Conference Preview: Tri-Rivers West
The Teams Hunter Caves Alburnett (20-6, 16-5): Coming off a surprising runner-up finish last season, the Pirates aren’t going to sneak up on anyone this year. They return three starters from that group, and will be able to put one…
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Hunter CavesAlburnett (20-6, 16-5): Coming off a surprising runner-up finish last season, the Pirates aren’t going to sneak up on anyone this year. They return three starters from that group, and will be able to put one of the best backcourts in 1A on the floor with junior Hunter Caves (13.8) and senior sharpshooter Austin Huber (10.5, 75 3PM, 44.1 3P%). Also returning is Shane Neighbor (8.2), who will step into a larger role to help try and fill in the (massively) vacated shoes of Izic Mackey. Caves is the ring leader of this group, a tough, physical guard who isn’t going to back down from anyone. He’ll have the ball in his hands a ton, and as he goes, Alburnett will go. One of the lasting images of last year’s state tournament was him walking off the floor with blood streaming down his face following a hard foul. He returned minutes later with a huge bandage around his forehead, and helped lead them to a semifinal win. This team will follow his lead, and should be a state tournament threat again this season. Expect to see them play stingy defense, control the glass and use that dynamic backcourt to control games, especially early in the season as they break in new pieces. (Writer’s note: Following the writing of this article, we learned of Hunter Caves tearing his ACL during the football season. Needless to say, that’s a major blow for the Pirates.)
Nick Reid
Central City (11-12, 10-12): Coming off of one of the most dominant scoring seasons we’ve seen in our time as a company, Nick Reid (32.5, 13.1 rebounds) returns for the Wildcats. He scored 76 in a game last season against East Buchanan, and his presence alone will make Central City worth monitoring this year. A long, versatile scoring threat, he’ll constantly be getting junk defenses thrown at him, so the ‘Cats are going to need some other players to step up this time around if they want to have a chance at making a run to Des Moines. Patrick Wade (1.7) and Keegan Kula (4.6) are returning starters, while Ethan Tye (3.9) gives them a quality shooter at 40% from 3 last season. Non-Reid players shot just 30.7% from the floor last season, and that number will need to greatly improve, but any team that has a scorer like Nick Reid on the floor is going to be dangerous on any given night.
East Buchanan (6-17, 4-15): The Buccaneers were very competitive at times last year, including a one-point postseason loss to a good Don Bosco team. They bring back their top two scorers, and five of the top seven overall, from that team, so there is some reason to expect improvement this season. Tyson Russell (13.6) led the team in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals last season, while Kaiden Gage (12.2) made a team-high 58 3-pointers. Logan Crawford (4.0) made 23 3s as well last season, giving the Bucs some solid shooting to put around Russell, who is capable of scoring from anywhere in his own right. After allowing 64.0 a game last season, they could really make a jump if they can get that number down into the 56-57 point range.
Edgewood-Colesburg (16-7, 12-7): Four starters return for the Vikings, headlined by junior guard Parker Rochford (20.5), a big-time scoring threat who could become an elite scorer if his shooting returns to his freshman level (48.9 3P% as a freshman, 28.4% as a sophomore). In addition to his scoring prowess, he also led the team in assists and steals. Riley Ashline (9.0) led the team in rebounding, and Spencer Staner (5.0) and Keegan Hansel (4.7) also return as starters. If Rochford gets his shooting touch back, watch out for Ed-Co.
Maquoketa Valley (8-13, 6-13): The Wildcats got off to a solid start last year, jumping out to a 6-3 record before the holiday break, with those three losses coming to state qualifying teams North Linn, Alburnett and Prince of Peace. They lost 10 of their last 12 following the break. Andrew Holtz (10.4) is the top returning scorer, while AJ Ambundo (9.1) and Owen Mensen (4.3) will provide some real shooting from the perimeter. Ambundo made 45 3s at a 40.2% clip, while Mensen made 25 at a 43.9% clip. Holtz dished out 107 assists, and if he can cut down on the 110 turnovers, he could pair with that shooting duo to give the ‘Cats a dynamic trio in the backcourt. If this group can cut down on the turnovers, they could be dangerous. If not, they’ll struggle again like they did in the second part of last season.
