T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER - The Grundy Center boys’ basketball team poses with its state qualifier banner after defeating Northeast, 71-62, in the Class 2A Substate 4 final on March 1 at Levick Arena on the campus of Wartburg College in Waverly. The Spartans are headed to state for the second year in a row.

DES MOINES — Grundy Center boys basketball’s previous state experience will be put to the test right away in their second go-round starting Tuesday.

The Spartans take on Unity Christian in a Class 2A quarterfinal at 7:15 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena.

The Knights were 2A semifinalists last year and, like Grundy Center, were ousted by eventual runner-up Hudson.

The two schools also arguably have the most returning state experience from last year’s 2A field — Unity Christian returns four significant contributors from last year’s state run, in addition to senior Braeden Bosma who missed most of last season with a season-ending injury.

Bosma averages 11 points per game, trailing younger brother Dylan Bosma, a junior, at 16.3 points per game, and sophomore Tyce Van Donge scoring 12.3 per game.

“They’re really efficient offensively,” Grundy Center head coach Brent Thoren said. “They do a great job of cutting to the basket, getting it out in transition quickly and getting some easy scores off that, so we’ll have to identify their personnel where if we get caught in a switch off our primary guy, do we know what the guy we’re guarding is capable of.”

Thoren believes the nature of Grundy Center’s athletic success in recent years can put the Spartans over the top.

“We have a winning mindset here in Grundy,” GC senior Brayden Wallis added. “We’re used to being in stressful situations no matter what sport it is. … It’s going to take a whole group effort, everybody going down there and playing their best, but with our experience down there, we feel like we may have an upper hand.”

The Knights took a tough blow before the season even started, as junior Austin Wieringa went down with an injury during football season that took the Knights’ third-leading scorer (12.3 points per game) out of the equation for this winter. But with four scoring in double figures — Jackson Vogel adds 10 points per game — Unity Christian cruised to a state return with a 67-43 thumping of Spirit Lake in the substate final. The Knights are 20-4 overall, their only losses coming to 2A state qualifiers West Lyon, Western Christian and 3A qualifier MOC-Floyd Valley.

“Unity’s a good team, and we’re going to have to bring our ‘A’ game,” said Spartan senior Ryker Thoren. “We’re looking forward to it though and we think we can make a deeper run this year.”

Six of the Spartans’ main seven-player rotation were on the floor in Des Moines last year. Four of them — Jalen Kirkpatrick, Tiernan Vokes, Judd Jirovsky and Wallis — are averaging double-digit scoring.

Kirkpatrick, who missed a chunk of the season due to injury, averages 16.5 points, eight rebounds and 2.6 assists per game for the Spartans in 13 games played.

While Grundy Center was able to rely on the next man up while Kirkpatrick healed up this winter, there’s no doubt having the 2024 all-state third teamer back on the floor has the Spartans feeling complete.

“I think his height and being able to cut to the basket helps us out a lot,” GC senior Brody Zinkula said. “I think he helps our team chemistry, and if we can run seven guys in our rotation it helps if someone needs a blow.”

And with Kirkpatrick in the all-senior starting lineup, it allows for junior Judd Jirovsky to jump in the game as a productive sixth man off the bench, something the Spartans used to great effectiveness in the 71-62 substate final win over Northeast, as Jirovsky scored 14 points with five rebounds and five assists.

“I’ve got five phenomenal seniors in front of me, and I’m more than willing to play my role,” Jirovsky said. “I come in and provide a different feel to the game, something that we can take advantage of to get off to a better start.”

Jirovsky was the Times-Republican Co-Football Player of the Year for the state-championship winning Spartan football team.

“For pretty much every team we face, he would be a starter,” Brent Thoren said. “But he just brings an extra element off the bench, a total spark plug. Very offensive-minded but can grind on people defensively as well.”

Tiernan Vokes led the Spartans with 20 points in the substate final victory. The UNI football commit also brings his hard-nosed football mentality to the hardwood, leading the team in total rebounds with an average of 5.4 per game.

“There’s gonna be ups and downs throughout the whole season, but we’ve stayed together the whole time and really come through at the end,” Vokes said. “We love each other, we love playing for each other, and we love when other people succeed, so when we get to watch others do that, it makes it really special.”

Each game day is a chance for a different Spartan to step up. In four of the last five games, at least three Spartans have scored 10 or more points.

“If someone’s having an off night, other guys can step up,” Kirkpatrick said. “We’ve worked really hard these last couple weeks to get to this point, and we’ve just got to keep grinding.”

Brent Thoren sees the approach to Tuesday’s game as a major difference from last year, where Grundy Center took on Hudson in the first game of the morning, versus Tuesday’s game with a more familiar 7:15 p.m. tipoff.

“I think it’s a gameday preparation routine that we’re more used to,” Thoren added. “We can get down there and work our way into the atmosphere versus getting up in the morning, getting on the bus and getting ready to play.

“I’m really proud of how both the juniors and seniors have approached practice, it’s not just the seniors because Judd and Brayden Davie have done a tremendous job for us as well. And Dayton Myers and Preston Martens, they don’t get a lot of playing time but they help us prepare and bring a lightheartedness to practice. I’m just proud of how we’ve continued to take it one game at a time and have an approach this week that’s been very professional and workman-like.”

Boys State Basketball Tournament

At Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines

Quarterfinal Pairings

CLASS 4A

Monday, March 10

No. 4 Waukee Northwest (21-3) vs. No. 5 Cedar Rapids Kennedy (20-4), 10:30 a.m.

No. 1 Cedar Falls (21-2) vs. No. 8 Dubuque Senior (17-6), 12:15 p.m.

No. 2 Linn-Mar (21-2) vs. No. 7 Waukee (18-6), 2 p.m.

No. 3 West Des Moines Valley (20-3) vs. No. 6 Ames (21-2), 3:45 p.m.

CLASS 3A

Monday, March 10

No. 1 Clear Lake (24-0) vs. No. 8 Central DeWitt (13-11), 5:30 p.m.

No. 4 Storm Lake (22-1) vs. No. 5 ADM, Adel (21-4), 7:15 p.m.

Tuesday, March 11

No. 2 Knoxville (24-0) vs. No. 7 Cedar Rapids Xavier (15-9), 10:30 a.m.

No. 3 Ballard (21-2) vs. No. 6 MOC-Floyd Valley (20-4), 12:15 p.m.

CLASS 2A

Tuesday, March 11

No. 1 Western Christian (22-3) vs. No. 8 Jesup (16-9), 2 p.m.

No. 4 Grand View Christian (23-1) vs. No. 5 Treynor (22-3), 3:45 p.m.

No. 2 West Lyon (21-3) vs. No. 7 Union Community (17-9), 5:30 p.m.

No. 3 Unity Christian (20-4) vs. No. 6 Grundy Center (22-2), 7:15 p.m.

CLASS 1A

Wednesday, March 12

No. 4 Gladbrook-Reinbeck (22-3) vs. No. 5 North Linn (23-2), 10:30 a.m.

No. 1 Bellevue Marquette (25-1) vs. No. 8 Remsen-St. Mary’s (21-4), 12:15 p.m.

No. 2 Madrid (25-0) vs. No. 7 Boyden-Hull (18-8), 2 p.m.

No. 3 Fort Dodge St. Edmond (22-3) vs. No. 6 Woodbine (23-2), 3:45 p.m.