Taking a Quick Look at the Class 2A State Boys Basketball Tournament
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
The Matchups
No. 1 Carroll Kuemper (22-3) vs. No. 8 Union (22-3)
Top-ranked Carroll Kuemper returns to the state tournament for the first time since 2023 riding a 16-game winning streak.
The Knights opened the season 6-3 with losses to 3A top-10 ranked teams Clear Lake and Carroll and 4A state qualifier West Des Moines Dowling but have gone a perfect 16-0 since, a stretch that includes a win over 3A third-ranked Storm Lake.
Carroll Kuemper leads Class 2A with 76.8 points per game and has five players averaging in double figures led by senior Ryan Clair who averages 16.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Junior Griffin Glynn averages 15.1 points per game, junior Dylan Schon averages 13.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game and senior Jack Badding averages 10.2 points and a team-high 4.8 assists per game.
Union is making its 10th state tournament appearance of all time and second in a row after falling to West Lyon in the 2A quarterfinals last season.
Union has won five in a row, handing 2A qualifier Grundy Center its only loss of the season during that winning streak that also includes a 61-60 win over Pella Christian in the substate title game.
Senior Caden Sorensen leads Union with 16.1 points per game while senior Tate Van Dyke averages 12.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.
Cameron Mullen is averaging 12.7 points and senior Sawyer Spence is averaging 9 points and 4 rebounds per game.
No. 4 Treynor (22-3) vs. No. 5 Grundy Center (23-1)
One of these two teams is going to get a long-awaited semifinal appearance after falling in the quarterfinals each of the past two seasons.
Treynor returns to the state tournament for the third consecutive season after falling to Grand View Christian and Western Christian in the quarterfinals the past two seasons.
The Cardinals bring a 10-game winning streak into the state tournament after avenging a regular season loss to Underwood with a 54-34 win over the 10th ranked Eagles in the substate title game.
Treynor is led by senior Alec Lovely who averages 17.4 points and 4.7 assists per game.
Senior Ethan Hill averages 11.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists and 6-foot-6 senior Corbin Thien averages 9.3 points per game.
Grundy Center is also making a third consecutive appearance at the state tournament after falling to Unity Christian in the quarterfinals last season and Hudson in its 2024 opener.
The lone loss for Grundy Center this season was a 74-65 setback at 2A state qualifier Union on in the regular season finale on February 12.
Grundy Center rebounded from the loss winning three substate games by an average of 12 points.
Senior Judd Jirovsky leads a list of four Grundy Center players averaging in double figures with 15.7 points, 6.3 assists, 4 steals and 4 rebounds per game.
Brayden Davis averages 12.9 points, 6-foot-4 junior Ethan Meester averages 12.8 points per game and 6-foot-6 senior Ryder Slifer averages 11.4 points, 8.5 rebounds and .9 blocks per game.
No. 2 Unity Christian (22-2) vs. No. 7 Western Christian (18-6)
A pair of Western Iowa powers meet in a rematch of a regular season contest in the 2A quarterfinals.
Unity Christian won the regular season meeting with Western Christian 70-52 on January 15 at Western Christian.
The rematch with Western Christian will be the third postseason rematch in four postseason games for the Knights who Okoboji for a third time this season in its substate opener and notched its third win of the season over West Lyon 78-71 in the substate semifinals.
Unity Christian is making its 10th all-time appearance at state and third in a row after falling in the 2A quarterfinals each of the past two seasons.
The only in-state loss for Unity Christian this season came against 3A MOC-Floyd Valley 51-48 on January 30 and the Knights have won six in a row averaging 72.8 per game during that stretch.
Unity Christian ranks second in 2A in scoring averaging 72.3 points per game and has four players averaging in double figures led by senior Dylan Bosma with 18.3 points per game.
Junior Tyce Van Donge averages 14.2 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, junior Keagen Winterfeld averages 13 points per game and senior Austin Wieringa averages 12.3 points and 7 rebounds per game.
