STATE TOURNAMENT: Wednesday Preview
4A Quarterfinal: No. 2 North Scott (20-3) vs. No. 7 West Des Moines Valley (16-7), 10:30 a.m.
Analysis: Don’t expect to see too many points in this one, as North Scott ranks third in 4A in scoring defense, allowing just 43.1 points a game, while Valley is ninth at 49.0. Both teams also like to play at a fairly deliberate pace on the offensive end, working the ball around multiple times, looking for the perfect shot.
North Scott is led by Minnesota State signee Corvon Seales, the only player averaging in double figures for the Lancers at 15.5 points a game. He’s one of the best two-way players in the state and will likely draw the Trayvon Williams assignment on the defensive end. Cortaviaus Seales (9.3), Corvon’s younger brother, has been really solid, particularly later in the season, and the other three in the starting lineup – Reece Sommers (7.7), Ty Anderson (7.1) and Sam Kilburg (6.6) – all fill their roles well. Sommers, Kilburg and Cortaviaus Seales each shot above 40% from behind the arc, so they’ll be looking to get some open looks off of Corvon’s dribble penetration.
Valley has won 10 straight games to get to this point, and the Tigers are state tournament veterans, having played for the 4A title each of the last two years. The Tigers defense has been exceptional during the winning streak, allowing just 41.1 points a game. Junior wing Trayvon Williams (10.1), a Division I wing prospect, is the only Tiger averaging in double figures, but eight others averaging between 3.5 and 8.0 points a game, making this the deepest team in 4A. 6-8 center Blake Brinkmeyer (7.4) is an Indiana State signee, and the size that he and Aguek Deng possess is something that North Scott will struggle to match up with. The Tigers have gotten a major boost from junior wing Derek Emelifeonwu (7.5), a transfer from Australia who has given them an additional wing scorer since becoming eligible. While Valley doesn’t have a standout player, they have incredible depth, and that could play a major role in this game.
Players to watch
North Scott: Corvon Seales (No. 13 in 2018), Reece Sommers (No. 54 in 2019), Cortaviaus Seales (No. 57 in 2019), Ty Anderson (No. 19 in 2020), Sam Kilburg (No. 33 in 2020)
West Des Moines Valley: Blake Brinkmeyer (No. 3 in 2018), Luke Sueppel (No. 63 in 2018), Carter Frey (No. 67 in 2018), Noah Samples (No. 76 in 2018), Mike Brown (No. 145 in 2018), Michael Bryan (No. 156 in 2018), Trayvon Williams (No. 8 in 2019), Agueck Deng (No. 12 in 2019), Evan Obia (No. 37 in 2019), Will Berg (No. 5 in 2020)
Our pick: West Des Moines Valley 47, North Scott 44
4A Quarterfinal: No. 3 Cedar Falls (18-5) vs. No. 6 Sioux City East (19-3), 12:15 p.m.
Analysis: Buckle your seat belts for this one, because it should be an up-and-down affair with a pair of high-scoring guards going at it.
Cedar Falls is headlined by future Northern Iowa Panther AJ Green (25.9), one of the single most explosive scorers the state has seen in recent years. He’s remarkably efficient with shooting splits of 51-49-93, and is the best tough shot maker you’ll find, routinely making really tough shots despite fantastic defense. Logan Wolf (12.8) gives the Tigers another consistent scoring threat. He’s a lengthy guard who is dynamic on the defensive end, leading the Tigers in steals and blocks, and routinely drawing the opposition’s best scorer.
Aidan Vanderloo (16.7) is the big-time wing scorer for the Black Raiders, but it’s Van Rees (17.7), a dominant power forward, who makes this team go. The Raiders are averaging 74.4 points a game, which is second in 4A. Jack Peterson (9.1), a junior guard, provides another really athletic scoring guard who can get to the rim and handle the ball. There is no doubt that East will be able to score, but can they slow Green and company down? They’ll need to at least limit him if they want to advance.
Players to watch
Cedar Falls: AJ Green (No. 2 in 2018), Ben Gerdes (No. 70 in 2018), Logan Wolf (No. 25 in 2019), Jackson Frericks (No. 41 in 2019)
Sioux City East: Van Rees (No. 14 in 2018), Aidan Vanderloo (No. 15 in 2019), Jack Peteron (No. 63 in 2019), Jaleque Dunson (No. 28 in 2020), Sayvion Armstrong (No. 70 in 2020)
Our pick: Cedar Falls 71, Sioux City East 66
1A Semifinal: No. 1 North Linn (27-0) vs. No. 5 Don Bosco (23-3), 2:00 p.m.
How they got here: North Linn beat Edgewood-Colesburg 80-34, while Don Bosco outlasted George-Little Rock 60-57 to earn their spot in the semifinals.
Analysis: North Linn continued their assault on 1A basketball by blasting Edgewood-Colesburg in their State opener. The Lynx have forced a running clock in each of their 27 games this season behind the dynamic backcourt of Jake Hilmer and Ryan Miller. Their frenetic pace on both ends of the floor creates havoc and pressures teams into loads of turnovers, which in turn lead to tons of easy layups for the Lynx.
