State Tournament Preview: Class 1A
With the State Tournament to get underway on this coming Monday, we will be previewing one class a day leading up to it. We will start with 1A and end with the 5A preview on Sunday. We are highlighting each team in the field, match-ups, and our predictions. It is shaping up to be a great tournament and we will be providing comprehensive coverage throughout the tournament. Make sure to follow our state Twitter account (Prep Girls Hoops Iowa) for game updates and Mason Asher (Mason Asher) for player evaluations throughout the week. Without further adieu, here is our Class 1A State Tournament breakdown!
The Field
The Teams
Seed #1: Newell-Fonda
Coming in with the best record in the state, Newell-Fonda is looking to end the week with a better record than last year. Springville took down Newell-Fonda last year in the state finals, 60-49, and this year they are looking for some early revenge. To be frank, this is a team that really hasn’t been tested yet this year. Every single one of their wins have been by 12 points or more, and 21 have been by 20 points or more. Quite simply, they have been charging through their schedule and have been rewarded with the top seed in the tournament. You might think that this is a team that is experienced with a ton of older talent seeing as how they have run through their schedule. That would be half right as Newell-Fonda only has four seniors but the whole roster is experienced. Newell-Fonda leads the state in scoring at 75.0 points a game and they are shooting an astounding 45.7 percent from the field. They lead the state in assists with 433 total, and also are second in steals with 534. This is a team that gets it done on both ends of the floor. With how their season has gone so far, it wouldn’t be a shock to see them hosting a banner on Saturday evening.
Seed #2: West Hancock
Sitting at 23-1 on the season, West Hancock received the two-seed in the state tournament. Expect to see them back in Des Moines next year after an extended absence. This is a team that doesn’t have a senior on the team. Their leading scorer is an underclassman, and they have four juniors on the team that start for them. West Hancock’s lone loss on the year came to Osage, a 3A team who went 20-2 and within one game of the 3A state tournament. Defense has been this team’s mantra, as they hold their opponents to 36.3 points a game. This season West Hancock has held opponents to less than 30 points six different times. West Hancock knows how to play in crunch time as they have a few wins that have been less than 10 points. Coming to state and playing a team in the first round like North Mahaska, could force them into a closer contest than they like with the style that they play. Expect West Hancock to come out with guns blazing as they look to rip off a run to the state finals and back to Britt with a banner.
Seed #3: Montezuma
Montezuma had an easy run through their region as they won their three games by a combined score of 193-64. While this isn’t a team with a ton of height, they have good length capable of being a hassle with every team in the state. They did play a relatively easy schedule this year, as quite a few of their wins were pretty easy to come by but they also had their fair share of tough games. Their two losses came in close games to 2A state tournament qualifiers. Montezuma lost to North Linn by six early in the season and fell to Grundy Center by 15 in the last game of the regular season. They have held their opponents to 32.1 points a game this season and four times they have held their opponents to 18 points or less. Montezuma does hold two wins over North Mahaska, 51-38 and 70-54. These two wins show us that despite the two losses on the schedule, this is a team that can beat anyone. They are scoring 58.1 points a game, which is the third worst mark in the state tournament. Given that, Montezuma has the best field goal percentage in the 1A tournament as they are shooting 46.7 percent from the field. This is a team that when they get hot, they are hot.
Seed #4: Clarksville
Having held a team this year to just nine points in a 54-9 win, when Clarksville takes the floor you can tell they are ready to play. They have been rolling over the past month after dropping a game to AGWSR by seven points. They sit at 20-2 on the year, but those two losses have been slightly puzzling. The first loss came back in November, as they fell to a Janesville team with five losses. The other loss came to AGWSR, a team who lost eight games this year. This is a team that scares me a little bit because they are an unknown. They haven’t really taken down anyone that I would necessarily call a great team, but their schedule hasn’t really done them any favors either. Compared to their first round opponent, they have played a much weaker schedule. That isn’t to dismiss them getting to Des Moines, as they are here and one of the eight remaining teams. Clarksville grabs a ton of steals and are in second place in 1A with 463 steals this season. With a very opportunistic defensive team like Clarksville, they will always be a tough out if they are making their shots. Be ready for them to be back next year as they start four juniors.
Seed #5: Marquette Catholic
After cruising through the first two games of regionals, Marquette Catholic ran into Lynnville-Sully. A 69-62 win propelled Marquette Catholic into the state tournament and gave them the five seed. Marquette Catholic does allow over 40 points a game, but they have played some very good teams up until this point in the season. They dropped a close game to Bellevue by three points and then six days later got run out of North Linn by 36 points. Those two losses were within a stretch were Marquette Catholic played six games in a 10 day span. While they only have two players over 6′ tall, Marquette Catholic has more rebounds than anyone in the state tournament. They are pulling in 38.6 rebounds a game, which is the best by over three rebounds a game. While they do take great care of the glass, taking care of the ball is not one of their strong suits. With 425 turnovers on the year, they are the second worst team in the tournament at taking care of the ball. This is a team that also just doesn’t shoot it from the perimeter as you can see with their 210 attempts on the year. They are going to pound it right at you and beat you from the inside. Very experienced team who plays a lot of older players.
