Conference Preview: South Central
In this article:
The Teams Albia (19-3): Leading scorer Drew Chance Drew Chance 6'2" | PF Albia | 2023 State IA (15.0, 6.0 rebounds) returns to lead the Blue Demons, but they lose a lot of production from last year’s 19-win team. The…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe Teams
Albia (19-3): Leading scorer Drew Chance Drew Chance 6'2" | PF Albia | 2023 State IA (15.0, 6.0 rebounds) returns to lead the Blue Demons, but they lose a lot of production from last year’s 19-win team. The next six scorers graduated, with the most notable loss being Chance’s brother, Blake, who led the team in assists and was the focal point of their offensive attack for the last several seasons. CJ Ratliff (1.2) is the only other returnee who saw playing time last season, leaving this group with a lot of new faces in key roles this year. Chance will be one of the best players in the league again, but this team will most certainly take a step back with the massive personnel losses.
Centerville (5-13): The Big Reds lose their top two, and four of their top five scorers, leaving junior wing Brody Tuttle (9.9, 6.0 rebounds) as the top returnee. Tuttle can score inside and out, and he rebounds the ball at a high level, so he’s a good piece to start building around. Sophomore guard Connor Stephens (3.8) was solid in limited minutes, and senior forward Isaac Byrd (3.7) does a great job pounding the offensive glass. This group will need to find someone to handle the ball and protect it after turning the ball over 15 times a game last season.
Chariton (1-16): The Chargers had a rough season, winning just one game with only one other game decided by single digits. They bring back leading scorer Mason Smith (13.6), who was very productive as a freshman, but lose their next three scorers. No other returnee averaged more than 1.8 points a game last season. In Smith, they have a solid piece to build around, but there are a lot of inexperienced pieces in this rotation, so don’t expect to see too much improvement in the win column from Chariton this season.
Clarke (7-13): Sophomore forward Jack Cooley Jack Cooley 6'5" | PF Clarke | 2024 State IA (15.2, 8.5 rebounds) led the Indians in every major category last season, putting together one of the best freshman seasons in the state. An athletic and powerful 6-4 forward, he’s skilled around the rim, a talented passer, and a strong rim protector. The next three scorers graduated from last year’s team, but seniors Spruceton Buddenhagen (5.5) and Kamis Bulis (5.2) also return to give them a trio of big-time rebounders who pound the offensive glass hard. That trio of forwards combined to pull down 7.2 offensive rebounds a game last season, which helps offset an attack that wasn’t the most efficient. They’ll need to get some increased production out of sophomore guard Cole White Cole White 6'6" | C Clarke | 2024 State IA (3.7) on the perimeter, as this team lacks shooting.
Davis County (8-13): In senior forward Dalton Reeves Dalton Reeves 6'3" | SF Davis County | 2022 State IA (19.7), the Mustangs bring back one of the league’s best players. Reeves is a mobile big who scores efficiently around the rim, rebounds, and is a versatile defender. A huge chunk of the scoring last season was done by Reeves and Noah Zmolek, who accounted for two-thirds of the team’s scoring last season. They’ll need to find a secondary scorer to step in alongside Reeves, and the two best options there would be senior guards Caedyn Glosser (3.2) or Carson Maeder (2.9). Glosser is the better perimeter shooter, while Maeder is more of an interior presence.
Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (11-12): Despite finishing below .500, the Rockets had a +4.5 point differential last season, so they were close to putting together a really strong year. They bring back their top two scorers in senior forward Ethan Davis Ethan Davis 6'7" | PF Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont | 2022 State IA (16.8, 10.1 rebounds) and sophomore Brooks Moore Brooks Moore 6'5" | SF Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont | 2024 State IA (13.8), which should be enough to make them the favorites in this conference. Davis is a walking double-double who scores at a high clip, protects the rim, and is an all-around dominant interior presence. The headliner for this team, however, will be Moore, who looks primed to have a breakout sophomore season. A versatile 6-4/6-5 wing, he can score from all three levels, and is a fantastic athlete who finishes above the rim routinely. EBF has a number of talented players in the 2024 class in Landon Glosser (3.0), Jesse Cornelison (2.5), and Karic Stout (2.0) that should all become bigger contributors this season, and juniors Carsen Wade Carsen Wade 6'5" | SF Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont | 2023 State IA (4.6) and Kyle Davis (3.7) provide depth and experience.
Knoxville (13-8): The Panthers lost nearly all of their production with the graduations of three of their top four scorers, and the transfer of the fourth ( Luke Keitges Luke Keitges 6'5" | SF Knoxville | 2023 State IA to Pella). That leaves sophomore guard Noah Keefer (3.0) and sophomore forward Jack Bertrand (1.9) as the only returnees who saw significant playing time last season. With a roster made up almost entirely of new faces, it’s difficult to project Knoxville heading into this season, but they will almost certainly struggle.
Projected Order of Finish
1. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
2. Albia
3. Clarke
4. Knoxville
5. Davis County
6. Centerville
7. Chariton
Analysis: EBF shouldn’t have too much issues rolling through this league this year. In a league decimated by graduations, the Rockets are the only team in the conference that returns more than one key piece. They have arguably the two best players in the league, and a number of talented role players ready to contribute.
Preseason Player of the Year
2022 Ethan Davis Ethan Davis 6'7" | PF Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont | 2022 State IA , Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont: A 6-7 forward who averaged a double-double last season while shooting 58.8% from the floor, Davis is a versatile player who does a great job pounding the glass on both ends of the floor.
Players to Watch
2022
Ethan Davis
Ethan
Davis
6'7" | PF
Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont | 2022
State
IA
, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
2024
Brooks Moore
Brooks
Moore
6'5" | SF
Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont | 2024
State
IA
, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
2023 Carson Wade, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
2023 Kyle Davis, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont
2022
Dalton Reeves
Dalton
Reeves
6'3" | SF
Davis County | 2022
State
IA
, Davis County
2023
Drew Chance
Drew
Chance
6'2" | PF
Albia | 2023
State
IA
, Albia
2024
Jack Cooley
Jack
Cooley
6'5" | PF
Clarke | 2024
State
IA
, Clarke
2022 Spruceton Buddenhagen, Clarke
2022 Kamis Bullis, Clarke
2024
Cole White
Cole
White
6'6" | C
Clarke | 2024
State
IA
, Clarke
2024 Mason Smith, Chariton
2023 Brody Tuttle, Centerville
2024 Connor Stephens, Centerville
2022 Isaac Byrd, Centerville