Conference Preview: Twin Lakes
The Teams
Alta/Aurelia (21-2): A fantastic season ended in heartbreak for the Warriors, losing in the substate final to Kuemper Catholic, falling just a game short of the state tournament. They’ll be primed to make a similar run this year, returning four of their top five scorers from last year’s group. They’ll be led by guard Carson Kruger (14.3), who led the team in every major category except for scoring (0.3 per game behind Ryan Radke). He’s our pick for the POY in the conference, and he’ll pace a group that will be dynamic on both ends of the floor. The Warriors ranked second in 2A in scoring defense last year, allowing just 42.8 points a game, and there’s no reason to expect that to go away. Jordan Gano (7.0) is a capable shooter from distance, TJ Walter (5.0) gives them some size and physicality in the paint, and Tayler Gano (4.7) and Alex Snyder (3.1) each saw plenty of playing time last season. The bench is filled with players who will see their roles increase, and for good reason, as many of them were effective last year. This is a team that is going to be deep, talented, buys in on the defensive end, and may have the league’s best player. There’s no reason to think they can’t win the conference again.
East Sac County (15-8): The Raiders lost co-leading scorer Sam Scott to graduation, but return three other double figure scorers and everyone else of note from last year’s 15-win team, which should put this group back in contention in the league. They’ll be led by perhaps the conference’s best trio in Levi Olhausen (12.4), Ryan Bellcock (10.5) and Brandyn Clair (10.2), who each bring a little something different to the table. Olhausen likely takes over the lead guard role after finishing second on the team in assists last year, and he’s far and away the team’s best perimeter shooter, knocking down 58 3s last season. Bellcock is a 6-3 combo forward who can score inside and out and is an effective rebounder on both ends of the floor. And Clair does almost all of his damage inside the arc and is the team’s leading returning rebounder. He also blocked 21 shots last year to lead the team. Role players Connor Crabb (7.6), Josh Halbur (3.9) and Alex Gerdes (1.7) are also back, giving East Sac plenty of returning experience, which will prove to be invaluable in a conference that is returning a lot of talent. They should compete for the league title.
Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire (8-14): A team that will be looking to rebound from a down year, the Titans look primed to do so behind the strength of a pair of returnees that will give them one of the best one-two punches in the conference. Jacob Conlon (15.5) and Tom Geelan (15.1) are a pair of big-time scoring wings who can get it done in a variety of ways and have the size to be matchup problems for opposing backcourts. Conlon led the team in assists by a huge margin last season and will have the ball in his hands a lot again this year. If that duo can improve on their perimeter shooting (26.8% and 25.4% from the arc, respectively), they could be in for huge years. Chris Conlon (6.5) is the team’s top returning shooter, knocking down 27 3s at a 36% clip last year. Brady Rosacker (4.3) and Tyson Kruse (2.6) are the other returnees who saw significant playing time last season. That standout duo is nice, but they’ll need to other role players to step up their games if they want to make a serious run at an upper-half finish in the league.
Manson Northwest Webster (5-18): The Cougars struggled to just five wins last winter, but showed some flashes of their potential with an impressive 14-point win over Southeast Valley (even though the Jaguars were without Kaleb Jondle). They lose leading scorer Clay Freimuth from that group, but bring back a pair of double figure scorers and plenty of other experience. The tandem of Riley Peters (11.6) and Cameron Krebsbach (11.0) gives them a talented outside-in combination to work with. Krebsbach only played in five games last season, but the 6-3 senior was effective when he was on the floor, averaging 11 points and nearly seven rebounds a game while shooting 50% from the floor. If he’s able to stay healthy, they could surprise some teams. Brian Pearson (6.5), Mark Condon (4.9) and Keaton Wood (4.2) likely round out the starting five, giving the Cougars plenty of returning experience. Look for an increase in this team’s win total from last year, but with so much talent returning to teams ahead of them, it’ll be tough to see an upper-half finish.
Newell-Fonda (10-14): Looking for a team to take a major step forward this year? It’s probably the Mustangs. This team lost seven games by single digits last year, and they return their top six scorers from a team that was extremely young. Bryce Coppock (16.3) is coming off one of the most productive freshman seasons of any player in the state, dishing out a team-high 109 assists while also leading the team in scoring. He’ll be the star of the show, but there are plenty of supporting roles back as well. Jake Davis (13.2) is the team’s interior presence, shooting better than 52% from the floor last season, and Jesse Haack (6.1), RJ Rojas (5.8) and Treyton Mahler (5.8) all return to the floor as well. Mahler is one of the league’s most dangerous shooters, hitting 35 3s at a 42.2% clip a year ago. With 92% of last year’s production returning to a team that was really close in a lot of games, watch out for the Mustangs in this league, and nobody is going to want to see them come playoff time.
Pocahontas Area (19-3): After a highly successful season last year, the Indians are bound to take a step back, but it may not be as significant a step back as many around the state will be expecting. They lose one of the state’s best players in Austin Roetman, who averaged 23 points and 11.8 rebounds last year, but bring back a pair of double figure scorers who will make them a more perimeter based team than they’ve been in previous years. They’ll be led by Jace Davidson (13.0), a talented lead guard who led the team in assists last year with 87, and if he can clean up the turnovers a bit (79), he could become one of the best point guards in the state. Cameron Callion (12.0) is also back, and he’s a talented 6-3 wing with some size and the ability to play inside and out. Braden Ehn (4.1) and Nathan Aljets (3.1) return to the rotation as well after putting together solid years. If Davidson can become better at valuing possessions, and they can get some increased production out of returning role players like Ehn, Aljets and Nathan Hanson (1.6), this is a group with the star power to still have a say in the conference race.
