Conference Preview: River Valley North
The Teams Anamosa (9-8, 9-6): The Blue Raiders had some good moments in their first year in the River Valley, which is probably a much better fit for them in the long run than the WaMaC was. That said, this…
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Anamosa (9-8, 9-6): The Blue Raiders had some good moments in their first year in the River Valley, which is probably a much better fit for them in the long run than the WaMaC was. That said, this may be a tricky year for them, so Sam Wilt (10.8) is the only returnee who scored more than eight points last season. Wilt, a 6-4 sophomore forward, led the team in rebounding, blocked 47 shots, had 33 steals and dished out 57 assists (against just 25 turnovers), so he’s a great piece to start building this program around. They’ll have a lot of holes to plug, but this is a program that should be trending upward behind Wilt.
Bellevue (3-19, 2-18): The Comets won just three games last year, against teams that combined to win 12 games, so they have a big hill to climb in this division. They’re led by Paxton Felderman (9.2), who led the team in assists last season. Colby Sieverding (6.5) made 22 of 49 attempts from the arc last year (44.9%), and he should slot in nicely alongside Felderman, giving them a solid duo of guards. Andrew Swartz (3.3) is another guard who can shoot it a little bit from deep. This team may scrape together a few more wins than last year, but they’ll still finish int he bottom two of the division, more than likely.
LJ Henderson
Camanche (20-4, 19-2): The Indians will put the strongest starting five on the floor this winter, and one of the most explosive offensive units we’ll see around the state, regardless of class. Four starters return for this group, and they add in a big transfer in LJ Henderson, who averaged 11.5 points at Clinton last season and has cut his teeth playing three varsity seasons in the 4A Mississippi Athletic Conference against the likes of DJ Carton, Dylan Peeters and Cortaviaus Seales. Dropping down to the River Valley Conference, Henderson is going to be one of, if not the best, athletes in the league and there are some high expectations for what he’ll be able to provide a team that already brought a lot of firepower back. The leading scorer is Cameron Soenksen (20.0), one of the top scorers in 2A, and a gunner with “in the gym” range. He’s a superb athlete who finishes above the rim with regularity, and putting Henderson alongside Soenksen should provide for plenty of highlights in Camanche this season. The straw that stirs the drink, and the team’s most important player, is 6-7 lead guard Caleb Delzell (14.7), one of the most uniquely talented players in the state. He has great size at the point guard spot, is an excellent passer, and is also one of the best rebounders in the state, averaging 9.6 boards a night last season. Look for him to post multiple triple-doubles this season, and he’s on the short list of players in the state who could post a quintuple-nickel line on a given night (5 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals, 5 blocks). The other two returning starters are Zayne Feller (7.2) and Zach Erwin (5.1). Erwin excelled as a secondary ball handler last season, dishing out 94 assists (against just 34 turnovers), while Feller is a highly efficient 6-3 forward who shot 60% from the floor. As if they needed more firepower, they’ll also bring back junior guard Jordan Lawrence, who averaged 7.1 points a game and started some games as a freshman before missing last season with an injury. This team is going to average well above 70 points a game this season, and will likely lead the class in free throw attempts. The big question with Camanche is always whether their free-wheeling style of play will show up in the big games, and whether they can knock down shots. Adding Henderson to the mix gives them some more versatility on the offensive end, and adds a strong, athletic defender on the wing. The Indians have never won a state title in basketball, and this group has a real chance to change that this year.
Cascade (15-7, 15-5): The 2018 2A champions were expected to fall off a bit last year, given the massive losses they suffered due to graduation. And they did fall off a bit. But it’s a testament to how strong the Cougars program is that falling off is a 15-win season. On the strength of another strong defensive year, the Cougs racked up those 15 wins, ranking 5th in 2A, allowing just 42.6 points a game. Their 2-3 zone is always great, and last year was no exception. And, despite the fact that they lose a lot of production again, we expect to see Cascade rolling up 13-16 wins again this year. The leading returnee is Carter Green (6.1), a 6-1 wing who can score inside and out. Michael Trumm (5.5) should be the team’s primary ball handler this year after dishing out 59 assists, good for second on the team last year. His 24 made 3s also ranked second. Alex Aitchison (3.5) is the only other returnee who saw significant playing time last year. The 6-5 senior forward looks like he’s primed for a strong year at the middle of their zone. He blocked 16 shots last season and shot 50% from the floor. Although their isn’t much production returning, expect to see Cascade playing strong defense again, protecting the ball, and racking up more wins.
