Conference Preview: WaMaC East
THE TEAMS Anamosa (21-7): The Blue Raiders had arguably their most successful season in school history (the 1921 team played for a title), making it to Des Moines and winning a game before finishing fourth. It’ll be very tough to…
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Continue ReadingTHE TEAMS
Anamosa (21-7): The Blue Raiders had arguably their most successful season in school history (the 1921 team played for a title), making it to Des Moines and winning a game before finishing fourth. It’ll be very tough to repeat that this season with all the talent they’ve lost. The top seven scorers, and eight of the nine rotation players from last season, have graduated. Cole Sander (1.7) is the lone returnee who saw any substantial playing time, and the rest of the team will be a big question mark. It looks like there will be a big-time drop off in Anamosa.
Central DeWitt (4-18): The Sabers return a pair of eight point scorers in Matt Burke (8.7) and Nick Wilken (8.1). Wilken does a majority of his work on the inside the arc, while Burke is a bomber from the perimeter. Rotation players Ryan Ketelsen (4.3) and B.J. Frick (2.9) are also back, giving them some continuity despite losing three of their top five scorers. Still, in this loaded division, it probably figures to be them and Anamosa fighting it out at the bottom.
Dyersville Beckman (16-8): The Blazers must replace arguably the best shooting backcourt in the state from last season in Colin Squiers and Colton Willenbring, who combined to average 36.5 points and shoot 48% from the arc last year. There is some talent still in tow here, though, with Sam Stelken (11.5) and Riley LeGrand (7.1) back. Stelken was second in the division in rebounding last season, while LeGrand led the league in assists (ranking among the state leaders with 184). Watch for returnees Ben Palmer (2.6) and Mitch Gehling (1.1). Gehling, a 6-6 post who runs the floor very well, could have a big season with LeGrand setting him up for easy buckets. Beckman always has a strong team, and this one will be no different.
Maquoketa (12-10): A very streaky team last season, the Cardinals won seven of their first eight games before losing five straight, followed by another four game winning streak. Now, they have to replace their leading scorer, and three of their top four scorers, and will be playing with a new head coach after Derek Roberts left to take the Iowa City High job. Still, they bring back a Division I player in Air Force signee Abraham Kinrade (14.8), a 6-7 wing with the ability to score from anywhere. With Jon Ernst graduated, look for Kinrade to have the ball in his hands a lot and he should have a huge season. Austin Schmidt (2.1) is the only other returnee who saw any significant playing time, so Kinrade will have a lot of new faces alongside him.
Mount Vernon (17-6): The Mustangs lose a pair of 15-point a game scorers in Tommy Hook and Connor Herrmann, who were both varsity mainstays for four years. However, leading scorer Austin Ash (16.0, 42.6 3P%) is back, which means they’re going to be dangerous again. Ash is one of the most dangerous shooters in the state, and with the ball in his hands a majority of the time this season, he will be one of the top scorers in the state. Drew Adams (4.7) is a steady guard to put alongside Ash, but there are lots of other question marks across the rest of the roster. Look for Ash to have lots of 30+ point games this winter, and with him on their side, there will still be lots of wins coming for Mount Vernon.
Solon (10-15): The Spartans made a surprise run to the state tournament last season behind the strong play of the now-graduated Streeter McIlravy. And while they lose their top two scorers in McIlravy and Brevin Hill, they do bring back a decent amount of experience from that group. They’ll be led by forward Jacob Coons (9.6), an Iowa football commit. A strong, physical player, Coons should have a big year for the Spartans. Ben Krutzfeldt (6.1) and Luke Ira (5.2) will hold it down on the perimeter, joined by Sterling McIlravy (3.5). Krutzfeldt was very good in the Dynasty Fall League and should have a nice season. If they can get some consistent production out of 6-6 center Adam Runyan (2.7, 69.4 FG%), this team could compete for an upper-half finish in the division. He’ll be the key to their season.
West Delaware (16-7): The Hawks figure to be the class of not only the division, but they could arguably be the second best team in Class 3A this season. All but 12 points return for this group, and they’ll be led by a fantastic duo of forward who will control the paint every night. John Nagel (14.6) is a strong, physical senior forward, while Derek Krogmann (11.5, 8.9 rebounds) is an emerging force as just a sophomore. Krogmann had a great summer with the Iowa Barnstormers after his strong freshman season, and he’s picked up his first Division I offer from North Dakota. A gifted player on the block, he’s also got a seven foot wingspan that makes him a terror on the defensive end. On the perimeter, the Hawks will be able to put a number of three point shooters around Krogmann and Nagel with Kyle Wright (8.7, 41 3PM), Tyler Kelley (8.4, 41.1 3P%) and Marshall McCarty (4.6, 46.8 3P%). The final piece of the puzzle is point guard Ryan Trainer, a solid lead guard who does a nice job running the offense and finding the open man. With their entire rotation returning, look for this group to make a lot of noise around the state this season.
Western Dubuque (11-11): What could have been a breakout year for the Bobcats took a big hit this fall when leading scorer Jordan Lake underwent a season-ending knee surgery, meaning Lake and his 15 points a game will be on the sidelines this season. Still, they return six of their next seven scorers, so there is plenty of experience and talent still on the floor. They’ll be led by Dylan Gotto (9.7) and Ryan Samson (7.2), an inside-out combination that should produce at a high level with Lake sidelined. Gregory Bennett (5.7), Nick Lembezeder (5.2) and Alec Wulfkuhle (3.5) all saw significant playing time last season as well, giving the Bobcats a veteran lineup. The move up to 4A, coupled with the loss of Lake, will hurt come playoff time, but this is still a team that can compete for the division crown.
PROJECTED ORDER OF FINISH
1. West Delaware
2. Dyersville Beckman
3. Mount Vernon
4. Western Dubuque
5. Solon
6. Maquoketa
7. Central DeWitt
8. Anamosa
Analysis: West Delaware figures to be one of the best teams in Class 3A, and as such, is a significant favorite here. Beckman returns a good amount of talent, but losing Squiers and Willenbring means they don’t quite have the firepower to knock off the Hawks. Mount Vernon gets the edge at No. 3 because of Ash, and teams three through six are all capable of putting together runs come playoff time.
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Austin Ash, Mount Vernon, 2017: 16.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 48.1 FG%, 42.6 3P%, 88.4 FT%
The preferred-walk-on Iowa commit has a good chance to lead 3A in scoring after the Mustangs lost a pair of 15-point a game scorers to graduation. The wiry guard can fill it up in a hurry, and is one of the state’s most dangerous perimeter shooters, knocking down 60 of his 141 attempts from the arc last year. Look for a number of 30+ point games from the Mount Vernon sharpshooter.
BIGGEST SLEEPER
Mitch Gehling, Dyersville Beckman, 2018: A 6-6 forward who runs the floor well, look for Gehling to put together a strong season as the beneficiary of lots of easy buckets from Riley LeGrand.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Austin Ash, Mount Vernon, 2017
Abraham Kinrade, Maquoketa, 2017
John Nagel, West Delaware, 2017
Derek Krogmann, West Delaware, 2019
Tyler Kelley, West Delaware, 2018
Ryan Trainer, West Delaware, 2017
Kyle Wright, West Delaware, 2017
Sam Stelken, Dyersville Beckman, 2017
Riley LeGrand, Dyersville Beckman, 2017
Jacob Coons, Solon, 2017
Luke Ira, Solon, 2018
Ben Krtuzfeldt, Solon, 2018
Dylan Gotto, Western Dubuque, 2017
Matt Burke, Central DeWitt, 2017