Conference Preview: Top of Iowa East
The Teams Central Springs (6-16, 5-16): The Panthers struggled on the offensive end of the floor last year, averaging just 43.7 points a game. They do have some experience back, with four of their top six scorers returning, led by…
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Continue ReadingThe Teams
Central Springs (6-16, 5-16): The Panthers struggled on the offensive end of the floor last year, averaging just 43.7 points a game. They do have some experience back, with four of their top six scorers returning, led by sophomore big man Angel Jose (8.5). He blocked 23 shots last season as well. Trenton Wirtjes (5.4) struggled from the field, but led the team in rebounding and blocked 26 shots as well. Mason Hanft (6.3) is the team’s top shooting option. He made 23 3-pointers last season, which was second on the team. They allowed 60.4 points a game last season, and that’ll need to improve if they want to win some more games this year.
Nashua-Plainfield (9-11, 6-10): Leading scorer Austin Bienemann (15.6) returns for the Huskies, and should be one of the best players in the division. He led the team in rebounding and steals as well, while also blocking 30 shots. A fairly efficient forward, he does most of his damage inside the arc, but can step out and knock down an occasional jumper. The unfortunate news for the Huskies is that no other returnee scored more than 20 points last season, so it’ll be a lot of new faces flanking Bienemann. If they can adjust to much bigger roles, this group could push for a .500 finish again. If not, it could be a long year with a lot of Bienemann shots and not much else.
Newman Catholic (19-3, 19-2): The Knights were highly successful last season, winning 19 games, but they lose the top five scorers from that team, including a quartet of double figure scorers. In all, only 7.7% of last year’s scoring production is back, so there will be an almost entirely new group taking the floor in Mason City this winter. Sammy Kratz (3.2) is the only returnee who saw much time last season. There should still be a decent amount of talent in the program, and they won’t completely fall off a cliff this year, but they won’t come close to replicating last year’s success.
North Butler (3-15, 3-13): The Bearcats won just three games last season, with two of those wins coming against Northwood-Kensett, and they lose a lot of production off of that team. Luckily for them, leading scorer Eric Brehmer (10.6) returns, giving them some scoring punch on a team that really lacked it last season (38.2 points a game). Kaleb Salge (5.4) is the only other returnee with significant experience. He led the team in rebounding last season. With not much returning to a team that struggled last year, it’s hard to see much reason for optimism here.
Northwood-Kensett (1-20, 1-20): The Vikings averaged just 29.8 points a game last season, posting shooting splits of 28-24-51. No player averaged more than 5.3 points a game. Nine players who saw time last year return, but unless there has been significant improvement among those returnees, it’s hard to see them winning any more games this year.
Osage (14-8, 12-6): The bad news for the Green Devils is that they lost their leading scorer, Brett Bobinet, who averaged just under 15 points a game last season. The good news, however, is that he’s the only key piece from last year’s team that is gone, so they should be loaded with experience. The Bluhm brothers, Jonah (13.7) and Elijah (6.9) will be the leaders for this group, but don’t be surprised to see Thor Maakestad (5.6), Jarett Scharper (4.7) and Ty Creger (4.5) take major steps forward this year. They were the best defensive team in 2A last season, allowing under 40 points a game. This group lost six games last season by four points or less, so they were really close to putting together a great season last year. Look for this more experienced group to close out more of those tight games this winter, and they should be a real threat to punch a ticket to Des Moines.
Rockford (16-7, 12-6): The Warriors got off to a strong 14-3 start last season, before stumbling down the stretch a bit, losing four of their final six games. They lose the top four scorers from that group, meaning there will be a lot of new faces on the court this year. Matt Schubert (7.6) is the top returnee. He shot 61.7% from the floor last season and pulled down more offensive (63) than defensive (54) rebounds. Those extra possessions can be key for this team. Justice Jones (3.1) is the only other returnee with significant experience. With a lot of new pieces to break in, it could be a struggle for the Warriors, especially early on this season.
Saint Ansgar (13-8, 10-7): The Saints were a strong defensive team last year, allowing just 47.1 points a game, and they’ll need to lean on that end of the floor this year, especially early on, with a pair of 14-point-a-game scorers graduated from last year’s team. Erik Gerdts (8.2) is the top returning scorer. He led the team with 35 made 3s last season. Ryan Cole (6.0) contributed 22 of his own, and in all, the next six players from last year’s rotation are back, so this team has some experienced pieces. They’ll just need to find a go-to scorer early in the year. In a division that lost a ton of talent, Saint Ansgar could actually make a jump, despite losing a pair of big-time scoring threats.
West Fork (18-5, 15-2): West Fork has established themselves as one of the best 1A programs in the state over the last 10-15 years, and despite losing a lot of production from last year’s 18-win team, they should be strong again. The Warhawks will be led by Kayden Ames (10.7), a 6-1 wing who made 43 3s last season. Ian Latham (6.4) is a solid lead guard who dished out 60 assists (against just 24 turnovers) last year, while Brayden Vold (5.0) gives them some size in the paint at 6-5. Brett Weaver (2.2) proved himself to be a solid secondary ball handler last year, dishing out 42 assists (18 turnovers) off the bench. While this group will definitely miss the explosiveness that Zach Martinek provided, they should still factor into the league race with their returning talent and tradition of being a strong team.
Projected Order of Finish
1. Osage
2. Saint Ansgar
3. West Fork
4. Newman Catholic
5. Rockford
6. Nashua-Plainfield
7. Central Springs
8. North Butler
9. Northwood-Kensett
Analysis: Osage looks like the team to beat in the division, taking advantage of some of the other top teams losing a lot of production. Despite losing a lot of production, we still expect West Fork, Newman Catholic and Rockford to factor into this league race.
Preseason Player of the Year
2020 Jonah Bluhm, Osage: 13.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.6 steals
A stat sheet stuffer for the Green Devils, Bluhm is the team’s leading returning scorer and rebounder. He also ranked third in assists and led the team in blocks last year.
Biggest Sleeper
2020 Matt Schubert, Rockford: Schubert ranked fifth on the Warriors in scoring last year, but should have a much larger role this year as the leading returning scorer. A 6-8 big man, he’s efficient and can protect the rim. He should thrive in a bigger role.
Players to Watch
2020 Jonah Bluhm, Osage
2020 Elijah Blumn, Osage
2020 Thor Maakestad, Osage
2021 Austin Bienemann, Nashua-Plainfield
2021 Kayden Ames, West Fork
2020 Ian Latham, West Fork
2020 Eric Brehmer, North Butler
2021 Kaleg Salge, North Butler
2022 Angel Jose, Central Springs
2020 Mason Hanft, Central Springs
2020 Trenton Wirtjes, Central Springs
2020 Erik Gerdts, Saint Ansgar
2020 Jack Sievert, Saint Ansgar
2021 Ryan Cole, Saint Ansgar
2020 Matt Schubert, Rockford
2021 Caden Roberts, Northwood-Kensett
2022 Kyle Nichols, Northwood-Kensett