Conference Preview: South Central
The Teams Blake Chance Albia (13-8, 7-5): Three starters and the top four scorers from last year’s Blue Demons team return to a group that got off to a blazing 9-1 start before stumbling down the stretch. Look for them…
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Blake ChanceAlbia (13-8, 7-5): Three starters and the top four scorers from last year’s Blue Demons team return to a group that got off to a blazing 9-1 start before stumbling down the stretch. Look for them to be much improved this season. They’re led by Blake Chance (21.0), a 6-4 junior wing who led the team in every major category last season. He’ll pair with Brayden Messamaker (10.0, 57 3PM) and Joe Teno (5.6, 23 3PM) in the backcourt, giving them a trio of solid scoring threats. Messamaker was a dangerous scorer off the bench last season and had a strong spring and summer, especially playing with Albia in team camps. Nathaniel Wynn (6.7) is the other returning starter, a forward who does almost all his damage around the rim. With four key pieces back to a team that got off to a great start and lost four games by single digits, look for the Blue Demons to be dangerous this winter, and we consider them the team to beat in the South Central this season.
Centerville (7-12, 6-5): The Big Reds look primed to make a major leap this season, with 87% of their scoring from last year’s team back. This group notched wins over both Albia and Knoxville last season, showing they can compete with the higher-level teams in the conference. They’ll be led by a trio of double figure scorers in Quentin Koestner (10.4), Brady Kauzlarich (10.2) and Matt McDonald (10.0), while Myles Clawson (6.8) and Merrick Mathews (4.2) figure to be key contributors as well. This is a team that really doesn’t like to shoot it from deep very much (averaged just 10.5 3-point attempts and 3.5 makes a game, minuscule numbers in today’s basketball), and that should be an area they look to improve upon this year, to help stretch the floor a bit. With nearly everyone returning, this team should finish above .500 and they have a chance to be a real factor in the league race.
Chariton (13-7, 6-5): The Chargers lose their top two scorers from last year’s roster, but bring back three players with a fair amount of experience, and should be competitive again this year. Jackson Curnutte (8.9) is the team’s leading returning scorer, a solid lead guard who dished out a team-high 101 assists (49 turnovers) and made 27 3-pointers last year, also a team-high. He’ll have the ball in his hands a ton this year, flanked by a pair of wings in Dylan Cain (7.5) and Will Swarthout (2.9). Curnutte should be one of the conference’s top players this year, and he’ll win them a fair amount of games, but there isn’t enough else here to see them making a push for the top of the league.
Clarke (2-18, 0-11): The Indians posted just two wins last year, over 1A Central Decatur and 2A Pleasantville teams that finished below .500 on the year. And they stayed within single digits in league games only twice, both against Davis County. The top four scorers from that team have graduated. Sam Cooley (8.5) is the leading returning scorer. He also led the team in rebounding last year. Dalton Stubbe (6.7) is a capable shooter, while Brian Avalos (2.4) is another perimeter option. Expect to see Clarke at the bottom of the league again.
Davis County (8-14, 2-11): The Mustangs lose a pair of double figure scorers from last year’s team, but bring back four of their next five from the rotation, so there is some continuity in the program. Dalton Reeves (6.2) is the top returning scorer, a 6-1 sophomore forward coming off a solid freshman season. Alex Lynch (5.7) led the team with 24 made 3s, while Ivan Garcia (4.7) led them with 94 assists. Noah Zmolek (4.3) is the other key returnee. While this group lacks the high-level talent they’d need to challenge Albia atop the league, they should be improved and win a few more league games this season.
Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (16-5, 13-0): On the strength of a great senior class, the Rockets put together a fantastic season, running the table in league play. They may go from the very top of the league to the very bottom this year, with only four points total coming back from last year’s roster. Kalen Walker and Thane Alexander each made a bucket last year, and those are the only points returning. It’ll be an entirely new group of faces on the floor this year for E-B-F, and it could turn into a long winter.
Knoxville (8-14, 7-4): Junior guard Kieren Nichols (19.8) is perhaps the league’s best player, and as such, the Panthers are going to be dangerous no matter what they bring back. Nichols was second in the conference in scoring during league games last year and led the league in assists per game during conference play as well. The 6-0 guard shot 41.1% from the arc last season and should have his way against most of the backcourts in the conference. They’ll get a boost from the addition of Des Moines Christian transfer Spencer Hixson, a talented 6-5 scoring wing who can score from all three levels. He should find plenty of open shots playing alongside Nichols, and he has the size and versatility to defend multiple spots. Ben Olson (5.0) gives them a big body in the middle on the glass, and Alex Eckert is an efficient, high-energy forward. The bad news is that the rest of the six returnees combined to score just 24 points last season, so a lot of new faces will be filling in around Nichols. He’s good enough to keep this team near the top of the league standings, and Hixson gives them another potentially dynamic scorer, but just how successful Knoxville can be will depend on the development of the rest of the roster.
Projected Order of Finish
1. Albia
2. Knoxville
3. Centerville
4. Chariton
5. Davis County
6. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
7. Clarke
Analysis: Albia and Knoxville split their meetings last season, and with each team returning their top players, those games should decide the league race this year. The Blue Demons return a little bit more than the Panthers, but we certainly wouldn’t be surprised to see either team at the top. Knoxville’s overall record will likely be worse than Albia’s given the 3A non-conference schedule they play, but the league record is all that we care about in these projections, and we give the slightest of nods to Albia.
Preseason Player of the Year
2021 Blake Chance, Albia: 21.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.1 steals
Chance led the league in scoring last year, and led his Blue Demons in nearly every major category. Albia should be at the top of the league this year, and the 6-4 do-everything wing is the biggest reason why. You could make a strong argument for Knoxville guard Kieren Nichols in this spot as well.
Biggest Sleeper
2021 Spencer Hixson, Knoxville: Hixson won’t be an unknown for much longer. The 6-5 junior wing is a talented scorer from all three levels with the length, shot making ability and athleticism to be a major difference maker in this league race. He averaged 3.2 points a game last year at Des Moines Christian, but should emerge as a high-level scoring threat this year.
Players to Watch
2021 Blake Chance, Albia
2021 Brayden Messamaker, Albia
2021 Nathaniel Wynn, Albia
2020 Joe Teno, Albia
2021 Kieren Nichols, Knoxville
2021 Spencer Hixson, Knoxville
2020 Ben Olson, Knoxville
2021 Brady Kauzlarich, Centerville
2020 Quentin Koestner, Centerville
2020 Matt McDonald, Centerville
2021 Myles Clawson, Centerville
2020 Jackson Curnutte, Chariton
2020 Dylan Cain, Chariton
2020 Sam Cooley, Clarke
2021 Dalton Stubbe, Clarke
2022 Dalton Reeves, Davis County
2021 Alex Lynch, Davis County