Seed #6: CAM
Out of the four teams in the tournament with two losses, CAM finds themselves on the short end of the stick as the lowest seed. That works out well for them as they avoid having to be on the same side as the top-ranked team in the tournament. A senior heavy team, this group is charging hard for a State Title. Since it is the seniors first state tournament appearance, you can imagine that they are going to be locked in. They did lose to Ar-We-Va once, a team that top seed Newell-Fonda easily dispatched on the way to state, but this is a team playing their best basketball right now. CAM is very guard oriented as the tallest player on the squad is just 5’9, and she doesn’t play all that often. They dish out a ton of assists and share the ball really well. They are here because of their willingness to play team basketball. CAM scores the ball a lot and they do it efficiently shooting 45.6 percent from the floor as they score 67.1 points a game. Don’t be surprised if CAM goes on a cinderella run in the tournament.
Seed #7: North Mahaska
I’m not sure if North Mahaska thought they would be here, but here they are. After handing Seymour their first loss on the season in a 38-37 win, North Mahaska shows up as the seven seed in the state tournament. While they lost both games against Montezuma this year, this is a team playing their best basketball right now. North Mahaska starts five juniors and then quite a few freshmen come off the bench. They are a team with the firepower to beat anyone, and a team that doesn’t have a senior on the roster. Could this be the start of a two year stretch run that catches the state by surprise? They don’t make it to the free throw line often, but once there they knock down their shots. This is a team that knocked off a strong contender for the title and will look to make a run for themselves. A win in the first round might set them up for a third matchup of the year with Montezuma and it is very difficult to beat a team three times in one season.
Seed #8: Springville
My, how the three time defending 1A State Champions have fallen. I kid, but after losing six seniors and four starters off of a team that had made it to four consecutive state final games, expectations probably weren’t the highest for a fifth straight finals appearance. Springville is here and despite a 16-9 record, they know how to win basketball games. With just three upperclassmen on the team and a wealth of very skilled freshmen, I think that the state tournament will be seeing a lot of Springville for the next four years. They had a tough road to Des Moines as they won each of their regional games by 10 points or less, but they fought through the tough games and made it back. Only two of their losses have been blowouts, both by North Linn. They do turn it over the most in the tournament and I think their youth could play a factor in them getting knocked out early. Springville is a team with a lot of talent, but it is mostly young talent. They throw a lineup of three seniors and two freshman on the floor to start the game and next year, it will be a team composed of all underclassmen except one lone junior. Keep a close eye on this team, while they may not extend the streak, they will certainly be a force in the future.
Sweet 16
Olivia Larsen – 5’6 G – 2019 – Newell-Fonda
Larsen is the one that makes this team tick. This season she is averaging a team high 13.7 points a game. She does so much more than score the ball as she leads the team in assists (4.6), steals (5.4), and is second in rebounds with 5.8 per game. Larsen is a playmaker that you’ll find all over the floor the entire game. Look for a big week from the Morningside commit.
Ella Larsen – 5’9 W – 2021 – Newell-Fonda
The other Larsen gives you pretty much the same: solid play. Second on the team with 11.9 points a game, she is an avid rebounder of the ball and can shoot it at a very good percentage. She hauls in 6.1 rebounds a game, but Larsen also leads the team in blocks. She is the defensive menace that Newell-Fonda needs.
Rachel Leerar – 5’7 G – 2021 – West Hancock
Leerar is third in 1A overall, and first among players in the tournament, in scoring the ball as she averages 21.0 points a contest. Her ability to knock down the open shot or get to the rim is uncanny. She has made 138 free throws on the year, which is 58 more than the next most in the tournament. Leerar is a complete player dishing out tons of assists and forcing turnovers on the defensive end.
Amanda Chizek – 6′ C – 2020 – West Hancock
Chizek is that interior presence that every great team can rely on. She averages a double double on the year with 12.9 points a game and 11.5 rebounds a game. Chizek also has 74 blocked shots, which is a number that is easily leading the team. She will need to be on her A-game to help West Hancock advance through the tournament.
Shateah Wetering – 6′ F – 2020 – Montezuma
It comes as no surprise that Wetering is the leader of this team. She is averaging 19.2 points a game this season and is also adding 5.2 rebounds a game. Her tremendous ball skills lead to her taking the ball away 68 times on the season and blocking 25 shots. A defensive stalwart whose contributions aren’t always shown in the statistics. Wetering is committed to Iowa University.
