Preseason All-Conference: Heart of Iowa
Player of the Year: 2019 Conner Hill, South Hamilton
You could make strong arguments for any of the five players on the first team for the POY honor, but we’ll side with the Morningside commit who leads the Hawks, our No. 3 team in our preseason top 10 rankings in Class 2A. Hill is one of the best two-way players in the state, a versatile defender and scoring threat looking to lead South Hamilton back to the top of the league, and hopefully to a state title.
First Team
2019 Conner Hill, South Hamilton (13.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.6 steals)
The 6-0 guard will step into the departed Marco Balderas’ role as the Hawks leader, taking control of one of 2A’s best teams. A deadly shooter who is also a lockdown defender, Hill will stuff the stat sheet on a nightly basis for South Hamilton, the league’s best team.
2019 Trey Hinote, Greene County (16.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.9 steals, 71 3PM)
Far and away the league’s most deadly shooter, Hinote drained 71 3s last season. Coming off a strong summer with Kingdom Hoops, look for the senior guard to have some explosive scoring nights this winter.
2019 Will Turner, Gilbert (17.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 steals)
The league’s leading returning scorer, Turner is a versatile scoring threat who can score from all three levels and is the go-to player for a Tigers team that should be much improved this year.
2019 Caleb Lomica, North Polk (14.4 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.3 blocks, 62.4 FG%)
A 6-4 rim protecting forward, Lomica blocked 56 shots last season. A highly athletic, efficient forward, he’ll be playing college football somewhere next year, but his two-way abilities will make the Comets a nightly threat in the HOI.
2019 Andrew Van Ryswyk, PCM Monroe (12.4 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 56.6 FG%)
A 6-3 combo forward who can score from anywhere on the floor, Van Ryswyk leads a Mustangs team that will probably be the primary threat to South Hamilton in the league race. He led the team in scoring and rebounding last season, and looks like a safe bet to average a double-double this season.
Second Team
2019 Colten Parkins, North Polk
2019 Cole Berg, South Hamilton
2019 Kade Faga, Roland-Story
2019 Logan Peters, South Hamilton
2019 Reed Worth, PCM Monroe
Honorable Mentions
2019 Matt Barragy, Gilbert
2019 Lance Hughes, Greene County
2020 Matt Ockey, Gilbert
2019 Carter Greenfield, Roland-Story
2020 Cade Balvanz, South Hamilton
2019 Zach Bobenhouse, Saydel
2019 Braden Hoksbergen, North Polk