Monticello (12-5, 11-5): Nobody in the state was impacted by the poor weather we had last winter more than the Panthers, and for a really young team, that probably wasn’t the best. At one point they went 16 days without playing a game, from January 15 to February 1, and many of those days they also weren’t able to get a practice in. The good news is that only 14 points are gone from that roster, and all five starters last season were sophomores, so this group knows each other really well and should be ready to hit the ground running this winter. They’re led by 6-6 forward Justin Recker (18.5), an athletic big man who runs the floor, protects the rim and led the team in rebounding. He’ll be flanked by four capable shooting threats in Luke Lambert (11.5, 36.7 3P%), Connor Lambert (9.9, 35.7%), Tyler Luensman (5.4, 35.7%) and Devin Kraus (4.3, 39.0%). Kraus came off the bench last season to give a bit of scoring punch, while Brayden Cleeton (1.7) is the other returning starter, another bigger body in the paint at 6-3, who shot just under 74% from the floor on limited attempts. Jeff Carlson (2.5) also returns to give the Panthers another body off the bench, and there is significant hype around freshman Tate Petersen, who may be good enough to crack the starting lineup, and at worst should be a very strong rotation piece for Monticello. With the top seven scorers back from last year’s team, and this being a group that is very familiar with each other, this year and next could be special for the Monticello community.
North Cedar (5-16, 5-13): The Knights bring back their top three scorers from last year’s team, and four of their top five. They’re headlined by guard Ethan Sahr (19.7), who made 63 3-pointers last season. He’s joined in the backcourt by Keon McCullough (11.5), who contributed 40 3s of his own. If that duo can become a bit more efficient with those shots (31.7% from 3 combined), this could become a very dangerous offensive unit. Kael Unruh (6.9) is a combo forward who can score inside and out, and Gage Walshire (5.0) is a solid player in the paint. This group really needs to improve on the defensive end of the floor if they want to pile up some more wins this year. They ranked 91st (out of 96 2A teams) in scoring defense, allowing 65.4 points a game. If they can get that average down into the 57-58 points a game range, they could push for a .500 finish. They drop down to 1A this year come postseason play, so they could also be dangerous there.
Northeast (12-8, 11-7): Like Cascade, Northeast has put together a strong program built on the defensive end of the floor. And while they dropped a bit last year, they were still good on that end of the floor, allowing just 50.7 points a game. The Rebels will need to be strong on that end again this year, as they lose their top two scorers. The good news is that the next five from last year return, led by Dakota Stevenson (7.7) and Grant Rickertsen (7.5). Rickertsen will be the team’s top perimeter scoring threat, while Stevenson does more damage inside the arc. Trey McAleer (6.0) is a strong lead guard who dished out 82 assists (against just 44 turnovers), while Cade Hughes (4.3) is a 3-point specialist. Expect to see this group finishing a bit above .500 again this year, with strong defensive play.
Projected Order of Finish
1. Camanche
2. Monticello
3. Cascade
4. Northeast
5. North Cedar
6. Anamosa
7. Bellevue
Analysis: The top of this division should be as good as it gets. We have Camanche and Monticello ranked 1-2 in 2A to open the year, and Cascade is always strong. North Cedar should be improved and could push Northeast for fourth, while Anamosa and Bellevue will likely struggle.
Preseason Player of the Year
2020 Caleb Delzell, Camanche: 14.7 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.8 steals
Delzell, a 6-7 point guard, led the league in rebounds and assists last year, and will pace an Indians offense that should be among the most explosive in the state. One of the most uniquely talented players in the state, he impacts every facet of the game. He’s the most important player on what we have tabbed as the #1 team in 2A to open the year.
Biggest Sleeper
2021 Jordan Lawrence, Camanche: The junior guard missed all of last season with an injury, but had a productive freshman season with the Indians, averaging 7.1 points and dishing out 45 assists. While his role may not be huge this year with a loaded Camanche team, he should be a key player for this group off the bench with his ball handling and shooting abilities.
Players to Watch
2020 Caleb Delzell, Camanche
2020 Cameron Soenksen, Camanche
2020 LJ Henderson, Camanche
2021 Zayne Feller, Camanche
2022 Zach Erwin, Camanche
2021 Jordan Lawrence, Camanche
2021 Justin Recker, Monticello
2021 Luke Lambert, Monticello
2021 Connor Lambert, Monticello
2021 Tyler Luensman, Monticello
2023 Tate Petersen, Monticello
2020 Ethan Sahr, North Cedar
2020 Keon McCullough, North Cedar
2021 Kael Unruh, North Cedar
2022 Sam Wilt, Anamosa
2020 Paxton Felderman, Bellevue
2022 Colby Sieverding, Bellevue
2020 Dakota Stevenson, Northeast
2020 Grant Rickertson, Northeast
2020 Trey McAleer, Northeast
2020 Carter Green, Cascade
2020 Michael Trumm, Cascade