A look at Tuesday’s Iowa high school boys’ basketball substate finals

Here are capsules looking at Class 4A and 3A Iowa high school boys’ basketball substate final games in the area and around the state Tuesday.

Tuesday’s Class 4A substate finals

No. 3 CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY (19-3) vs. CEDAR RAPIDS WASHINGTON (13-9)

Time & site: 7 p.m., at Solon High School.

Overview: Kennedy won both regular-season games between these Metro rivals, 71-51 in early December and 66-58 in early February. In fact, the Cougars have won the last seven matchups between these schools. Both Washington and Kennedy lost substate finals last season.

Washington starts three juniors and two sophomores. One of those juniors, 6-foot-5 wing Traijan Sain, is the team’s top offensive weapon. He averages 17.9 points per game and a team-best 6.5 rebounds. Junior guard Jesse Sellers is next at 11.3 points per game and is Wash’s best 3-point shooter.

Kennedy has the capability of a balanced offensive attack, though it’s generally predicated on shooting the 3-pointer. The Cougars are second in 4A in treys taken and made, and the starting guard court of Kenzie Reed, Colby Dolphin and Carson Blietz each have attemped more 3-pointers than 2-pointers. Dolphin leads Kennedy with a 14.1 scoring average, followed by Reed at 12.6. The Cougars’ three losses were to Linn-Mar and fellow 4A substate finalists Cedar Falls and Ames.

Kennedy celebrated the 50th anniversary of its 1972 state championship team a couple of weeks ago. The school also won it all in 1984, its last state tournament appearance coming in 2017. Washington was your 1969 big-school state champion. Its last state tournament berth came in 2011.

CEDAR RAPIDS PRAIRIE (16-6) vs. DUBUQUE HEMPSTEAD (13-10)

Time & site: 7 p.m., at Clinton High School

Overview: These teams played in the final game before the Christmas break, with Prairie winning at Hempstead, 66-61, in double overtime. Starting guard Jake Walter had 28 points in that game for Prairie, with Elijah Ward adding 21. Ward has not been able to play the last month-plus, though, because of a broken hand.

Prairie won nine of its first 10 games but has gone just 7-5 since then. Walter averages 13.4 points and 3.7 assists per game. Senior center Gabe Burkle, an Iowa State football signee, leads the Hawks in scoring (14.7) and rebounding (5.8). Dionte Fliss stepped up with a 14-point, 7-rebound outing in Prairie’s substate semifinal win last week over Dubuque Senior.

Hempstead center Cameron Fens is one of the most underrated players in the state. The 6-foot-11 senior averages 19.1 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocked shots per game. He has good feet and mobility and recently received a D-I scholarship offer from Western Illinois. Guard Kellen Strohmeyer is Hempstead’s other main scorer at 15 points per game.

Prairie has not qualified for the state tournament since winning a 3A state championship in 1998. Hempstead has qualified just once, losing to Cedar Rapids Kennedy in a 2017 quarterfinal.

State

Comments: jeff.johnson@thegazette.com