Jeff Johnson

Decorah’s boys’ basketball team didn’t win a game in its three previous appearances at the state tournament. But the Vikings used a huge run in the second and third quarters to dominate Williamsburg, 66-42, Tuesday afternoon in a Class 3A quarterfinal.

Here is a look at Wednesday’s schedule at the Iowa high school boys’ state basketball tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. And an in-depth look at the games involving Gazette-area schools.

Western Christian proved why it’s top ranked and top seeded in Class 2A, beating Iowa City Regina, 56-34, Monday night in a state tournament quarterfinal at Wells Fargo Arena. Regina ends its first season under first-year head coach Paul Rundquist with a 17-7 record and a lot of hope for the future.

Here’s a look at Monday’s Iowa high school boys’ state basketball tournament scores and summaries.

Class 2A quarterfinals finish up, then it’s 3A

North Linn’s top-ranked, top-seeded boys’ basketball team gradually pulled away from a one-point game in the third quarter to post a 75-59 win over Woodbine in a Class 1A state tournament quarterfinal Monday at Wells Fargo Arena. This is the eighth-consecutive trip to the semifinals for the Lynx, who draw No. 5 Winfield-Mount Union in Wednesday’s big game.

The 2024 Iowa boys’ high school state basketball tournament smorgasbord: Brackets, predictions, top players and more for the coming week at Wells Fargo Arena.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s boys’ basketball team went through last season undefeated, only to be upset by Pleasant Valley in a Class 4A state tournament quarterfinal. This season’s Cougars also are undefeated, top-ranked and top-seeded, playing Dallas Center-Grimes in a Wednesday quarterfinal. Kennedy seems intent on not letting history repeat itself.

The 2024 Iowa boys’ state basketball tournament begins Monday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Class 1A kicks things off with four games, including No. 1 North Linn taking on Woodbine in a 10:30 a.m. quarterfinal. Then it’s a pair of 2A quarters, including Iowa City Regina and top-ranked Western Christian.

Davis Kern of Linn-Mar and Jacob Williams of Dubuque Senior have been named boys’ basketball players of the year in their respective divisions of the Mississippi Valley Conference.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s top-ranked Class 4A boys’ basketball team hasn’t faced many challenges this season, but Tuesday night’s substate final against North Scott at Alliant Energy PowerHouse was definitely one of them. Down two with a minute and a half left, the Cougars made a couple of plays and get a 57-55 victory.

There were multiple times Tuesday night where it felt like Iowa City West’s boys’ basketball team was on the verge of putting away Bettendorf in their Class 4A substate final at Alliant Energy PowerHouse. But the Trojans never did, and ended up losing in overtime, 55-52.

A long, quick, athletic boys’ basketball team from Davenport Assumption proved just too tough for Marion in a Monday night Class 3A substate final at Alliant Energy PowerHouse. The Knights beat the Wolves, 63-32, to qualify for next week’s state tournament.

These kids are just winners. Williamsburg won a state football championship this past fall, won a state track and field championship last spring. It beat Keokuk, 51-40, in a Class 3A substate final boys’ basketball game Monday night, giving it a chance now to win a title in that sport, too.

Iowa City West forward Jack McCaffery is arguably the top junior basketball player in the state. But the youngest son of University of Iowa Coach Fran McCaffery has his sights set on playing college ball elsewhere.