And now we’re down to the Final Four.
There wasn’t much drama in the Class 4A quarterfinals on Wednesday at Wells Fargo Arena, where the four games were decided by an average of 12.5 points. The last two games ended up with single-digit margins, but Valley and Bettendorf both held on to win after once leading by 15 and 19 points, respectively.
So what’s going to happen on Thursday? Let’s break down the two games.
Here are Ankeny Fanatic’s predictions for the semifinals:
No. 1 Cedar Rapids Kennedy (24-0) vs. No. 5 Ankeny (18-6): The Cougars have already had success against the CIML’s best teams. On Jan. 6, they posted a 65-54 win over Waukee, a team that defeated Ankeny twice en route to the CIML Conference title. Three weeks later, Kennedy rolled to a 60-43 victory over Valley, the defending Class 4A champion. On Wednesday, the Cougars pulled away after a sluggish first quarter to post a 66-45 win over Dallas Center-Grimes–another team that defeated Ankeny this season. Kennedy can beat its opponents in so many different ways. The Cougars made 9-of-24 3-pointers on Wednesday, outrebounded DCG by a 32-19 margin and held the Mustangs to 37.8 percent shooting. But while Kennedy clearly has the better team on paper, Ankeny will likely have the best player on the court in Carson Johnson. The leading scorer in Class 4A, Johnson poured in 26 points in the Hawks’ win over Dubuque Senior on Wednesday. He has scored 30 or more points six times this season, including a career-high 40 in a victory at Waukee Northwest on Dec. 12. If Johnson has one of those nights where he can’t be stopped, the Hawks are more than capable of advancing to Friday’s championship game. Look for Ankeny to take this one down to the wire. Prediction: Cedar Rapids Kennedy 68, Ankeny 64.
No. 2 W.D.M. Valley (19-5) vs. No. 6 Bettendorf (18-6): Perhaps the biggest question surrounding the Tigers heading into the tournament was the health of junior guard Zay Robinson, who suffered an injury late in the substate final and was seen last week in a walking boot. But Robinson returned to Valley’s starting lineup on Wednesday and played 28 minutes in the Tigers’ win over Johnston. He wasn’t great, scoring just three points on 1-of-6 shooting, but finished with a team-high eight rebounds and a pair of steals. Look for Robinson to get better as the tournament goes on, and that will make the Tigers a serious threat to defend their crown. Bettendorf pulled off the biggest upset of the opening round, dismantling Cedar Falls with a stingy defensive performance–holding the Tigers to 33.3 percent shooting. The Bulldogs got a double-double from Caden Wilkins, who racked up 20 points and 13 rebounds. But they will now face a Valley team with a low-post presence as well in Trevin Jirak, along with numerous athletic and rangy defenders. Look for the Tigers to end Bettendorf’s 11-game winning streak. Prediction: W.D.M. Valley 61, Bettendorf 53.