Class 4A Regional Championship Previews

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Top Four Games </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Central DeWitt (19-4) vs Clear Creek Amana (15-7)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='509225' first='Averie' last='Lower'] and [player_tooltip player_id='782232' first='Lena' last='Evans'] of CCA are going to go on the road this evening, looking to help their team out in a highly anticipated battle against Central DeWitt with a chance to the State Tournament on the line. Lower is a projected D1 prospect, that is debatably one of the best knock down shooters in the Country for her age level. This Winter she has had to switch it up and do a little bit of everything for her team, ultimately showing her full skill-set and that she is working on her weaknesses in the mean time. The force that has been paired along with Lower this season is [player_tooltip player_id='782232' first='Lena' last='Evans']. Evans is a guard with great hand-eye coordination, a quick dribble, and she has natural instincts to pair along with both of those things. She has a quick trigger while letting go of the basketball and she is very good at making the correct decisions with the ball in her possession. In CCA's last contest, Evans recorded a season high 29 points in their 5 point victory. This performance just shows what Evans is capable of in a nut shell. On the other side of the floor, trying to stop the Clippers and protect home court will be [player_tooltip player_id='311388' first='Lauren' last='Walker']. Walker is the definition of someone who plays the game the correct way. Her movement when the ball is not in her hands, the way she communicates with other around her, and the way she leads just screams that she is a college level player. Those intangibles stand out now and that's not going to slow down anytime soon. What Walker and company bring to the floor is great ball movement. They run good action across the board on both ends and they understand how to play as a single-unit. If everyone comes to play in this one, it could turn into a tight battle between both parties before you know it.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>DCG (18-4) vs Carlisle (18-4)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The DCG Mustangs always seem to put together impactful seasons, even if they are having a "down" year. This season their leader in PPG has been the skilled guard, [player_tooltip player_id='832198' first='Macy' last='Meyer']. Meyer's three level scoring ability has been something to note this Winter as she has been making easy work of her competition in the 1v1 aspects of things. There have been a few contest this Winter in which Meyer went off for a big amount of points on limited shots, while also being a factor within the assisting, stealing, and rebounding part of the game as well. Her fast dribble from right to left and her ability to finish in every which way has definitely been impressive to this point but will it be enough to hold off one of the best PG's in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='502100' first='Macy' last='Comito']? I'm not sure. Carlisle poses a threat to the Mustangs in this one because of Comito. The Wildcats do have other productive prospects around her like [player_tooltip player_id='880909' first='Kami' last='Clark'], Ella Smith, and Taylor Thomas but their unquestionable leader is [player_tooltip player_id='502100' first='Macy' last='Comito']. Comito, the Iowa State Women's Basketball commit, is going to be one that takes the Country by storm with her Cyclones program once she gets there. Not only can she score from all three offensive levels, she can defend, her feel for the game is extremely impressive, she seems to always make the right decisions, and she is going to be the one that can create for ANYONE else in clutch moments of a contest. So in this one, it's going to come down to who can execute a little bit better. Whoever that is, should be moving on to Des Moines.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Xavier (18-4) vs Waverly-Shell Rock (19-2)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='311363' first='Libby' last='Fandel'], [player_tooltip player_id='502101' first='Madden' last='Wilson'], and [player_tooltip player_id='885259' first='Jaselle' last='Lang'] will look to keep Fandel's senior season alive this evening when they host Waverly-Shell Rock at home. This seems to be the only 4A game where the home team has a "worse" record than the away team but sometimes that is just how it shakes out. Fandel is going to look to follow up her huge performance last game with another one to help her team make it to State for one last run before she takes the floor as a Jayhawk this upcoming Fall. If you have been following along with this state and Women's basketball the past few years, you know what can Fandel can do. She has the ability to change the game at any moment with her play-making. This is someone that makes everything look extremely effortless. She has a silky smooth jumper off of the catch or dribble, she defends pretty while for her position, she has a smart head on her shoulders, she doesn't settle for bad looks mostly, and she seems to get better when the defense brings 2 or 3 defenders at a time - something you rarely see at the high school level. Next to her will be PG, [player_tooltip player_id='502101' first='Madden' last='Wilson']. This is big game for Wilson in my eyes. She has been on and off all Winter long but now it's Playoff time. If Wilson comes correct with her controlling of tempo, assisting ability, and a calm demeanor, she should help the cause in a