Substate Preview: 4A-6
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[player_tooltip player_id="962635" first="Jake" last="Walter"] The favorite: Prairie has been one of the most improved teams in the state this year, rolling to a 15-6 record that includes quality wins over Johnston and Cedar Falls. Four of their six losses came…
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Continue ReadingThe favorite: Prairie has been one of the most improved teams in the state this year, rolling to a 15-6 record that includes quality wins over Johnston and Cedar Falls. Four of their six losses came by one or two points, so this is a team that was extremely close to putting together a special season. The Hawks are led by senior big man Gabe Burkle Gabe Burkle 6'7" | PF Prairie | 2022 State IA (15.0, 5.9 rebounds), an Iowa State football commit who is a force in the paint on both ends of the floor. Jake Walter Jake Walter 5'10" | CG Prairie | 2022 State IA (13.3, 3.9 assists) is the team’s top perimeter scoring threat, and while they were dealt a blow with a season-ending injury to Elijah Ward Elijah Ward 6'2" | CG Prairie | 2022 State IA (10.6), other players have stepped up in his absence, most notably juniors Jack Wagemester Jack Wagemester 6'1" | SG Prairie | 2023 State IA (7.4) and Makelle Taylor Makelle Taylor 5'11" | PG Prairie | 2023 State IA (4.7), and senior Dionte Fliss (4.8). Wagemester is the son of former Kirkwood coach Doug Wagemester and is a long lead guard who can handle it, pass, and is a high IQ defender. The Hawks are quick and athletic, and with Burkle and younger brother Reid Burkle Reid Burkle 6'5" | PF Prairie | 2024 State IA (4.1, 4.1 rebounds), they have some physicality and strength in the paint as well. This is a well-built, balanced team that can win in the halfcourt or in an up-tempo game.
The biggest threat: Davenport North has won 11 out of 14 games since the holiday break, and the three losses each coming by single digits. The Wildcats are a quick, athletic team led by a pair of dynamic guards in senior Michael Lowery Jr Michael Lowery Jr 6'1" | PG Davenport North | 2022 State IA (15.9) and sophomore Kyle Lamonte Kyle Lamonte 6'3" | SF Rock Island | 2024 IL (12.9). Lowery is a good perimeter shooter (44.6%) who can also get to the rim, and Lamonte is an eye-popping athlete who is a terror in transition. Senior forward Cade Guinn (10.0, 7.9 rebounds) is undersized but provides some length, physicality, and rebounding, while sophomore wing TreVon Coney (6.3) and junior forward Nolan Mosier (6.2) have emerged as solid role players as well. The ’Cats are playing at a high level down the stretch and have the quickness on the perimeter to make Prairie uncomfortable if they meet in the substate final.
The dark horse: In senior forward Cameron Fens Cameron Fens 7'0" | C Hempstead | 2022 State IA (19.3, 11.4 rebounds, 2.2 blocks), Hempstead has a dominant interior force on both ends of the floor. An athletic 6-10 rim protector and rim-runner, Fens has started to gain some interest from Iowa and has picked up a low-major offer from Western Illinois with his strong play. Senior wing Kellen Strohmeyer Kellen Strohmeyer 6'3" | SG Hempstead | 2022 State IA (14.5) is the team’s top perimeter scorer, and this is a senior-laden team with five seniors leading the team in scoring. They’ve posted some quality wins over Wahlert and Iowa City West, and have played Prairie tight when the Hawks were at full strength. They’ve won four of their last five games heading into the postseason and have a dominant force that teams in this substate will struggle to match up with.
Players to watch
2022
Gabe Burkle
Gabe
Burkle
6'7" | PF
Prairie | 2022
State
IA
, Prairie
2022
Jake Walter
Jake
Walter
5'10" | CG
Prairie | 2022
State
IA
, Prairie
2022
Michael Lowery Jr
Michael
Lowery Jr
6'1" | PG
Davenport North | 2022
State
IA
, Davenport North
2024
Kyle Lamonte
Kyle
Lamonte
6'3" | SF
Rock Island | 2024
IL
, Davenport North
2022
Cameron Fens
Cameron
Fens
7'0" | C
Hempstead | 2022
State
IA
, Hempstead
2022
Kellen Strohmeyer
Kellen
Strohmeyer
6'3" | SG
Hempstead | 2022
State
IA
, Hempstead
2024
Jacob Williams
Jacob
Williams
6'4" | PF
Senior | 2024
State
IA
, Senior
2024
Caden Wilkins
Caden
Wilkins
6'7" | SF
Bettendorf | 2024
State
#196
Nation
IA
, Bettendorf
2022
Jai Jensen
Jai
Jensen
6'3" | SG
Clinton | 2022
State
IA
, Clinton
SUBSTATE FINAL PREDICTION
Prairie vs. Davenport North
North has a tricky game just to get to this point against Hempstead, and the Mustangs are certainly capable of knocking off the ’Cats. We’ll send North through to the final on the strength of their quick guards, which could cause some trouble for the Hawks guards in the final. That said, the physicality, toughness, and depth of Prairie sends the Hawks to the state tournament for the first time since 1998.