Iowa high school boys’ basketball notebook: A look at area Class 3A, 4A substates

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Iowa High School Athletic Association released brackets late Monday afternoon for the boys’ basketball postseason in Class 3A and 4A.

Substate openers in both classes are Monday night at 7. All Class 3A teams play, while the top two seeds in 4A substates have first-round byes.

The postseason has begun already in Class 1A and 2A. Thursday night featured district semifinals in both classes.

District finals are Tuesday.

Let’s take an in-depth look at the 3A and 4A substates that involve schools from The Gazette area.

Class 3A Substate 3

Second-ranked Decorah (18-2) earned the top seed here. The Vikings avenged one of their two losses last week by winning at Waverly-Shell Rock. Decorah has beaten four of the other seven teams here, including second-seeded Charles City twice. Obviously the favorite. Others in the substate are West Delaware, Dubuque Wahlert, Western Dubuque, Center Point-Urbana, Hampton-Dumont-CAL and Independence.

Class 3A Substate 4

Marion (16-5) is the top seed. The Wolves, who are ranked sixth in 3A, have wins over substate mates Cedar Rapids Xavier, Benton Community and Mount Vernon. Ninth-ranked Davenport Assumption (12-8) is the second seed here, Mount Vernon third, Maquoketa fourth and Xavier an incredibly strong fifth. Pretty wide open substate, it appears.

Class 3A Substate 5

Fifth-ranked Solon (19-1) lost its first game last week against Williamsburg. The Raiders (12-8) are the third seed here. The No. 2 seed is Clear Creek-Amana (15-6), also a Wamac Conference member. Washington (Iowa) also is in Substate 5, with Davis County, Keokuk, Mount Pleasant and Fort Madison. Have to consider Solon a favorite here, despite the loss to Williamsburg.

Class 3A Substate 6

Third-ranked Waverly-Shell Rock (17-3) is the top seed in a substate that leans west geographically. Nevada (17-4) is the second seed. Vinton-Shellsburg, Grinnell, South Tam, Gilbert, Saydel, Gilbert and Oskaloosa are the others here. W-SR is the pretty prohibitive favorite.

Class 4A Substate 3

Iowa City West (18-2) is second-ranked in 4A and the top seed. The Trojans’ losses have been to top-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Linn-Mar. West beat substate mates Dubuque Hempstead, Burlington and Davenport West this season. Bettendorf (14-6) is the second seed. Davenport North also is here. The top teams in the Mississippi Athletic Conference (Bettendorf, Davenport West, North Scott, Pleasant Valley and Davenport Assumption) have taken turns beating each other).

Class 4A Substate 4

Top-ranked, top-seeded Cedar Rapids Kennedy (21-0) is a way big favorite here. North Scott (15-5) is the second seed. Linn-Mar also is very capable. Cedar Rapids Washington, Waterloo East and Clinton are the other teams.

Class 4A Substate 5

Dubuque Senior is the top seed. The Rams (18-2) are seventh ranked but really don’t have a signature victory yet this season. Pleasant Valley (15-5) is the second seed and always very dangerous this time of the season. Cedar Rapids Prairie, Davenport Central, Muscatine and Cedar Rapids Jefferson also are in this substate.

Class 4A Substate 6

Fifth-ranked Cedar Falls (17-3) is your No. 1 seed in this substate, with Waukee Northwest the No. 2 and West Des Moines Dowling the No. 3. Those three appear to be the teams here with a chance to advance. Northwest is 13-8 and Dowling 10-11 in a Central Iowa Metro League that is very strong from top to bottom. Iowa City High, Des Moines East and Ottumwa are the other teams here.

Class 4A Substate 8

Iowa City Liberty (9-11) lost early in the season to Ankeny Centennial, 70-48. Centennial is the second seed and 10th ranked in 4A. Ankeny (15-6) is the top seed and eighth ranked. Those teams split in the regular season. Des Moines Roosevelt, Waterloo West and Indianola are the others in this substate. Roosevelt had nine wins vacated earlier this week because of the use of an ineligible player who had turned 20 years old.

Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com