Conference Preview: Pride of Iowa
The Teams
Bedford (10-12): The Bulldogs lose three of their top five scorers from last season, but there is a lot of reason to be optimistic, as the two who return are a pair of talented sophomores coming off of huge freshmen seasons. Brennan Sefrit (19.2) put together one of the best freshman seasons of any player we’ve seen since this site launched, and 6-4 forward Cooper Nally (10.5) has the size and skill level to be a major matchup problem in the POI. Sefrit knocked down 60 3s last season while also leading the team in assists and steals, and he should be one of the best scorers in 1A for the next three seasons. Nally shot 54.7% from the floor, finished second on the team in rebounding and blocked 32 shots, proving to be a rim protector last season. They’ll certainly need to find some production out of players like Damien Henry (3.5) and Kolton Jackson (1.9) if they want to make a serious push towards the top third of the league, but the Sefrit-Nally combination is going to be an awful lot of fun to watch, and definitely a tandem to keep an eye on over the next three years.
Central Decatur (17-5): The Cardinals figure to be right at the top of the league this season, battling with Martensdale-St. Mary’s and I-35 for supremacy. Six of the top seven scorers return for this group, headlined by Carter Boothe (17.3), who led the team in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals last season and is one of the league’s best players. A valuable lead guard, he dished out 161 assists last year, good for ninth in the state. They have some quality coming back on the interior as well, with Grant Atwood (8.5, 59.4 FG%) and Cole Pedersen (7.6, 45.1%), who do all of their damage inside the arc. Gideon Porter (3.2) provides them some more size and toughness off the bench. Michael Evertsen (5.3) shot an eye-popping 23-36 (63.9%) from behind the arc and figures to step into a more prominent role alongside Boothe this winter. The final key returnee is Trae Petty (2.9), a solid ball handler who can allow Boothe to move off the ball occasionally. This is a well balanced group that should have no issues scoring and should be just as good defensively as they were last year, when they ranked eighth in 2A in scoring defense (46.5 points a game). In addition to pushing for a league title, they could potentially make a run to the state tournament if they get a nice draw.
East Union (12-11): After putting together a solid season last year, the Eagles will be hard pressed to win many games after losing their top three, and four of their top five, scorers from last year. Kyle Campbell (5.0) is the only returnee with significant experience back and he’ll be asked to step into the primary scoring role. This group will likely find themselves at the bottom of the league.
Interstate 35, Truro (15-9): Leading scorer Brennan McCuddin is gone, but every other player who scored more than seven points last year returns for the Roadrunners, meaning this team is going to be really dangerous. They’ll be led by the double-figure scoring tandem of Chris Godfrey (13.3) and Richie Griglione (11.3), who each shot 51% from the floor last season. Austin Clark (6.5), Mick Schaffer (5.3) and Bridget Hutton (6.3) likely round out the starting five, with Hutton being the primary scoring option from the arc. This isn’t a team that relies on the 3-ball, they’ll defend, get out in transition and get easy buckets at the rim. With the talent and experience returning, this is the team that will push Central Decatur the hardest (they did take two of three from the Cardinals last year, after all).
Lenox (8-15): After finishing near the bottom of the conference last year, the Tigers figure to find themselves back near the cellar this year after losing a pair of big-time scorers, and three of their top four scorers overall. Samual Donaldson (10.2) is a gifted combo forward who can score around the rim or stretch out to the arc, but he’ll need to have some players step up around him, as he’s the only player returning who averaged more than three points a game. Trey Whipple (3.0) was the team’s second leading rebounder a year ago and should provide some toughness and physicality in the paint, and Still Carter (3.6) will step into the point guard role after dishing out 23 assists to just nine turnovers last year. But this roster is thin on experience, and in a league with lots of returning talent, it’ll be difficult to find many wins this season.
Martensdale-St. Mary’s (18-7): Four of the top six scorers have graduated from last year’s Blue Devils. Fortunately for them, the best player in the league is back in 6-7 forward Brady Gavin (22.6, 13.2 rebounds). Gavin is one of the best multi-sport athletes in the state, and with his size and skill level, nobody in the POI is going to slow him down. The next leading returnee is Garrison Haupts (4.0), who figures to step into the point guard role after posting a positive assist-to-turnover ratio last year. While this group will most certainly take a step back after last year’s very solid 18-win campaign, they’ll still be a player in this league race. That’s how good Gavin is, and how confident we are in this program’s ability to reload with new athletes.
Mount Ayr (6-16): Looking for a team that could skyrocket up the league standings? Look no further. The Raiders finished last season by winning four of their last six games, and they lost seven games by single digits last winter. Oh, and they return everyone from that roster. This is a really balanced team that saw six players average between 5.2 and 9.7 points a game last season. They’ll be led by the duo of guard Isaac Grose (9.7, 42.1 3P%) and John Shields (9.0, 59.3 FG%), who will give the Raiders a quality inside-out tandem. Luke Wurster (8.2), Dawson Frost (7.4), Tristan Holmes (6.6) and Myles Greene (5.2) provide some shooting on the perimeter, giving this team a potentially dangerous attack. After scoring just 48.5 points a game last season, we’ll be looking for a more potent attack this year, which should push this team above the .500 mark.
Nodaway Valley (12-10): Headlined by one of the best players in the league, the perennially strong Wolverines will be looking to rebound from what was a down year for the program, finishing just two games above .500 last year. Spencer Lamb (18.0) led the team in scoring and rebounding last season and is one of the most difficult players to defend in the conference with his ability to score from anywhere and his relentless pursuit of the ball on both ends of the floor. Brady Hilpipre (9.7) and Spencer Thompson (7.2) are capable shooters to put alongside Lamb, but if this team really wants to improve their record, they’ll need to buy in on the defensive end after what was a pretty bad year on that end of the floor. They allowed 60.6 points a game last season, good for 110th (out of 148 teams) in 1A. If they can improve on that end and get that number down into the 52-53 range, they can contend for an upper third finish, because they’ll be able to score on just about anyone.