Riley Gatton – 5’8 G – 2019 – Montezuma
While Gatton may not be the most prevalent player on the roster, she packs a punch. She scores the ball at a 11.1 points per game clip and is always looking to find her teammates. Leading the team in assists with 92, Gatton is more than a scorer. She sets the offense up well and gets after it on defense. A very solid two-way guard for this Montezuma team.
Kori Wedeking – 5’9 W – 2020 – Clarksville
Wedeking leads the team in points per game as she nets 17.5 points a contest. She does that on insane shooting percentages as on the season she is shooting 49.8 percent from the floor, 41.3 percent from behind the arc, and 80.3 percent from the free throw line. She’s also grabbed 142 steals and dished out 112 assists this year.
Janet Borchardt – 5’11 F – 2020 – Clarksville
Without a 3-pointer made, much less attempted, Borchardt is second on the team in scoring at 13.0 points a game. She is shooting the ball at 59.5 percent clip which is a video game number. Borchardt has 22 blocks on the year to lead the team but she also has the most rebounds on the team with 5.4 per game. A dual threat player, Borchardt will really kill you on the inside.
Teona Richman – 5’8 W – 2019 – Marquette Catholic
Richman is the leading scorer for this Marquette Catholic team, but it is much closer than it appears. She is scoring 13.4 points a game this year. Richman has also hauled in 8.0 rebounds a game to give her the second most on the team for the season. This is a senior who is their most potent outside threat as she has knocked down 30 percent of her tries.
Miranda Peters – 5’10 F – 2020 – Marquette Catholic
Peters is just behind Richman in scoring with 13.3 points a game, which is a difference of just two points on the year. Both Richman and Peters are an identical 113-of-252 from the field, which might be the craziest stat that I have ever seen. Peters leads the team in assists while turning the ball over just 57 times on the season.
Madison Gettler – 5’8 W – 2019 – CAM
Gettler is scoring the ball at an astounding rate for only having three made 3-pointers on the season. She has scored 19.5 points a game on 58.5 percent shooting from the floor. Gettler is all over the floor on the defensive end as she has picked up 103 steals and 18 blocks on the year thus far. She is also the leading rebounder for CAM with 7.2 a game. She is the engine that keeps CAM running.
Paige McAfee – 5’7 G – 2019 – CAM
McAfee is the second option for CAM as she is scoring 13.3 points a game. She is a really solid shooter from behind the arc as evidenced by her 41.9 shooting percentage from deep. McAfee is the type of player that you don’t want to have get hot. When she is shooting it with confidence, she can drop in points in a hurry. I think she will have a big tournament as teams look to stop Gettler.
Kassidi Steel – 5’9 W – 2020 – North Mahaska
Steel is a player who is averaging 16.1 points a game to lead North Mahaska. She is shooting 38 percent from behind the arc and is a threat anytime that she is on the perimeter. A complete all-around player as she is also leading the team in assists, steals, blocks, and only has 40 turnovers on the season. Steel is a do-it-all player for this squad.
Emma Tyrrel – 5’9 W – 2020 – North Mahaska
Scoring 8.4 points a game, Tyrrel is capable of doing a lot of damage when she is called upon. Even though she is shooting the ball at a 51.1 percent clip, Tyrrel doesn’t really look to shoot it that much. She has only attempted five 3-pointers on the year, and none have dropped. The leading rebounder for North Mahaska with 6.7 per game.
Lauren Wilson – 5’10 F – 2022 – Springville
Wilson is a freshman, and the team’s leading scorer. She’s a very good mid-post player who isn’t afraid to step out and knock a shot down. She is scoring 15.7 points a game this year while pulling down 8.7 rebounds a game. She also leads the team in assists, steals, and blocks. Wilson is a player that is going to be a hassle to deal with for teams over the next four years.
Nichole Kane – 5’6 G – 2019 – Springville
Kane is a shooter with a sweet lefty stroke. She has made 46 3-pointers this season which has led her to scoring 15.0 points a game. From behind the arc she is shooting 32.6 percent and is knocking down her free throws at a high rate. Kane might be the best scorer on the team for Springville as they look to create some magic this postseason. Kane has the experience to lead them.
State Predictions
First Round
Newell-Fonda over Springville
Marquette Catholic over Clarksville
West Hancock over North Mahaska
CAM over Montezuma
Semi-Finals
Newell-Fonda over Marquette Catholic
West Hancock over CAM
1A State Championship
Newell-Fonda over West Hancock
Going out on a limb with a few upsets in the first round here. I like Marquette Catholic over Clarksville and CAM over Montezuma, but wouldn’t be surprised if Montezuma takes CAM down. I took Marquette Catholic because I feel that they might have the slightly better team. CAM is a very potent scoring team so I think that they will have the upper hand against Montezuma. In the end, I think on Saturday night it is going to be Newell-Fonda against West Hancock as these are two teams whom I think are a head above the rest. Newell-Fonda takes the crown and avenges their loss in the championship from last year.