Jeff Johnson

Despite being defending state champion, advancing to a state championship game seven years in a row and having one of the top players in the state in his class (Mason Bechen), North Linn was left out of the first couple of the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s Class 1A poll after a 20-point loss to Dunkerton a couple of weeks ago. The Lynx are back in this week for the first time this season at No. 10. All of the No. 1s remain the same in Cedar Falls, Huxley Ballard, Western Christian and Bellevue Marquette.

Rookie William Rousseau of the Iowa Heartlanders has been one of the ECHL’s top goaltenders, someone whom the NHL’s Minnesota Wild think highly enough of to have him recently sign a two-way American Hockey League contract with the Iowa Wild for the remainder and a one-way deal next season in order to keep him in their system. Rousseau’s grandfather, Bobby, played 940 NHL games and won four Stanley Cups ... as a forward.

The Iowa City West boys’ basketball team has lost three games, two by one point. But the Trojans are coming along, with evidence being Friday night’s 66-55 win over Cedar Rapids Prairie.

Linn-Mar’s boys’ basketball team avenged a 27-point loss from earlier this season in beating No. 1 Cedar Falls, 69-61, in a fine Thursday night game at Linn-Mar. The Lions are ranked No. 6 in Class 4A.

Cael Reichter is a 6-foot-8 senior forward for the North Fayette Valley basketball team. He has a dozen or so school records to his credit, including the marks for career scoring, rebounding and steals. And he has an ongoing streak of 32 consecutive games with a scoring-rebounding double-double.

Call It Both Ways: High school basketball podcast with Gazette sportswriters Jeff Linder and Jeff Johnson talking area high school basketball.

Paul Rundquist learned a lot of basketball and life lessons from his father, Gordon, who died in the fall. This season has been more difficult than usual for Paul, but he has Iowa City Regina with a 10-1 record after a win at Mid-Prairie

Here are boys’ basketball standings from schools and conferences from The Gazette area.

Mike Hilmer has been named one of 24 recipients of a National Coach of the Year award by the National Federation of State High Schools Coaches Association for the 2023-24 school year. Hilmer led North Linn to the Class 1A boys’ basketball state championship before leaving to take a superintendent job at Bellevue.

Cedar Falls remained atop Class 4A in the second Iowa High School Athletic Association boys’ basketball rankings of the season. Huxley Ballard (3A), Western Christian (2A) and Bellevue Marquette (1A) stay at No. 1 in their respective classes, as well.

In this edition of Corridor Cross Checks, the discussion is on the Iowa Heartlanders and their five-game in streak. And an down-and-up weekend for the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

Senior guard Trey McKowen nailed a pull-up jump shot with 3 seconds to go to give Class 4A No. 4 Cedar Rapids Kennedy a 52-50 win over No. 10 Dubuque Senior on Friday night at Kennedy.

Tim Lambert has led the Monticello boys’ basketball program for 26 years. His brother Todd, has been by his side most of the way. They have three children each (two boys and a girl) who all are the same ages. This season is the eighth consecutive and final season that the brothers get to coach a son and nephew.

The North Linn boys’ basketball team has been a state tournament qualifier eight years in a row. It has played in a state championship game seven years in a row, including winning the Class 1A title last season. It has six seniors, including one of the best players in 1A in Mason Bechen. Yet a 20-point loss this past Saturday at Dunkerton meant the Lynx weren’t even included in the first IHSAA top-10 rankings of the season.

Call It Both Ways: High school basketball podcast with Gazette sportswriters Jeff Linder and Jeff Johnson talking area high school basketball.