Ballard boys basketball vs. Davenport Assumption preview, prediction for Iowa state tournament
The Ballard boys basketball team had an epiphany on Feb. 12.
The Bombers were on the road at Clarke playing in their second-to-last game of the regular season. They were in a bit of a rough patch, having lost their previous three games.
Things were looking bleak at halftime. Ballard was down 33-14 and, with Dallas Center-Grimes looming in its final game of the regular season, the Bombers were looking at a potential five-game skid heading into postseason play.
But then suddenly something clicked. The Bombers put up 32 points in the third quarter to nearly erase Clarke's big lead.
Eight minutes later, Ballard found itself on the good end of a 62-58 comeback victory.
It was then that Ballard coach Jeff Schertz knew his team could return to the state tournament after a two-year absence.
"That was a moment when the guys, if they had not believed it in the past, realized that we were capable of anything," Schertz said. "Good or bad. Capable of anything."
Ballard went on to crush Webster City (67-46) and Humboldt (81-37) in the substate quarterfinals and semifinals to set a date with No. 4 Clear Lake in the substate championship game Monday at Clarion. Clear Lake had only lost one game up to that point, but that did not bother Ballard one bit.
The Bombers overcame an early 17-9 deficit with ease to blow past Clear Lake, 62-51, and into the state tournament for the third time in Schertz's five seasons at the head of the program.
"We are not scared of the moment," Schertz said. "Part of that is we have had games unfold in about every way possible for such a short season. We focused on offensive decision-making all season. That has paid off this postseason. We worked through some things defensively and have really done a good job as of late guarding and rebounding."
More: Ballard boys take 3A substate final over No. 4 Clear Lake, will play in state tournament
Ballard will take a 16-8 record into the state tournament. The Bombers tied with Winterset for second in the Raccoon River Conference behind Adel-Desoto-Minburn with a 10-6 conference record.
Lightning-quick point guard Jude Gibson is the leader of the Bombers. The talented sophomore averages 17.3 points, 5.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game.
Junior guard Jackson Brown has stepped up to lead the team in 3-pointers with 55, and he is averaging 14.2 points and 4.2 rebounds. Senior center Nolan Cogdill is a 6-foot-7 force in the middle who averages 9.8 points and 5.9 rebounds.
Juniors Mason Gatchel and Miles Mudd are consummate role players who are tough defenders who do a lot of dirty work and little things that make the Bombers go.
More: How Mason Gatchel and Miles Mudd make the Ballard boys a more complete basketball team
Gatchel averages 6.2 points and 3.7 rebounds. Mudd has recovered from a preseason injury to average 4.8 points and 3.7 boards.
Senior guard Owen Greco and freshman guard/forward Parker Miller provided quality depth.
Greco averages 5.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. Miller averages 4.9 points each contest.
"Our belief in each other is right up there at the top," Schertz said. "We are a team whose whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That does not mean everyone touches it on every possession or we all have an even box score at the end of the night. It means that even if one player is not playing his best we have others that can get it done."
Davenport Assumption features elite talent
Ballard enters the state tournament as the 5-seed in 3A. The Bombers face Davenport Assumption, the 4-seed which carries a 16-8 record into the tournament, on Tuesday in the state quarterfinals. Tipoff is scheduled for 3:45 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
More: See the top 20 Iowa high school basketball recruits in the 2024 boys state tournament
"Assumption is really good," Schertz said. "They play in a 4A league and their length and athleticism is something to contend with. We have had battles with them in the past. At that time they had a high-major player on their roster as well. We are excited about the challenge and are working towards a game plan that will give us the best chance to get a W."
Assumption is led by the talented backcourt tandem of 6-foot Damyen Jackson and 6-4 Navon Shabazz.
Jackson is averaging 15.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals in his junior season. Shabazz averages 14.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists as a sophomore.
Shabazz is listed as the top 2026 prospect in Iowa, according to 247Sports.
"As far as Shabazz goes, we need to keep him out of space," Schertz said. "There is a point in his attack that we are at a disadvantage. If we can keep him at neutral and make any points he scores tough, we will have a good chance at slowing him down."
Junior 6-3 guard Kayvion Hodges averages 9.6 points and 7.0 rebounds. Braylon Thomsen, a 6-5 junior forward, averages 9.0 points and 3.3 rebounds, 6-6 junior forward Joey Funderburk averages 7.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists and junior Isiah Rose averages 4.8 points and 3.5 rebounds for the Knights.
Ballard vs. Davenport Assumption prediction:
Ballard will face a tall task trying to get past Assumption, literally and figuratively.
The Knights' size and athleticism will cause all kinds of problems. If Assumption gets hot from outside, it could be a long night for Ballard.
But Assumption only has 126 3-pointers on the season, 39 fewer than Ballard. So, if Ballard can hold its own on the boards and limit turnovers, the game should be very competitive.
Ballard will give Assumption a run for its money for all four quarters. But in the end, Shabazz and Jackson will be just a tad too much for Gibson and crew. Davenport Assumption 65, Ballard 60
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Ballard boys ready to face tough Assumption team at state tournament
