Conference Preview: South Iowa Cedar (East)
The Teams Belle Plaine: The Plainsman have the preseason player of the year, Grant DeMeulenaere, coming back to a team that won 15 games last season. And though Jacob Ehlen is graduated, plenty of others are back to help DeMeulenaere…
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Continue ReadingThe Teams
Belle Plaine: The Plainsman have the preseason player of the year, Grant DeMeulenaere, coming back to a team that won 15 games last season. And though Jacob Ehlen is graduated, plenty of others are back to help DeMeulenaere and Belle Plaine this season. Expect the Plainsmen to be very good.
English Valleys: It was a tough go last season for the Bears, winners of just one game – a mid-season 55-48 triumph over Tri County, Thornburg. And with its two top scorers graduated, there’s reason to believe it could be another lowly season for English Valleys.
Iowa Valley, Marengo: The Tigers weren’t much better than English Valleys last winter, and finished barely ahead of the Bears in the conference standings with a 3-18 mark. And two of those three wins were over the Bears. Gavin Collingwood averaged 13 points per game last season, Iowa Valley will have to try and replace that lost offense if they want to try and move up in the standings.
Keota: After yet another successful Eagles campaign last season, it would appear that seniors Jacob Wickenkamp and Avery Conrad are ready to take them to the top of the conference standings again this season. Belle Plaine will be tough to beat, but always-good Keota will certainly challenge them for Eastern Division supremacy.
Sigourney: With a senior-laden roster last season the Savages finished middle-of-pack posting an 11-12 mark. Now, with a new-look squad, they’ll try and figure it out with seniors like Kaden Benson and Will Magel.
Tri County, Thornburg: After winning just four games last season (two against Iowa Valley, Marengo), there’s reason to be optimistic in Keswick this winter. Four starters are returning for the Trojans. And though they likely won’t compete for a conference title, they should at the very least improve upon last season’s win total.
Projected Order of Finish
- Belle Plaine
- Keota
- Tri County, Thornburg
- Keota
- Iowa Valley, Marengo
- English Valleys
Analysis
It’s nearly a toss-up between the top two teams in this division. But because the Plainsmen boast the best player, we give the nod to them. Belle Plain will go as DeMeulenaere goes. That said, if Keota came out as conference champs yet again, we would not be shocked.
Preseason Player of the Year
Brant DeMeulenaere, 6’4, Belle Plaine
An easy choice here, DeMeulenaere is not only a great scorer, but he’s a terrific shooter and scores with efficiency. His 40 percent 3-point clip paired with an 80 percent performance from the line last season was good enough to make him the best shooter in conference, arguably. As he heads into his senior season with the Plainsmen, look for the good-sized sharpshooter to average 20 points per game and be among the state’s leaders in 3s made.
Biggest Sleeper
Kaden Benson, 6’3 F, Sigourney
He played in just six games last season as a junior, but is his team’s leading returning scorer. All five starters last season were seniors, so not a lot is known about the incoming crop of impact players for the Eagles. We expect Benson to produce in large amounts this season.
Players to Watch
Grant DeMeulenaere, 6’4, Belle Plaine
Brandon Mantz, 6’4 C, Belle Plaine
Braydon Fisher, 5’9, English Valleys
Jake Jordan, 6′, Iowa Valley, Marengo
Jacob Wickenkamp, 6’2, Keota
Avery Conrad, 6’4, Keota
Kaden Benson, 6’3, Sigourney
Jacob Bombei, 5’10, Tri County, Thornburg