BOYS STATE BASKETBALL PREVIEW
The Glenwood boys basketball team continues its underdog status in its opening round game at the state tournament against top seeded Williamsburg. The Raiders enter having won 20 straight games, including its last three post-season games by an average of 11 points per game. Glenwood, the No. 8 seed, won its three post-season games by a combined eight points to get to 12-12 on the season and make the school’s first state tournament since Harry Truman was President.
Williamsburg is led by guard Adam Klein, who averaged 15.9 points per game. The 6-foot-1 senior, who transferred from Iowa City West this season, shoots 43.8 percent on three pointers and is second on the team with 39 made three’s to Josh Koeppel’s 49.
Koeppel,a 6-foot-2 forward, is averaging 14.1 points per game. Zach Schlabaugh, a 5-foot-9 guard, chips in 11.5 points per game. Jackson Subbert is the tallest post-player in the rotation and leads with 5.3 rebounds per game.
“They’re very athletic and they have three real solid guards,” Schulte said of the 23-1 Raiders. “They go with five seniors, a lot like us, and their guards lead them. They’re quick, athletic and they can shoot.”
Glenwood senior Wyatt Schulz, so good this post-season defending Atlantic, Harlan and Denison’s top perimeter scorers, draws the task of covering the 6-foot-1 Klein. A task Schulte knows the senior is up for.
“He’s probably their quickest, most athletic kid,” Schulte said of Klein. “Schulz has done a great job for us. He’s done such a good job stepping up guarding some really tough scorers. “
Glenwood’s starting line up will be Dylan Stouder, Jacob Lewis, Ridge Fisher, Ryan Phillips and Schulz.
If there is one advantage on paper for the Rams it would appear to be their size. Glenwood goes 6-foot-8, 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-2 along the front line. The Raiders two tallest post-players are 6-foot-3 and 6-foot-4.
“I do feel like we match up pretty well down low,” Schulte said. “We may even have an advantage there. With the way Dylan and Jake have been playing, we’re going to attack down low early and often. We’re going to try and establish that inside game right away because that’s an advantage for us.”
The Rams are led in scoring by Lewis at 13 points per game. The senior also grabs 8.5 rebounds per game.
Glenwood has used balanced scoring all season and in its historic post-season run. Six different Rams average more than six points per game and have led in scoring in at least one game this season.
Stouder chips in 9.1 points and 6.3 rebounds from his forward spot.
Fisher, a 6-foot guard, scored 7.1 points per game and is second on the team with 33 made three’s.
Andrew Blum and Nate Mohr, both freshman, add 8.3 and 6.9 points each, respectively. Mohr leads the Rams with 40 three pointers.
Defensive stopper Schulz chips in 6.4 points per game.
Schulte’s thinks the game may hinge on just who is the better defensive team on the big stage.
‘We’re defending pretty well right now,” he said. “We’ll take a low scoring game. We’ll try and push and get high percentage shots just because with a big arena like that you want those high percentage shots rather than live and die from three.”