Conference Preview: Iowa Star South
The Teams
Baxter (New program): The Collins-Maxwell/Baxter program has disbanded, as they are now two separate schools. They went 5-17 last season, but that was in a 2A/3A league, and most of the returning talent will be playing at Baxter, giving the Bolts a chance to start their first basketball season strong. 6-4 forward Will Clapper (15.6) is a great athlete who does all of his damage at the rim and will be a tough matchup in the Iowa Star. The backcourt will be held down by Cole Damman (8.0) and Travis Lindemoen (7.4), a pair of athletic guards who can cause some issues on the defensive end after combining for 87 steals last year. That trio is going to be among the best in the league, and we expect to see this team finishing near the top of the division.
Collins-Maxwell (New program): We’re not sure what to expect from the Spartans, as a majority of the returning players from last year’s CMB program are playing at Baxter.
Colo-NESCO (16-8): Annually one of the best defensive teams in 1A, last year was no exception for the Royals, who allowed just 46.5 points a game. While they lose a big piece of that success in Garret Tiarks, who was the team’s second leading scorer and led in steals, they return the league’s best player in Matthew Hill (18.2), a 6-4 forward who does all of his damage inside the arc and was a top-notch rim protector last year, averaging two blocks a night. His presence in the paint on both ends is enough to make the Royals the favorite in the division. Then you throw in players like Phillip Bower (9.5), who dished out more than five assists a game, and Jacob Clatt (7.8, 65.6 FG%), who paired with Hill as a highly efficient post player who blocked 22 shots, and you’ve got the makings of a top-notch team. Sean Cutler (6.3) is the team’s best shooter, and he’ll be asked to knock down enough looks to give the others some room to operate. A team with plenty of versatility, a commitment to defense, and the best player in the league sure seems like the recipe for the division champion.
GMG, Garwin (9-13): The Wolverines lose their top two, and four of their top six, scorers from last year’s group. They’ll be led by Brayden Peterson (8.5) and Aaron Fleming (8.3), a pair of guards capable of knocking down shots, but they’ll need to improve their efficiency. The potential standout of the group is Hunter Smoldt (3.5), who led the team in rebounding and blocked 27 shots a year ago. If they can get more offensive production out of him, in addition to the work he does defensively, they should stay right in the middle of the pack again this year.
Meskwaki Settlement (8-14): The top seven scorers are back for the Warriors, headlined by the Bear brothers, Tate (20.6) and Jarius (19.6). That tandem combined to account for 73% of the team’s scoring a year ago, and that will likely be the case again this year. Where this group really needs to improve is on the defensive end, as they ranked 105th (out of 148) in 1A last year, allowing 59.7 points a game. If they can get that average down into the low 50s, the record should be reversed, and they could possibly contend with Colo-NESCO for the division crown. But they will need to buy in on that end of the floor to get that accomplished.
North Tama (9-13): The Red Hawks have to replace a lot of production, as their top three scorers and top four rebounders from last year are gone. They’ve got a solid point guard in place in Hale Hulme (6.3, 97 assists), a 5-11 junior who was among the leaders in assists in the league last year. He’ll be joined by Nicholas Sierra (6.2), Lance Zobel (3.0), Noah Bond (3.2) and Cory Kennedy (2.3) as returnees with some experience. While there is a lot to replace in Traer, they’ll have one of the better floor generals in the division, and that’s a good place to start a rebuild.
Projected Order of Finish
1. Colo-NESCO
2. Meskwaki Settlement
3. Baxter
4. GMG, Garwin
5. North Tama
6. Collins-Maxwell
Analysis: The Royals have far and away the best all-around player in the league in Matthew Hill, and their commitment to the defensive end will result in them winning this division fairly handily. Baxter could become a dangerous team by postseason play, and Meskwaki Settlement has a pair of big-time scorers who could be dangerous if they play defense.
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
2018 Matthew Hill, Colo-NESCO: 18.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.5 blocks, 57.2 FG%
A highly effective combo forward who does almost all of his damage around the rim, Hill shot an incredibly efficient 57.2% from the floor en route to his 18 point average last year. Blocking 2.5 shots a game as well shows that he’s a dominant two-way player capable of taking over games on either end.
BIGGEST SLEEPER
2018 Hunter Smoldt, GMG, Garwin: The senior forward blocked 27 shots a year ago, proving to be a valuable rim protector for the Wolverines. If he’s able to put forth any sort of offensive production, he could be in line for a very nice senior season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
2018 Matthew Hill, Colo-NESCO
2018 Phillip Bower, Colo-NESCO
2018 Jacob Clatt, Colo-NESCO
2018 Sean Cutler, Colo-NESCO
2019 Tate Bear, Meskwaki Settlement
2018 Jarius Bear, Meskwaki Settlement
2020 Emmett Roberts, Meskwaki Settlement
2019 Will Clapper, Baxter
2020 Cole Damman, Baxter
2018 Travis Lindemoen, Baxter
2019 Brayden Peterson, GMG, Garwin
2019 Aaron Fleming, GMG, Garwin
2019 Hale Hulme, North Tama
2018 Nicholas Sierra, North Tama