Iowa high school boys’ state basketball 2024: Brackets, predictions, top players and more

DES MOINES — Could it be an Eastern Iowa sweep?

Obviously anything can happen at this week’s boys’ state basketball tournament. But three of the four No. 1 seeds are from this side of the state and there appears to be another really strong No. 2 seed in the class that’s the exception.

The tournament begins Monday morning with Class 1A, specifically top-seeded and top-ranked North Linn, which is making its eighth consecutive tourney appearance. The Lynx, who play unranked Woodbine in a 10:30 quarterfinal, have been in a championship game an unprecedented six straight years.

Iowa City Regina is the lone Gazette-area qualifier in Class 2A, and the Regals have a considerable quarterfinal task in top-ranked and top-seeded Western Christian. This is the Wolfpack’s 24th state trip, and the school has won 10 championships, the last in 2021.

Western Christian was 2A runner-up last season.

Decorah is the top seed and top-ranked team in the 3A field. This is the second state tournament appearance in three years for the Vikings after a 45-year drought.

Decorah draws Williamsburg in the quarterfinals. The Raiders were the third seed in their substate but have found their way to Des Moines for the third time in school history, the first time since 2015.

West Des Moines Valley was a surprise winner in Class 4A last season, and the Tigers are back again with virtually the same team. Cedar Rapids Kennedy is the top seed in the class and beat Valley in the regular season, though Valley was without standout guard Curtis Stinson Jr., who was injured.

The following are thumbnails on each of the four classes:

Class 4A

THE SCHEDULE

Quarterfinals

Wednesday, 10:30 a.m.— No. 1 Cedar Rapids Kennedy (23-0) vs. Dallas Center-Grimes (20-3)

Wednesday, 12:15 p.m. — No. 6 Dubuque Senior (21-2) vs. No. 8 Ankeny (17-6)

Wednesday, 2 p.m. — No. 2 West Des Moines Valley (18-5) vs. Johnston (14-9)

Wednesday, 3:45 p.m. — No. 4 Cedar Falls (20-3) vs. Bettendorf (17-6)

Semifinals

Thursday, 5:30 p.m. — Cedar Rapids Kennedy/Dallas Center-Grimes winner vs. Dubuque Senior/Ankeny winner

Thursday, 7:15 p.m. — West Des Moines Valley/Johnston winner vs. Cedar Falls/Bettendorf winner

Championship

Friday, 7 p.m. — Semifinal winners

THE FAVORITE/THE LOCAL

You’ve got to look at Kennedy and Valley. The Cougars beat five teams who finished the regular season ranked in the 4A top 10, including three who are in this field (Valley, Cedar Falls and Dubuque Senior). Kennedy has a very balanced lineup, with the five starters averaging between 8.8 and 13.5 points per game. Valley has four starters who average double figures, led by the aforementioned Stinson (19.8 ppg) and senior guard Zay Robinson (15.8 ppg), who also missed a chunk of the regular season with an injury. Schools from the Central Iowa Metro League have won the last four 4A titles.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Carson Johnson, 6-0, senior, Ankeny — Leads 4A in scoring at 23.4 points per game. Shoots 51 percent from the field and 47.3 from 3-point range (62 for 131).

Curtis Stinson Jr., 6-5, junior, West Des Moines Valley — Missed seven games with an injury. Averaging 19.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Has an offer from Iowa State, where his father was a standout guard.

Zay Robinson, 6-1 junior, West Des Moines Valley — Also one of the top prep football talents in the state, he averages 15.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Missed the first seven games of the season with a shoulder injury incurred during football.

JOHNSON’S PREDICTIONS

Quarterfinals

Cedar Rapids Kennedy over Dallas Center-Grimes

Ankeny over Dubuque Senior

West Des Moines Valley over Johnston

Cedar Falls over Bettendorf

Semifinals

Cedar Rapids Kennedy over Ankeny

West Des Moines Valley over Cedar Falls

Championship

West Des Moines Valley over Cedar Rapids Kennedy

Class 3A

THE SCHEDULE

Quarterfinals

Tuesday, 2 p.m. — No. 1 Decorah (22-2) vs. Williamsburg (16-8)

Tuesday, 3:45 p.m. — No. 9 Davenport Assumption (16-8) vs. Ballard (16-8)

Tuesday, 5:30 p.m. — No. 7 MOC-Floyd Valley (21-3) vs. Bondurant-Farrar (15-9)

Tuesday, 7:15 p.m. — No. 2 Waverly-Shell Rock (20-3) vs. Pella (15-9)

Semifinals

Thursday, 2 p.m. — Decorah/Williamsburg winner vs. Davenport Assumption/Ballard winner

Thursday, 3:45 p.m. — MOC-Floyd Valley/Bondurant-Farrar winner vs. Waverly-Shell Rock/Pella winner

Championship

Friday, 5 p.m. — Semifinal winners

THE FAVORITE

Decorah is top ranked and top seeded. The Vikings split a pair of regular-season games with second-seeded Waverly-Shell Rock. The other loss was to Class 2A Cascade. This class has been incredibly topsy turvy the entire season, meaning things are wide, wide open in this tournament. You could make a case for virtually any of the eight teams to win it. Who gets hot for three days? Let’s find out.

THE LOCALS

Decorah already has been mentioned. Senior swingman Ben Bockman averages a team-best 19.8 points per game. He was an all-stater a season ago. Six-foot-10 sophomore center Cael LaFrentz averages 15.8 points and 10.7 rebounds. He is the son of assistant coach and former NBA player Raef LaFrentz. Williamsburg won a state football championship this fall and a state track and field title last spring. A lot of guys on those teams are on this basketball team. Senior Derek Weisskopf (a University of Iowa football signee) is a multiple-year hoops all-stater who averages 21 points per game.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Jesse Van Kalsbeek, 6-2, senior, MOC-Floyd Valley — A second-team all-stater last season. Averages a double-double of 25.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. Shoots 61 percent from the field.

