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Here are 5 things we learned from Week 10 of the Iowa high school boys basketball season

alyssa hertel, des moines register
·3 min read

There is just one week remaining in the Iowa high school boys basketball regular season.

As things stand right now, five undefeated teams remain across the state: Cedar Rapids Kennedy (19-0) in Class 4A, Clear Lake (19-0) in 3A, Underwood (21-0) and West Burlington (19-0) in 2A, and Keota (21-0) in 1A.

Let’s see if those teams can hang on for one more week and finish the season with a perfect record.

Urbandale's Brevin Phillips, front center, and Dowling's Joe Broderick reach for the ball for the tip-off on Friday. The J-Hawks won the game, but both teams have played far better than their records indicate recently.
Urbandale's Brevin Phillips, front center, and Dowling's Joe Broderick reach for the ball for the tip-off on Friday. The J-Hawks won the game, but both teams have played far better than their records indicate recently.

For now, here are five things we learned from the latest slate of boys basketball games.

Stats and records are based on what was inputted to GoBound as of 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10.

1. Urbandale feels like a much better team than its record reflects

It’s a tough year to play in the Central Iowa Metropolitan League. The J-Hawks sit at 7-13 on the season but have been competitive against some of the top teams in the state. The J-Hawks played a couple of close games against teams like Waukee and Dowling, and they’re led by a strong senior core. Urbandale has one more regular season game on its schedule, so time will tell if one more win will be enough for a spot in substate play.

More: Grant Uecker, Calvin Flood lead Urbandale boys basketball past Dowling

2. And the same could be said about Dowling

The Maroons are in a similar situation to Urbandale, with an 8-11 record and two games left to play: against Des Moines Lincoln and Norwalk. When Dowling puts all the pieces together – which includes several experienced seniors – it’s a tough team to beat. But teams like Valley have gotten the best of the Maroons, and Dowling will need to step up for a chance in the postseason.

3. Just like in football, Williamsburg finds a way past Solon

En route to winning the Class 3A state football championship, Williamsburg first needed to beat Solon, which the Raiders did, 45-14. Well, Williamsburg (12-7) handed Solon (18-1) another blow, this time on the basketball court, when the Spartans' undefeated season ended at the hands of the Raiders.

Derek Weisskopf scored 34 points – 22 in the first half – in the 55-53 win.

4. Cedar Rapids Kennedy thrives when the Cougars expose opponent weaknesses

The Cougars ran through Iowa City this week, beating West, 71-57, on Tuesday and City High, 90-38, on Friday. Tuesday’s victory was the most impressive since it featured top-ranked Kennedy going up against the No. 2 Trojans. West lacked ball security in that game, and it proved to be the difference maker.

More: Iowa City West boys basketball falls to top-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy

5. Who is the best freshmen player in Iowa this season?

Let’s preface this first by saying this is based on the teams that the Register staff has seen play in person. Based on that, this one goes to Des Moines Roosevelt’s Charlie King. He’s helped the Roughriders out to a 17-4 record, averaging 11.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.8 steals per game.

On a team of only juniors and seniors, King really stands out from the crowd.

Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa high school boys basketball: 5 things we learned from Week 10