Two-time defending 2A champion Western Christian returns to the state tournament for the 26th time in program history and fourth straight season.
Don’t be fooled by the six losses for Western Christian, six have come to out-of-state opponents with a combined record of 52-12 and two have come to Class 3A teams Sioux City Heelan and Sergeant-Bluff Luton.
Western Christian lost three straight games to close the regular season but returned to state averaging 75.7 points per game in three substate wins.
Four players averaging at least 9.9 points per game for the Wolfpack led by senior Landon De Stigter and sophomore Tayden Moret who each average 19.3 points per game.
Junior Preston Louters averages 11 points and 4.6 rebounds per game while sophomore Toby Van Regenmorter averages 9.9 points per game.
No. 3 Regina (22-1) vs. No. 6 Aplington-Parkersburg (22-3)
Regina returns to the state tournament for the second time in three seasons and brings a 2A-tournament best 19-game winning streak to Des Moines.
The Regals lead Class 2A in both points allowed (39.6) and point differential (26.1) and have held opponents to 40 points or fewer 13 times in 23 games.
Regina has been efficient offensively, shooting a 2A-best 52 percent from the floor and has six players averaging more than six points per game.
Junior Tate Wallace leads Regina with 16.6 points per game while shooting 66 percent from the floor and junior Will Litton averages 12.9 points on 53 percent shooting.
6-foot-9 sophomore Ben Wade averages 10.5 points and a team-high 6.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots per game.
Junior Miles Nuzback averages 8.5 points per game, senior Jack O’Leary averages 7.3 points per game and senior Drew Greve averages 6.1 points and a team-high 4.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
The lone loss for Regina was a 63-42 loss to 3A qualifier Solon on December 13 and the Regals are seeking their first win at state since a 55-33 semifinal win over Pella Christian in 2015.
Regina faces an Aplington-Parkersburg squad making its first state tournament appearance since 2021.
The Falcons have rattled off 12 consecutive wins since a 74-69 loss to 2A qualifier Grundy Center on January 20.
Aplington-Parkersburg ranks fifth in 2A in scoring with 68.9 points per game and scored 75 points or more in three substate wins, averaging 76.3 points per game in the postseason.
Five players average at least 8.5 points per game for Aplington-Parkersburg led by senior Benny Waller with 21.1 points per game.
Sophomore Tyler Wedeking averages 15.6 points per game while junior Wes Shirk averages 9.3 points per game.
Freshman Charlie Wessels averages 9.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and sophomore Cole Brouwer averages 8.5 points and 5.3 rebounds.
The Players
Treynor: Alec Lovely, 6-0, Sr. – A first-team all-state selection last season Lovely has been exception as a senior leading the Cardinals with 17.4 points per game while shooting 43 percent from the floor and 75 percent from the free throw line. The senior guard also averages a team-leading 4.7 assists and 2 steals per game.
Grundy Center: Judd Jirovsky, 6-0, Sr. – A multi-sport standout headed to Stanford to play golf, Jirovsky leads Grundy Center in points (15.7), assists (6.3) and steals (4) to go with 4 rebounds per game and shoots 52 percent from the floor including 36 percent from 3-point range and 77 percent from the free throw line.
Unity Christian: Dylan Bosma, 6-1, Sr. – A returning first-team all-state selection, Bosma led the Knights in scoring at 18.3 points per game, assists with 3.9 per game and steals with 2.1 per game while shooting 48 percent from the field and 41 percent from 3-point range.
Carroll Kuemper: Ryan Clair, 6-4, Sr. – A first-team all-state pick last season Clair leads the Knights in scoring (16.7), rebounding (7.3) and blocks (1.3) per game while shooting 63 percent from the field while adding 2 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
Union: Caden Sorensen, 5-10, Sr. – Sorensen leads the Knights in scoring at 16.1 points per game while shooting 42 percent from 3-point range (55-of-130) to go with 3.8 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.
