Preseason All-Conference: Little Hawkeye
Player of the Year: 2019 Cole Henry, Oskaloosa
The always strong Little Hawkeye has no shortage of talent this year, with anyone on the first team being a viable candidate for the Player of the Year honor. That said, Henry, a recent Northern Iowa commit, is the biggest impact player in the league with his ability to score, rebound, defend and facilitate. He’ll rank among the state’s leaders in assists at 6-9, and with the improvement he’s made on his jumper over the summer, watch out.
First Team
2019 Cole Henry, Oskaloosa (15.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 59.2 FG%)
The talented lefty is one of the state’s best passers despite being 6-9. He’s done a lot of work on improving his jump shot over the summer with Martin Brothers, and if he’s added a 3-pointer to his arsenal, he’ll be one of the biggest matchup problems the state has seen in years.
2020 Bowen Born, Norwalk (18.4 points, 1.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.8 steals, 50.7 FG%, 42.0 3P%, 82.1 FT%)
An explosive scoring guard, Born will take over primary ball handling responsibilities following the graduation of Luke Vaske, and look for his assist numbers to skyrocket in addition to his scoring. One of the smartest players in the state, he’ll pace a Warriors team that will not only challenge Oskaloosa for conference supremacy, but will also be a 3A state title threat.
2020 Xavier Foster, Oskaloosa (12.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, 3.6 blocks, 58.2 FG%)
The uber talented junior forward picked up an offer from Kansas over the summer, and he could turn into the best two-way player in the state this season with his rim protection ability. A 6-11 athletic freak, he can stretch out to the arc and score and provide all sorts of high-flying highlights.
2019 Nick DeJong, Pella (13.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 65.9 FG%)
After averaging just shy of a double-double for the Dutch, DeJong leads a Pella team that should be much improved this winter. An athletic forward who thrives around the rim, his efficiency is top notch and he’ll be a nightly double-double threat.
2019 Evan Gauger, Indianola (19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 2.0 steals, 50.5 FG%)
The league’s leading returning scorer, the 6-2 guard has turned himself into a fringe Division I talent and is a stat sheet stuffer who is capable of dominating games on a nightly basis.
Second Team
2019 Quinn Vesey, Indianola
2019 Ryan Gustafson, Pella
2020 Jake Hull, Grinnell
2020 Logan Shetterly, Pella
2019 Tyler Endres, Norwalk
Honorable Mentions
2019 Jake Pringle, Pella Christian
2019 Jayden Huisman, Pella Christian
2020 Dan Jungling, Pella Christian
2020 Kyle Long, Newton
2020 Tyler Johnson, Norwalk
2019 Rian Yates, Oskaloosa
2020 Quintrail Coley, Newton
2021 Cole McGriff, Grinnell
2021 AJ Wilkins, Grinnell
2020 Jack Vermeer, Pella Christian