Conference Preview: Tri-Rivers West
THE TEAMS Alburnett (16-8): Six of the top seven scorers from last year’s 16-win group have graduated. The lone holdover is Ian Boline (4.9 points per game), and the only other players coming back who scored last year are Skylar…
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Continue ReadingTHE TEAMS
Alburnett (16-8): Six of the top seven scorers from last year’s 16-win group have graduated. The lone holdover is Ian Boline (4.9 points per game), and the only other players coming back who scored last year are Skylar Hughes (14 points), Jared Graubad (6) and Grant Neighbor (4). The Pirates should fall from near the top of the division to near the bottom.
Central City (6-17): Only one player who averaged more than 3.7 points last year returns for the Wildcats, Braxton Van Alst (7.4). This group shot the lowest percentage from the floor (30.4%) and from the arc (20.7%) of any team in the division a year ago, and there’s not much reason to expect a great deal of improvement.
East Buchanan (9-13): The top two scorers from last year are gone, but five players who averaged between 3.9 and 5.8 points a game last season are back, giving the Buccaneers some continuity. Look for Chris Cooksley (5.8) to have a big season for East Buchanan, who could push for 3rd place in the division.
Lisbon (14-10): This team won 14 games last year with a roster that was littered with sophomores. The Lions bring back 82% of their scoring, headlined by Bailey Arwine (16.9 points, 8.1 rebounds), the best player in the conference not named Jake Hilmer. Brett Givens (12.3), Blake Langhurst (7.5) and Bryce Hasselman (4.9) round out a solid core of players for this group, the only team that has a chance at unseating North Linn at the top of the division.
Maquoketa Valley (4-18): The Wildcats struggled to a 4-win season, scoring just 47.7 points and shooting just 32.5% from the floor as a team. The top three scorers are back from that group, led by Brock Hillers (11.3) and Jake Bonert (9.6). If they can become more efficient offensively, they could add a few more wins, but this is still a team that should remain in the lower half of the league.
North Linn (21-2): The Lynx went undefeated during conference games in the regular season last year and return 74% of their scoring. Led by their guard quartet of Jake Hilmer (16.5 points, 8.9 assists), Ryan Miller (11.8 points), David Seber (10.3) and Logan Novak (9.4), they should run the table here again. This team figures to be among the elite in Class 1A after winning 21 games last year with an extremely young roster. They’ve gained valuable experience and should be even better.
Springville (5-17): It was a rough season last year for the Orioles, winning just five games, their worst season since 2011. However, things are looking up, with their top five scorers back, headlined by Cavanaugh Riley (10.0 points). This is a team that struggled to score last year, averaging just 41.6 points a game, but with Riley, Andrew Blakely (6.9), Zach March (6.0), J.P. Kane (6.3) and Ryan Barner (4.5) all back, they should score more and skyrocket up the division standings.
PROJECTED ORDER OF FINISH
1. North Linn
2. Lisbon
3. Springville
4. East Buchanan
5. Alburnett
6. Maquoketa Valley
7. Central City
Analysis: There appear to be four fairly distinctive tiers to this division, with North Linn head and shoulders above the rest. They’re one of the top teams in 1A, and should cruise through this league yet again. If anyone is going to challenge them, it will be Lisbon, who has the league’s second best player in Bailey Arwine. Look for significant improvement from Springville, bringing back nearly everyone, while Alburnett takes a plummet towards the bottom.
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Jake Hilmer, North Linn, 2019: 16.5 points, 8.9 assists, 4.4 steals, 4.4 rebounds
A true floor general, Hilmer had a sensational freshman season for the Lynx, finishing second in scoring in the division, and ranking among the state leaders in both assists and steals. After a strong summer with the Barnstormers, look for him to be even better as a sophomore for what should be one of Class 1A’s best teams.
BIGGEST SLEEPER
Chris Cooksley, East Buchanan, 2017: The third leading scorer last season for the Buccaneers, look for Cooksley to make a substantial increase on his 5.8 points per game last season as the new focal point of the East Buchanan attack. He swiped 61 steals and dished out 50 assists last year, proving to be a capable two-way player.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Jake Hilmer, North Linn, 2019
Ryan Miller, North Linn, 2018
David Seber, North Linn, 2019
Logan Novak, North Linn, 2017
Bailey Arwine, Lisbon, 2018
Brett Givens, Lisbon, 2018
Blake Langhurst, Lisbon, 2017
Brock Hillers, Maquoketa Valley, 2018
Jake Bonert, Maquoketa Valley, 2017
Cavanaugh Riley, Springville, 2017