big way for the Saints. When it comes to the go-hawks, they are going to be a team that matches up well with the Saints. Their main producer is Forward, [player_tooltip player_id='833966' first='Lizzy' last='Frazell'], and she is handful to deal with near or far from the hoop. Frazell has that mixture of height, skill, and athletic ability that all coaches love to see from a young age. She has demonstrated over the years that she is a threat to score from all over, she can be a bully near the rim with her physical presence, and she does a great job of having swift movement in whatever she is doing down the floor. Next to Frazell will be teammates like [player_tooltip player_id='1130671' first='Brittney' last='Bodensteiner'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1143272' first='Sydney' last='Bienemann']. These two have been constants this season in their production in every positive statistical category and I'm sure if they play well tonight, it'll be a major factor to their success in the end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Maquoketa (19-2) vs Marion (13-9)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This evening [player_tooltip player_id='435773' first='Cora' last='Widel'] and [player_tooltip player_id='534428' first='Aubrey' last='Kroymann'] are going to have a chance to help their team secure a spot in the State Tournament next week in Des Moines. To get there, they are going to have to win a battle against the Marion Wolves, something that seems pretty do-able from the outside looking in. Widel is a 6'0 SF/CG, that is a mismatch nightmare on the floor against almost everyone she has faced off with this Winter. Her wing span combined with her aggressive attitude and advanced skill-set makes her a tough player to contain. She can kill you next to the hoop, she can kill you from 15FT in, and she can kill you from behind the arc. It's really whatever you want and that makes things difficult to defend as a whole. Especially considering she can make some impressive passes off of her play-style when others try to double her. As for Kroymann, she is also coming in at 6'0 and she is more of their Center or PF positioned player. They love to feed her in the post and she does a GREAT job of fighting for position on a consistent basis. If she doesn't get it the first time, she will try and try again until she succeeds, just showing her determination and grit. For Marion, you have two future college players at the very least on their roster at this moment in time and that is [player_tooltip player_id='788569' first='Madeline' last='Pavelka'] and [player_tooltip player_id='863283' first='Harlow' last='Griffin']. Both of these individuals are going to be competing at the collegiate levels before you know it, making this team one of those that you can't count out already. Pavelka has been a force for the Wolves for her Senior season, averaging just over 16 PPG and just under 10 RPG, demonstrating her effort and ability throughout this Winter thus far near the paint. Harlow is currently averaging 14 PPG, 6 RPG, and 3 APG, doing a little bit of anything she can. She is a CG/SF that comes in around 5'11/6'0 and she has shown promise throughout her Sophomore season with her production. She just needs to continue to work on her weaknesses to become the best version of herself on the hardwood. All in all, these are the Wolves top two dawgs though, so their play could be crucial to their success.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Upset Alert</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Central DeWitt: </strong>I worry for Central DeWitt because of [player_tooltip player_id='509225' first='Averie' last='Lower']. She is the type that could have a nuclear game and score 50 if she is feeling right. You also have to play defense so I'm not counting that out but if there is anyone that can change this contest into something we wouldn't expect, it's Lower. She has several D1 offers at this time and this game would be a staple in her career in reality so it'll be intriguing to see which version of her we see from the tip.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sioux Center:</strong> On paper, Sioux Center should win this game by a healthy margin but not so fast. What Storm Lake brings to the floor is length and size. That size can disrupt and make things difficult if it is used in the correct way throughout a contest. Sioux Center needs to jump out to a big lead early and never look back because if this becomes a rock fight, I'm not sure that the Warriors come out on top.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Xavier:</strong> You won't be able to call this game an "upset", as the second seed in this Region has a better record but that's what makes them dangerous. Xavier will have the best prospect on the floor in Fandel, after that the next two best prospects are on the the go-hawks side, then the fourth best prospect is back on the Saints side. So it really comes down to who wants it more and who is going to execute the best. Whoever does that, comes out on top and there is chance that could be either team right now.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Picking All 8 <br></span>Regional 1 Championship: Bishop Heelan over Lewis Central <br>Regional 2 Championship: North Polk over ADM<br>Regional 3 Championship: Maquoketa over Marion<br>Regional 4 Championship: Central DeWitt over CCA<br>Regional 5 Championship: Norwalk over Pella <br>Regional 6 Championship: DCG over Carlisle<br>Regional 7 Championship: Sioux Center over Storm Lake<br>Regional 8 Championship: Waverly-Shell Rock over Xavier</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->