Monday’s boys’ basketball substate finals

A look at Monday's substate finals, with preview capsules for area games.

CLASS 3A

Cedar Rapids Xavier (15-8) vs. Mount Pleasant (18-5) at Iowa City West, 7 p.m.

Scouting Report: These teams opened the season against one another way back on November 30, and it was a serious mismatch, Xavier winning, 61-28. However, Mount Pleasant is on an eight-game win streak and has won 10 of 11, while Xavier lost its last six regular-season games. Of course, that's relative since Xavier plays in the nearly all-Class 4A Mississippi Valley Conference. Xavier gets nearly all of its offense from six players, including leading scorer Mitchell Burger. The guard averages 16.6 points but missed Xavier's district final win over Clear Creek-Amana because of a coach's decision and will not play in this game, either. Center Max Techau averages 14 points and team-best 6.7 rebounds. Point guard Matthew Mims averages 12.6 PPG and is one of two sophomores in the starting lineup (Jackson Joens is the other). Speaking of sophomores, Mount Pleasant starts four of them, with its top five scorers all 10th-graders. Brady Sartorious leads the way at 16.2 points per game. Xavier qualified for its first state tournament last season and placed third. Mount Pleasant has been to state seven times, the last in 2013. The Panthers won a 3A championship in 2012.

Mount Vernon (17-6) vs. Solon (9-14) at U.S. Cellular Center, 8 p.m.

Scouting Report: A pair of regular-season games were blowouts in favor of Mount Vernon, 80-63 and 73-46. The Mustangs were very impressive in a 68-36 win over Benton Community in a district final last week. Solon beat four-win DeWitt Central and five-win Davenport Assumption to get to this point. They ended the regular season on a nine-game losing streak. The Spartans' leading scorer is Streeter McIlravy (16.2 points per game). He is an 86.1-percent free-throw shooter (130 of 151). Mount Vernon has three players with nearly identical scoring stats in guard Austin Ash (16.0 PPG), guard Tommy Hook (15.1) and forward Connor Herrmann (15.0). MV won a 2A state championship in its previous trip to Des Moines (2012), also under head coach Ed Timm. Solon last qualified in 2010 (second-place finish), the last of three-straight appearances and placewinnings.

Other Games

Carroll (9-14) vs. MOC-Floyd Valley (20-3) at Sioux City (Tyson Events Center), 7 p.m.

Chariton (21-1) vs. Newton (14-9) at Southeast Polk, 7 p.m.

Pella (21-1) vs. Huxley Ballard (14-9) at Johnston, 7 p.m.

Perry (14-9) vs. Glenwood (19-4) at Atlantic, 7 p.m.

Spirit Lake (20-3) vs. Webster City (20-2) at Storm Lake (Buena Vista University), 7 p.m.

Waverly-Shell Rock (18-5) vs. Dubuque Wahlert (18-5) at U.S. Cellular Center, 6:30 p.m.