The Heartland Events Center in Grand Island will play host to the annual Heartland Hoops Classic, an all-day high school boys basketball event returning for its 18th year, on Saturday.
This year’s eight-game slate will feature all in-state teams and includes potential state championship or semifinal previews as well as intriguing cross-class matchups. Here’s a look at all seven games and players to watch in each.
Note: all rankings refer to the NebPreps Computer Ratings.
Game 1: D2 No. 7 Wallace vs. D2 No. 9 Grand Island Lutheran, 8:30 a.m.
Colt Franklin, a 6-foot-3 junior, leads the 16-5 Wallace Wildcats with 15.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. He’s recorded five double-doubles this season while shooting 57% from the field. Fellow junior Max Hanson, a 5-foot-9 guard, keys the backcourt attack with 14.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Grand Island Lutheran also features a pair of double-digit scorers — both underclassmen. Maxwell Murdoch, a 6-foot-4 freshman, leads the way with 16.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game. Luke Olson, a 6-foot-6 sophomore, also stuffs the stat sheet at 13.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
Game 2: D2 No. 1 St. Mary’s vs. D1 No. 2 Howells-Dodge, 10:10 a.m.
The reigning D2 champion Cardinals (20-1) have rolled through the 2025-26 season, with their lone loss coming to a team two classes above in C2 No. 6 Norfolk Catholic. St. Mary’s is riding a 12-game winning streak and is sporting a 34.5 average margin of victory.
Junior Ben Barlow has had a breakout season, averaging 19.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.6 steals while shooting 56% from the field, 41% from 3 and 80% from the free-throw line. Last year’s leading scorer, senior Gage Hedstrom, has missed eight games with injury this season but is still second on the team in scoring at 14.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Junior Logan Brabec is averaging a team-high 5.1 assists to go with 12.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game. Dundy County Stratton transfer Lane Bybee has added more firepower this season, contributing 11.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
Howells-Dodge (18-3) will look to rebound from a big loss to C2 No. 15 North Bend Central. Junior Chase Luther leads the way at 14.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 44% from 3. Senior Nathan Tomcak stuffs the stat sheet with 12.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Andre Martin, a 6-foot-4 senior forward, is averaging 12.9 points per game on 53% shooting and 6.2 rebounds per game.
Game 3: C2 No. 3 Bergan Catholic vs. C1 No. 5 Doniphan-Trumbull, 11:50 a.m.
Bergan Catholic suffered its first loss of the season at Omaha Concordia last week and will now take on another top Class C1 team in Grand Island. The reigning C2 champions feature one of the best big men in the state in senior Gavin Baker, averaging 20.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.3 stocks and 1.9 assists while shooting 63% from the field and 77% from the foul line. He has a pair of junior double-digit scorers in the backcourt with him in Trey Mooney (13.1 points and 4.7 assists per game, 39% from 3) and Cale Sheets (11.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, 36% from 3).
The Cardinals (17-3) feature one of the best duos in Class C1 in seniors Jack Poppe and Parker Volk. Poppe, a three-sport star and one of the most productive all-around athletes in school history, is averaging 18.0 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 2.7 steals while shooting 55% from the field, 36% from 3 and 85% from the free-throw line. Volk, a 6-foot-5 forward, is at 18.5 points and 6.6 rebounds per game while shooting 63% from the field and a blistering 53% from deep.
Both teams have Friday night games before heading to Grand Island.
Game 4: C1 No. 20 Adams Central vs. C2 No. 1 Alma, 1:30 p.m.
Adams Central lost its best player in 6-foot-9 junior Hunter Nepple (22.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game) to a season-ending knee injury six games into the season, but the Patriots have gone 10-4 since (14-6 overall). With Nepple sidelined, junior Kowen Rader — a Nebraska baseball commit — has elevated his game. He’s averaging 12.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals and has scored 57 points in Adams Central’s last two games.
Alma’s lone loss this season is to C1 No. 4 Cozad. The 20-1 Cardinals feature a pair of dynamic seniors in Tucker Biskup and Zavier Mitchell. Biskup, a 6-foot-3 guard, is averaging 16.2 points on 54% from the field (38% from 3), 3.5 assists and 3.3 steals. He’s the school’s career points and assists record-holder. Mitchell, a 6-foot-5 wing, is putting up 16.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 57% from the field. He’s the program’s career rebounds leader.
Game 5: B No. 4 Elkhorn North vs. C1 No. 10 Grand Island Central Catholic, 3:10 p.m.
Event organizer Tino Martinez and his Crusaders will take on one of the top teams in Class B in Elkhorn North. Senior Sutton Piatkowski leads three double-digit scorers for the 14-4 Wolves. The 6-foot-6 forward is averaging 18.2 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting 57% from the field, 40% from 3 and 74% from the foul line. Junior guard Kellen Murphy isn’t far behind at 15.3 points per game on 39% from 3 while junior wing Carter Peterson is the team’s breakout player, averaging 13.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals.