Don Bosco has a solid backcourt of guards in Jack Kelley and Zach Huff who combined to dish out 235 assists to just 99 turnovers on the season. That said, the Dons haven’t seen the type of pressure they’re about to see, and it’s tough to prepare for what North Linn will throw at them in just a day. The Dons are equipped to handle the press with the quality of their guards, but they might not be quite ready for it. We do, however, expect them to prevent this from becoming a running clock for the first time this year.
Players to watch
North Linn: Ryan Miller (No. 86 in 2018), Jake Hilmer (No. 9 in 2019), David Seber (No. 75 in 2019)
Don Bosco: Zach Huff (No. 56 in 2020), Sean McFadden (2018), Jack Kelley (2019), Zach Nie (2018)
Our pick: North Linn 75, Don Bosco 55
1A Semifinal: No. 2 Grand View Christian (23-1) vs. No. 3 Remsen, St. Mary’s (26-0), 3:45 p.m.
How they got here: Grand View Christian beat Council Bluffs, St. Albert 78-68, while Remsen, St. Mary’s impressed in a 73-57 win over Lynnville-Sully.
Analysis: This is a rematch of last year’s semifinal meeting, won by Grand View Christian 45-36 en route to the 1A title.
It took a while for GVC to put CBSA away in the quarterfinal round, but they got 23 points from Arturo Montes and Grant DeMeuelenaere was reliable at the line, as they held off the Falcons. The Thunder aren’t as good as they’ve been the last few years on the defensive end, but they have a big-time rim protector in Issa Samake, who can erase any mistakes the guards make on the perimeter. DeMeuelenaere, Mach Nyaw and Bryce Crabb form a great guard trio, and Montes’ ability to score inside and out will make him a difficult player to slow down.
St. Mary’s has been great on the defensive end all season, allowing just over 40 points a game. They’ll have their hands full with an explosive Thunder offense that can beat you in a variety of ways. If the Hawks don’t get a better game out of Nicholas Ruden then they got in the quarterfinals, this could get out of hand. They’ll really need to value possessions and make each shot count if they want to keep pace with the explosive GVC attack.
Players to watch
Grand View Christian: Grant DeMeulenaere (No. 43 in 2018), Arturo Montes (No. 59 in 2019), Mach Nyaw (No. 86 in 2019), Sam Glenn (No. 93 in 2019), Bryce Crabb (No. 119 in 2019), Issa Samake (2019)
Remsen, St. Mary’s: Nicholas Ruden (No. 87 in 2018), Spencer Schorg (2020), Derrick Schorg (2018)
Our pick: Grand View Christian 68, Remsen, St. Mary’s 52
2A Semifinal: No. 1 Treynor (25-0) vs. No. 5 Aplington-Parkersburg (24-1), 6:30 p.m.
How they got here: Treynor held off Wapello en route to a 59-53 win and Aplington-Parkersburg escaped South Hamilton, 54-51.
Analysis: A pair of high powered offenses meet in the first 2A semifinal, as Treynor has the fifth highest scoring offense in the class at 69.4 points a game, and Aplington-Parkersburg the tops, 74.6.
Dillon Faubel was great for Treynor in their quarterfinal win, scoring 28 points and knocking down four of six attempts from behind the arc. The Cardinals really shined, however, on the defensive end, where they did a great job taking Wapello star Trenton Massner out of the game by limiting his touches. It’ll be tougher for the Cardinals to do that against A-P, as either Alec Oberhauser or Carter Cuvelier can initiate the offense. This one should be tight throughout, and whichever team’s star tandem (Faubel/Luke Clausen vs. Oberhauser/Cuvelier) has a better evening should move into the championship game.
Players to watch
Treynor: Dillon Faubel (No. 133 in 2018), Luke Clausen (2018), Jon Schwarte (2020)
Aplington-Parkersburg: Alec Oberhauser (No. 101 in 2018), Carter Cuvelier (No. 28 in 2019)
Our pick: Aplington-Parkersburg 62, Treynor 56
2A Semifinal: No. 2 Sheldon (22-3) vs. No. 6 Cascade (24-1), 8:15 p.m.
How they got here: Sheldon rolled over Kuemper Catholic 63-50, while Cascade was in complete control against Van Meter en route to a 60-47 win.
Analysis: Arguably the two most impressive teams in the quarterfinal round, this should be an interesting matchup between a pair of tradition rich programs.
Sheldon’s size is awfully impressive, and the frontcourt tandem of Kyle Boerhave and Ryan Van Marel is going to be really tough for an undersized Cascade team to defend and keep off the backboards. Cascade has an undersized roster, but they’re filled with shooters and they’ve played together forever. Watching them play is a thing of beauty, as the ball rarely touches the floor. They’ll need to shoot the ball really well again in the semifinals, like they did in their quarterfinal win, if they’re going to advance. Sheldon’s size and physicality can be a bear.
Players to watch
Sheldon: Kyle Boerhave (No. 26 in 2018), Jaden Kleinhesselink (2018), Ryan Van Marel (2018)
Cascade: Johnny Supple (No. 60 in 2018), Gannon O’Brien (No. 129 in 2018), Brock Simon (No. 137 in 2018), Haris Hoffman (No. 64 in 2019)
Our pick: Sheldon 52, Cascade 46