Austin Hilmer
North Linn (26-0, 18-0): It was a magical season last year for the Lynx, who won the school’s first state title behind one of the best players the state has ever seen, record shattering point guard Jake Hilmer. He was the catalyst of a senior class that went a combined 102-4 in their four varsity seasons, and that group is going to be sorely missed. Nonetheless, the Lynx will be heard from in 2A again this season, as another Hilmer is roaming the halls of North Linn High School, Austin (10.4), who is coming off a highly successful freshman season. This will be his team now, and he should bring many of the same things that older brother Jake brought to the table – excellent scoring ability and shooting, passing and great awareness of how to play defense in his father’s system. Also returning is Austin Miller (10.8), the lone returning starter from that state title group. Miller was often the recipient of Hilmer’s fantastic playmaking, shooting an absurd 73% from the floor. He’s a physical, athletic forward who runs the floor and can make plays on both ends of the floor. They’ll need to get big production out of kids like Josh Smith (5.9), Gunner Vanourney (2.0), Parker Bechen (1.9) and Kaleb Kurt (1.0), as well as some younger players making their way through, but the Lynx have become one of the best basketball programs in the state, and they are going to be good again, even if they only return two big pieces and lose one of the state’s best ever. This group plays an up-and-down, frenetic style that is going to create havoc, and they should win plenty of games this winter.
Springville (14-10, 11-10): The Orioles look primed to make a major leap this year, with eight of their top nine scorers returning, led by the Koppes brothers, Alex (13.2) and Kyle (11.3). Luke Menster (9.2) and Bryce Wilson (8.6) also return, giving this group a lot of experience and talent coming back. After allowing 58.3 points a game last season, they could really make a leap if they can get that down into the low 50s.
Starmont (3-19, 2-16): The Stars really struggled on the defensive end last season, allowing 72.1 points a game, which ranked 145th in 1A. They’ll need to improve on that end of the floor if they want to be more competitive, but in a league that includes North Linn, Parker Rochford and Nick Reid, good luck. The top six scorers return, led by Chris Baumgartner (14.2), who led the team with 26 made 3s. Quinton Brehme (10.9) and Henry Hamlett (8.5) are the other key returning scorers. They wills core a bit, but they need to improve defensively if they want to win more games.
Projected Order of Finish
1. North Linn
2. Edgewood-Colesburg
3. Springville
4. Alburnett
5. Central City
6. Maquoketa Valley
7. East Buchanan
8. Starmont
Analysis: We’re not picking against North Linn until someone hands them a conference loss or two. The Lynx program is just on another level right now, but the next five teams in this division are all capable of making some noise in postseason play.
Preseason Player of the Year
2020 Nick Reid, Central City: 32.5 points, 13.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals, 1.1 blocks, 236 FTM
The state’s leading returning scorer, Reid showed just how explosive he can be by dropping 76 in a game last year against East Buchanan, a total that is tied for the second most in a single game in Iowa high school history. Reid’s 236 made free throws were more than 267 high school TEAMS made last season, and he attempted more (307) than 161 TEAMS around the state did. The Emporia State commit is a nightly threat to score at least 40.
Biggest Sleeper
2021 Owen Mensen, Maquoketa Valley: The 6-0 junior guard shot 43.9% from behind the arc last season, and should have some more shots coming his way this season.
Players to Watch
2020 Nick Reid, Central City
2021 Parker Rochford, Edgewood-Colesburg
2020 Riley Ashline, Edgewood-Colesburg
2021 Alex Koppes, Springville
2020 Kyle Koppes, Springville
2022 Luke Menster, Springville
2021 Bryce Wilson, Springville
2020 Austin Miller, North Linn
2022 Austin Hilmer, North Linn
2020 Josh Smith, North Linn
2020 Chris Baumgartner, Starmont
2020 Quinton Brehme, Starmont
2020 Henry Hamlett, Starmont
2020 Austin Huber, Alburnett
2021 Shane Neighbor, Alburnett
2020 Tyson Russell, East Buchanan
2022 Kaiden Gage, East Buchanan
2021 Andrew Holtz, Maquoketa Valley
2022 AJ Ambundo, Maquoketa Valley