The 18-4 Crusaders feature three double-digit scorers led by junior point guard Braylon Wolfe at 12.2 points per game. Senior Connor Haney, a 6-foot-3 forward, leads the team in rebounds (6.1 per game) and assists (3.3 per game) and is second in scoring at 11.6 per game. Thomas Birch, another 6-foot-3 forward, rounds out the trio at 10.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
Game 6: C1 No. 1 Ogallala vs. C1 No. 2 Ashland-Greenwood, 4:50 p.m.
The highlight of the day is the game of the year in Class C1, featuring the last two unbeaten boys teams in the state. Fans didn’t get to see the teams meet in the state tournament last year largely because of an unfortunate injury the day before state to Ogallala’s star, but they’re both healthy heading into Saturday.
All five starters average double figures for the high-scoring Indians (18-0), but everything goes through senior Sawyer Smith. The 6-foot-3 guard is averaging 21.1 points, 9.8 rebounds, 7.9 assists and 3.1 steals while shooting 63% from the field, 35% from 3 and 75% from the foul line. He averaged a triple-double across three games last week and has three games of 30-plus points this season.
Tanner DeCastro, a 6-foot-8 junior forward, has taken a big leap this season and is averaging 15.8 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.1 blocks. Senior guard Rylan Gilmore (11.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game), senior guard Edan Cain (11.1 points. 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.2 steals per game) and junior guard Lincoln Gillen (10.2 points per game, 39% from 3 on 6.8 attempts per game) round out the starting five for first-year head coach Carter Brown, a 2020 Ogallala graduate. The Indians push the pace at every opportunity and share the ball incredibly well.
Ashland-Greenwood (20-0) is the reigning champion in C1 and has numerous wins over Class B schools, including one over No. 2 Skutt Catholic and two over No. 5 Wahoo. Derek Tonjes, a 6-foot-5 senior forward, leads the Bluejays with 17.2 points on 62% shooting, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. Senior wing Cooper Westerhold adds 13.4 points per game on 69% shooting while senior guard Cal Kissinger is at 12.4 points per game on 49% from the field, 37% from 3 and 76% from the charity stripe.
Ogallala averages 77.2 points while Ashland-Greenwood allows just 35.1 per game, setting up a contrast in styles between two great teams.
Game 7: A No. 3 Omaha Westside vs. A No. 5 Lincoln North Star, 6:30 p.m.
The lone Class A game in the event features a guard-driven squad against the biggest team in the state.
Junior point guard Jordan Castor is one of the most dynamic players in Class A, averaging 16.7 points, 6.9 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 steals for the 17-4 Navigators. Senior guard Easton Switzer is the team’s top perimeter shooter, averaging 12.5 points while shooting 39% from deep on 5.5 attempts per game. Junior J’Shawn Afuh is one of the best sixth men in the state, averaging 11.6 points on 45% from the field, 41% from 3 and 80% from the line off the bench. Goay Gatwech, a 6-foot-5 junior wing, rounds out the double-digit scorers with 10.7 points and 2.7 stocks per game.
Westside’s starting lineup goes 6-foot-5, 6-foot-7, 6-foot-8 and 6-foot-10 in the two through five spots, giving the Warriors (17-4) the look of a college team. Senior Emre Gedik, an Augustana commit, leads the way at 17.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting 53% from the field and 38% from 3. Junior wing London Dada, a high-major recruit with offers from Creighton and Nebraska among others, is averaging 15.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 37% from 3 on nearly five attempts per game. Senior Donnie Barfield Jr. is chipping in 12.3 points per game while 6-foot-10 senior Will Preston, a Hampton signee, is grabbing 8.3 rebounds per game (including 3.9 on the offensive end) while scoring 7.1 per game on 63% shooting.
Game 8: B No. 1 Norris vs. B No. 3 Scottsbluff, 8:10 p.m.
The nightcap is another top-five showdown, capping a gauntlet of a week for the Norris Titans (18-2). The No. 1 team in class B took on No. 2 Skutt Catholic on Tuesday and No. 4 Elkhorn North on Friday before facing the third-ranked Bearcats on Saturday night.
Norris has four players averaging double figures including senior forward Chris Garner Jr. at 15.7 per game on 66% from the field and 44% from 3. Junior guard Shane Holen missed the first four games while recovering from a football injury but is in the midst of a breakout season, averaging 13.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.4 steals while shooting 67% from the field (47% from 3). Fellow junior guard Evan Greenfield isn’t far behind at 11.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.8 steals per game on 52% shooting (36% from 3) and 77% from the stripe. Holen and Greenfield also provide a lot of defensive versatility for the Titans. Senior guard Macoy Folkerts is chipping in 10.3 points and 1.9 steals per game.
Senior point guard Nate Kelley leads the way for last year’s Class B runner-up. The UNK commit is averaging 16.2 points, 6.2 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals for the 17-3 Bearcats. Fellow senior guard Rylee Meininger has been on a tear of late and is averaging a team-best 18.5 points per game on 64% from the field and 48% from deep. Senior Keon Delgado, a 6-foot-4 forward, provides an interior presence at 10.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, shooting 66% from the field.