Regina: Tate Wallace, 6-3, Jr. – A four-star football prospect, Wallace has shined on the basketball court this season earning River Valley Conference South Division player of the year honors while averaging a team-high 16.6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 66 percent from the floor.
Aplington-Parkersburg: Benny Waller, 6-1, Sr. – A second-team all-state pick a year ago, Waller is averaging 21.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2 steals per game while shooting 48 percent from the floor and 77 percent from the free throw line.
Western Christian: Tayden Moret, 6-1, Soph. – After averaging 7 points per game last season as a freshman Moret as blossomed into one of the best in 2A with a breakthrough sophomore season in which he has led the Wolfpack in scoring (19.3), rebounding (6.9), assists (3.6), steals (2.1) and blocked shots (.7) per game.
The Storylines
The Favorite
Carroll Kuemper enters top-ranked and top-seeded in a Class 2A bracket that should be exciting and competitive from top to bottom.
The top-seeded Knights will have plenty of competition in a 2A field that includes two-time defending state champion Western Christian, second-ranked Unity Christian and one-loss Regina.
Carroll Kuemper leads 2A in scoring, ranks third in point differential, has won 16 in a row and is unbeaten against in-class competition.
The Underdog
Eighth-seeded Union gets the underdog tab in the 2A field but the Knights aren’t your typical underdog.
Union is making its second consecutive state tournament appearance after reaching the 2025 state tournament with a 77-66 upset of Carroll Kuemper in the substate title game.
The Knights are one of the most experienced teams in the 2A field with five senior starters and have state tournament experience which makes them a dangerous eight seed.
The Darkhorse
Unity Christian and Carroll Kuemper are the top two seeds and are rightful favorites to meet in the title game.
Don’t forget about Regina which has somewhat quietly put together an impressive season while returning to the state tournament for the second time in three seasons.
Regina brings a 19-game winning streak into state tournament play with its only loss of the season coming at Class 3A state qualifier Solon.
The Regals are big up front, balanced, have several players with state tournament experience and enter playing as well as any team in the 2A bracket.
The Focus
Will Northwest Iowa continue to rule Class 2A?
The last six seasons the 2A champion has come from the Northwest part of the state with Western Christian (2025, 2024 and 2021) winning three titles during that span while Central Lyon (2023), Rock Valley (2022) and Boyden-Hull (2020) all delivered titles to Northwest Iowa over the past six years.
This year’s 2A bracket again has a heavy Northwest presence with Western Christian, Unity Christian and Carroll Kuemper all in the title mix.
The last 2A champion from outside Northwest Iowa was North Linn in 2019.
The Numbers
Five Fast Facts
*- Five of the teams in the 2A field were at the state tournament last year (Unity Christian, Western Christian, Treynor, Grundy Center, Union) and four of those teams (Unity Christian, Western Christian, Treynor and Grundy Center) have been at the state tournament the last season seasons.
* – Western Christian has won 12 state titles, the most in state history and three more than any other team.
* – Carroll Kuemper is the top scoring team in 2A this season averaging 76.8 points per game and has scored 80 or more points 12 times in 25 games.
* – Regina leads 2A in field goal percentage, shooting 52 percent from the field as a team and has three starters (Ben Wade, Tate Wallace and Will Litton) that shoot better than 53 percent.
* – Grundy Center senior guard Judd Jirkovsky leads Class 2A in steals (4) and ranks third in assists (6.3).
The Schedule
Wednesday’s Quarterfinals
Carroll Kuemper (22-3) vs. Union (22-3), 10:30 a.m.
Treynor (22-3) vs. Grundy Center (23-1), 12:15 p.m.
Unity Christian (22-2) vs. Western Christian (18-6), 2 p.m.
Regina (22-1) vs. Aplington-Parkersburg (22-3), 3:45 p.m.
Thursday’s Semifinals
Carroll Kuemper/Union winner vs. Treynor/Grundy Center winner, 5:30 p.m.
Unity Christian/Western Christian winner vs. Regina/Aplington-Parkersburg winner, 7:15 p.m.
Friday’s Championship
Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.
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