Derek Weisskopf, 6-4, senior, Williamsburg — Four-year starter, three-time all-stater. University of Iowa football recruit as a linebacker. Averages 21 points and 8 rebounds.

Ben Bockman, 6-5, senior, Decorah — All-stater last season. Averages 19.8 points and 4.8 and 3.9 assists per game.

JOHNSON’S PREDICTIONS

Quarterfinals

Decorah over Williamsburg

Davenport Assumption over Huxley Ballard

Bondurant-Farrar over MOC-Floyd Valley

Waverly-Shell Rock over Pella

Semifinals

Davenport Assumption over Decorah

Waverly-Shell Rock over Bondurant-Farrar

Championship

Davenport Assumption over Waverly-Shell Rock

Class 2A

THE SCHEDULE

Quarterfinals

Monday, 5:30 p.m. — No. 1 Western Christian (20-3) vs. Iowa City Regina (17-6)

Monday, 7:15 p.m. — No. 6 West Burlington (22-0) vs. No. 8 Treynor (21-3)

Tuesday, 10:30 a.m. — No. 2 Hudson (23-2) vs. Grundy Center (20-3)

Tuesday, 12:15 p.m. — No. 3 Underwood (24-0) vs. Unity Christian (20-4)

Semifinals

Thursday, 10:30 a.m. — Western Christian/Iowa City Regina winner vs. West Burlington/Treynor winner

Thursday, 12:15 p.m. — Hudson/Grundy Center winner vs. Underwood/Unity Christian winner

Championship

Friday, 3 p.m. — Semifinal winners

THE FAVORITE

No. 1 Western Christian lost in last year’s 2A championship game and has only one loss to an Iowa team this season: 4A No. 3 Sioux City East. The Wolfpack’s other two defeats came from schools from South Dakota. Likewise, Hudson’s two losses were to No. 1-ranked teams: Cedar Rapids Kennedy (4A) and Decorah (3A). Underwood comes in unbeaten at 24-0. Those would seem to be your three favorites.

THE LOCALS

Iowa City Regina has a powerful hoops history and had a renaissance season under first-year head coach Paul Rundquist. The Regals won 17 games this season after winning a combined 22 in the previous three seasons. Senior forward Michael Martin has been Regina’s leader. He averages 17.9 points per game.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Kaden Van Regenmorter, 6-3, junior, Western Christian — A starter last season as a sophomore. Averages 19.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.

Mason Watkins, 6-4, junior, West Burlington — Averages 21.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. Son of Southeastern Community College head coach and former D-I player Lorenzo Watkins.

Camden Davis, 6-5, senior, Hudson — Averages a double-double of 19.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Shoots 59 percent from the field and 85.8 percent from the free-throw line. One of four double-figures scorers on his team.

JOHNSON’S PREDICTIONS

Quarterfinals

Western Christian over Iowa City Regina

West Burlington over Treynor

Hudson over Grundy Center

Underwood over Orange City Unity Christian

Semifinals

Western Christian over West Burlington

Hudson over Underwood

Championship

Hudson over Western Christian

Class 1A

THE SCHEDULE

Quarterfinals

Monday, 10:30 a.m. — No. 1 North Linn (23-1) vs. Woodbine (23-2)

Monday, 12:15 p.m. — No. 5 Winfield-Mount Vernon (20-2) vs. No. 7 Lynnville-Sully (24-1)

Monday, 2 p.m. — No. 3 Bellevue Marquette (25-1) vs. Gladbrook-Reinbeck (21-5)

Monday, 3:45 p.m. — No. 4 Lake Mills (24-1) vs. No. 8 North Union (22-3)

Semifinals

Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. — North Linn/Woodbine winner vs. Winfield-Mount Union/Lynnville-Sully winner

Wednesday, 7:15 p.m. — Bellevue Marquette/Gladbrook-Reinbeck winner vs. Lake Mills/North Union winner

Championship

Friday, 1 p.m. — Semifinal winners

THE LOCAL/THE FAVORITE

Top-seeded and top-ranked North Linn is in its eighth consecutive tournament. It has advanced to the semifinals the previous seven years and has played in a championship game the past six. It is 2-4 in those title games, winning a title in both Class 1A (2022) and 2A (2019). The Lynx lost last year’s 1A championship game to Grand View Christian. They have a combined record of 231-9 since the 2015-16 season. Junior guard Mason Bechen, senior guard Breckyn Betenbender and senior forward Ty Pflughaupt all were starters last season.

THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH

Mason Bechen, 6-0, junior, North Linn — The 6-foot-1 guard is averaging 20.5 points, 5.7 assists and 3.3 steals per game.

Ty Pflughaupt, 6-5, senior, North Linn — Averages 20.0 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Upper Iowa signee.

Cam Buffington, 6-4, senior, Winfield-Mount Union — Best known as a University of Iowa football signee (as a linebacker). Averages 19.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and shoots 54.8 percent from the field.

JOHNSON’S PREDICTIONS

Quarterfinals

North Linn over Woodbine

Winfield-Mount Union over Lynnville-Sully

Bellevue Marquette over Gladbrook-Reinbeck

Lake Mills over North Union

Semifinals

North Linn over Winfield-Mount Union

Bellevue Marquette over Lake Mills

Championship

North Linn over Bellevue Marquette

Comments: jeff.johnson@thegazette.com