Pleasantville (13-8): The bad news for the Trojans is that they lost do-everything guard Brady Elder, who led the team in scoring by a wide margin last year. The good news is that scorers Nos. 2 thru 5 return, giving them plenty of returning experience. Gauge VanHaalen (10.9) will likely be the leading scorer, and he’s a dangerous shooter from the arc, knocking down 50 3s last year. Owen Worthington (7.1) will join him on the perimeter and maintain his lead guard role after leading the team in assists. Devon Dursky (5.9, 64.0 FG%) and Kyle Amendt (5.4, 54.1 FG%) will anchor the interior, both efficient post players who know where they excel and don’t try to do too much. They’ll provide this group with plenty of balance. Lots of experience returns for Pleasantville, and while they don’t have an all-state caliber player like they had with Elder, they shouldn’t see too much of a drop-off in their record.
Southeast Warren, Liberty Center (4-19): The Warhawks struggled last season, picking up just four wins and shooting at 32-25-55 clips. Now, they lose their leading scorer from that team, and three of the top six rotation players. The good news is that Coleton Ademeit (11.5) is back after finishing second in scoring and leading the team in rebounding, steals and blocks. The 6-3 senior is the type of versatile player who can have a big night on any given evening. Dalton Weeks (3.7) is a capable shooter from distance, and Caleb Vandelune (3.9) and Colton Greif (3.1) provide some experience. But don’t expect many more wins from this group considering the talent returning in the league.
Southwest Valley (14-11): The Timberwolves return one of the league’s better scorers in Chance Cobb (13.2), a gifted guard who led the team in assists and can score from anywhere on the floor. With their second and third leading scorers graduated, Cobb’s scoring output should increase. The good thing for this group is that those two are the only two who scored last year that don’t return to the roster. Grant Maurer (8.8) and Jace Petersen (4.7) will join Cobb in the backcourt, while Trenton Drake (7.9) figures to be the primary option on the interior. This team should finish in the upper half of the league again this year, and could make a push towards the upper third of the conference if a few things bounce their way.
Wayne, Corydon (9-13): Talented scorer Bronson Carpenter (14.7) returns to lead the Falcons, after leading the team in assists and scoring last year. He’ll have the ball in his hands a ton this winter as they look to help some less experienced teammates adjust to bigger roles. Blake Moore (8.0) led the team in rebounding and should be a formidable presence in the paint. Brooks Jacobsen (5.0), Michael Alexander (3.5), Troy Arnold (2.4) and Will Schultz (3.7) played roles last year but will need to increase their production to take some of the pressure off of Carpenter and Moore in the scoring column. This is a group that should finish in a similar range to where they were last season.
Projected Order of Finish
1. Central Decatur
2. Interstate 35, Truro
3. Martensdale-St. Mary’s
4. Pleasantville
5. Southwest Valley
6. Nodaway Valley
7. Bedford
8. Mount Ayr
9. Wayne, Corydon
10. Lenox
11. East Union
12. Southeast Warren, Liberty Center
Analysis: Central Decatur returns the most experience and the second best player in the league, and enters the season as the favorite. I-35 will definitely be heard from after taking two of three from the Cardinals and bringing back everyone except their leading scorer. Martensdale-St. Mary’s has the league’s best player, and teams 4-7 all could make some noise come postseason time, as each has a gifted scorer to lean on. This should be one of the more entertaining small conference races to monitor throughout the year.
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
2018 Brady Gavin, Martensdale-St. Mary’s: 22.6 points, 13.2 rebounds, 72.8 FG%, 1.8 blocks
The 6-7 post is one of the state’s best multi-sport athletes, shining on the diamond as well for one of the best baseball programs in the state. On the hardwood, he’s a dominant low-post scorer who shot an astounding 72.8% from the floor, posted ridiculous double-double averages and was just an all-around stud for the Blue Devils. There’s no reason to expect his production to drop off, as his size and athletic ability is something the teams in this league don’t have an answer for. It’s not out of the question to see him putting up a 25-15 stat line this year.
BIGGEST SLEEPER
2018 Coleton Ademeit, Southeast Warren, Liberty Center: The 6-3 forward was the most efficient player on a bad team last year, and while the Warhawks probably won’t be much better this season, Ademeit should get a chance to shine. He blocked 32 shots last year and led the team in steals, showing he’s a versatile defender.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
2018 Brady Gavin, Martensdale-St. Mary’s
2020 Brennan Sefrit, Bedford
2020 Cooper Nally, Bedford
2019 Spencer Lamb, Nodaway Valley
2019 Brady Hilpipre, Nodaway Valley
2018 Carter Boothe, Central Decatur
2018 Grant Atwood, Central Decatur
2018 Chance Cobb, Southwest Valley
2018 Grant Maurer, Southwest Valley
2018 Trenton Drake, Southwest Valley
2018 Bronson Carpenter, Wayne, Corydon
2018 Blake Moore, Wayne, Corydon
2018 Coleton Ademeit, Southeast Warren
2018 Gauge VanHaalen, Pleasantville
2018 Chris Godfrey, Interstate 35
2019 Richie Griglione, Interstate 35
2020 Isaac Grose, Mount Ayr
2019 John Shields, Mount Ayr
2018 Samual Donaldson, Lenox