hilmer
Austin
Hilmer
5'10" | PG
North Linn | 2022
State
IA
, North Linn
2023 Tate Haughenbury, North Linn
2022
Dylan Kurt
Dylan
Kurt
6'3" | SF
North Linn | 2022
State
IA
, North Linn
2022
Cade Haughenbury
Cade
Haughenbury
6'2" | SF
North Linn | 2022
State
IA
, North Linn
2021
Hunter Caves
Hunter
Caves
6'0" | PG
Alburnett | 2021
State
IA
, Alburnett
2021
Shane Neighbor
Shane
Neighbor
6'2" | PF
Alburnett | 2021
State
IA
, Alburnett
2021
Reed Stallman
Reed
Stallman
6'3" | PF
Alburnett | 2021
State
IA
, Alburnett
2022
Kaden Hall
Kaden
Hall
6'2" | PF
English Valleys | 2022
State
IA
, English Valleys
2022 Ben DeMeuleanere, Belle Plaine
2021
Eli Ours
Eli
Ours
5'11" | CG
Hillcrest Academy | 2021
State
IA
, Hillcrest Academy
The favorite: The competition that Grundy Center plays in the North Iowa Cedar League is much more difficult than what Meskwaki Settlement sees in the Iowa Star, which is part of the reason that the Spartans are the district’s top seed. A strong defensive team, they’re allowing just 49.6 points a game, and the only 1A team that they’ve played this year is Gladbrook-Reinbeck. Junior guard Brayden Sawyer Brayden Sawyer 5'10" | SG Grundy Center | 2022 State IA (14.1, 45.3 3P%) is a dynamic shooter who can get red hot and carry this group, while senior forwards Wes Willis (11.3, 6.1 rebounds) and Nick Ascher (7.1, 6.4 rebounds) control the glass. If there is something that could hold this team back, however, it’s the free-throw line, as they’re shooting just 53.3% from the charity stripe as a team. That will hurt in tight postseason games.
The biggest threat: Meskwaki Settlement will get their first two postseason games at home, and they’ve swept likely semifinal opponent, Baxter. The Warriors are led by senior guard Taurice Grant Taurice Grant 5'11" | PG Meskwaki Settlement School | 2021 State IA (15.4, 6.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 2.9 steals), a versatile threat who can impact the game on both ends of the floor. Junior wing Osceola Tyon (17.7) leads the team in scoring, but this team goes as Grant goes. They like to apply constant pressure on teams, and if they can force some turnovers, they are certainly capable of winning this district.
The dark horse: Baxter was swept by Meskwaki Settlement, but those losses were competitive, coming by 8 and 4 points. The Bolts are led by sophomore forward Cody Damman (14.3), who can do a little bit of everything, and they crash the offensive glass pretty hard.
Players to watch
2022
Brayden Sawyer
Brayden
Sawyer
5'10" | SG
Grundy Center | 2022
State
IA
, Grundy Center
2021 Wes Willis, Grundy Center
2021
Taurice Grant
Taurice
Grant
5'11" | PG
Meskwaki Settlement School | 2021
State
IA
, Meskwaki Settlement
2022 Osceola Tyon, Meskwaki Settlement
2023 Cody Damman, Baxter
SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION
North Linn vs. Grundy Center
Grundy Center won’t be intimidated by the Lynx here, but they may struggle to execute against the constant pressure that North Linn puts on teams on both ends of the floor. North Linn punches their ticket to State fairly easily here, and move on to Des Moines, where they’ll be the favorite to take home their second state title in the last three years (won 2A in 2019).