Sioux Central, Sioux Rapids (6-17): The Rebels lose leading scorer Mac Prior, but the next five return. They’ll be led by the inside-out duo of Jake Hanson (8.3, 57.0 FG%) and Chase Jessen (8.0, 36.7 3P%), a pair that could thrive seeing the ball more. Hunter Decker (7.6), Prestan Samson (6.2) and Caden Krager (5.0) figure to round out the starting five, with Decker joining Jessen in the backcourt. This is a team that doesn’t rely on the 3-ball nearly as much as some other teams, and that could work to their advantage if they’re able to protect the ball. They should be improved over last year, but with so much talent returning on the teams ahead of them, it’ll be hard to make too significant of a leap.
South Central Calhoun (11-12): There are going to be a lot of holes to fill for the Titans this winter, who return only Jared Birks (10.1) among their top eight from last season. Birks was the team’s leading rebounder and third leading scorer last season, but he has almost no returning experience joining him, which could make it a long winter in Lake City.
Southeast Valley (17-6): The Jaguars were already taking a big hit, losing three of their top four scorers to graduation. They took an even bigger hit when leading returnee Kaleb Jondle transferred to Fort Dodge, leaving Southeast Valley without it’s top four scorers from a year ago, and seven of the top nine gone. Nolan Johnson (5.2) is the leading returning scorer, and he’ll have his hands full as they look to break in an entirely new cast of characters. Don’t be surprised to see this group’s record flip from what it was a year ago, as they’ll struggle to compete against the top-notch teams in the upper half of the league.
St. Mary’s, Storm Lake (12-9): The Panthers have a big obstacle to overcome, as they lost prolific scorer Michael Demers, who averaged more than 25 points a game last season, accounting for 38% of the team’s scoring a year ago. The good news is that they have some experience coming back, led by junior wing Reath Yak (8.0), an athletic wing capable of scoring at all three levels. He’ll likely take on the primary scoring role for this group. Jake Heitman (5.3) gives them another returning ball handler, and Will Hurd (5.8) provides some size and rim protection in the paint after blocking 41 shots last season. Chakouthchok Malou (7.3) is the name to monitor in Storm Lake, a 6-2 junior wing who made an impact on both ends of the floor for the Panthers last season and looks primed to take his game to the next level. They’ve got a clear hole to fill, but there is a good amount of talent and experience returning, so this group will likely finish in a similar spot to where they were last year, around .500 and a potentially dangerous postseason team.
West Bend-Mallard (1-20): The Wolverines had a winter to forget last season, winning just one game and averaging just 35.5 points a night. They bring some experience back, as four of the top six scorers from that group return, including the two top scorers in Dan Riesenberg (9.4) and Cole Hoskins (6.1). They’ll be asked to carry the scoring load again, but there can’t be too much room for optimism after the way last year went, and with the quality of the other teams in the league. If they can double last year’s win total, consider the year a success.
Projected Order of Finish
1. Alta/Aurelia
2. East Sac County
3. Newell-Fonda
4. Pocahontas Area
5. St. Mary’s, Storm Lake
6. Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire
7. Manson Northwest Webster
8. Sioux Central, Sioux Rapids
9. Southeast Valley
10. South Central Calhoun
11. West Bend-Mallard
Analysis: Alta/Aurelia looks like a pretty solid favorite in the division, headlined by our preseason POY Carson Kruger and plenty of other returning talent. East Sac County, Newell-Fonda and Pocahontas Area aren’t separated by much and you could make an argument for any of them to be the No. 2 team in the league. St. Mary’s and G-T/R-A have talent and could be difficult teams to play come playoff time.
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
2018 Carson Kruger, Alta/Aurelia: 14.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.7 steals, 55.7 FG%
A highly talented lead guard, Kruger is a big-time stat sheet stuffer who is capable of leading the league in scoring and rebounding this season, while still distributing for his Warriors team that should be very good again this season.
BIGGEST SLEEPER
2018 Cameron Krebsbach, Manson Northwest Webster: He’s a bit overlooked because he played in only five games last season, but when he was on the floor he was highly productive. Don’t be surprised if he’s pushing a double-double average this year for a Cougars team that should be much improved.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
2018 Carson Kruger, Alta-Aurelia
2018 Jordan Gano, Alta-Aurelia
2020 Bryce Coppock, Newell-Fonda
2018 Jake Davis, Newell-Fonda
2019 Jace Davidson, Pocahontas Area/Laurens-Marathon
2018 Cameron Callion, Pocahontas Area/Laurens-Marathon
2018 Jacob Conlon, Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire
2019 Tom Geelan, Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire
2018 Levi Olhausen, East Sac County
2019 Ryan Bellcock, East Sac County
2019 Brandyn Clair, East Sac County
2019 Connor Crabb, East Sac County
2019 Riley Peters, Manson Northwest Webster
2018 Cameron Krebsbach, Manson Northwest Webster
2019 Jared Birks, South Central Calhoun
2018 Dan Riesenberg, West Bend-Mallard
2019 Jake Hanson, Sioux Central
2018 Chase Jessen, Sioux Central
2019 Reath Yak, St. Mary’s, Storm Lake