Conference Preview: Hawkeye 10
The Teams Atlantic (9-12, 8-9): The Trojans lose a key piece in the form of leading scorer Chase Mullenix, who averaged just under 18 points a game last year. But they bring back their next two scorers in Tyler Moen…
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Atlantic (9-12, 8-9): The Trojans lose a key piece in the form of leading scorer Chase Mullenix, who averaged just under 18 points a game last year. But they bring back their next two scorers in Tyler Moen (13.7) and Skyler Handlos (9.0), giving them a solid foundation to build off of. That duo should combine to form one of the better backcourts in the league. The issue for Atlantic is that the only other returnee who saw significant time is Nile Petersen (2.8), who played well off the bench last year, but will be asked to step into a much larger role this season. The Trojans are generally competitive, and with Moen and Handlos returning, that shouldn’t change. The key to just how competitive they’ll be lies in how well the newcomers fare.
Clarinda (7-15, 5-11): Two of the Cardinals’ wins came against a 1A Southwest Valley team that went 6-16. Two more came against 1-20 Red Oak. The last three came against 5-17 Shenandoah. The gist of that? They beat the teams they were supposed to, and lost to the teams they weren’t. They did lose six games by 10 or fewer, so perhaps they’ll be a bit more competitive this year with their top two scorers returning. They’ll be led by Nathan Lindsay (10.3), who led the team in scoring and rebounding last season, pulling down 110 more rebounds than the next highest player on the roster. Connor Brown (9.0, 31 3PM) led the team in made 3s last year and gives them a perimeter scoring threat. Kory Rogers (4.8), Drew Brown (3.5) and Michael Shull (4.6) all saw time last year as well, so this group has some experience returning. Even with the returning players, it’s hard to envision this group making a big leap, and they’ll likely find themselves in the bottom third of the league again this year.
Creston (10-12, 9-8): The Panthers have a major hole to fill following the graduation of Kylan Smallwood, who averaged 21.3 points and 10.6 rebounds last year. Smallwood finished as the school’s second all-time leading scorer and is going to be really tough to replace with his size, versatility and athleticism. The good news is that they bring a talented pair of junior guards back in Cael Kralik (11.5) and Brance Baker (10.8), who have plenty of varsity experience already under their belts, and will be comfortable stepping into larger scoring roles. Colby Burg (5.3) is another junior guard to pair with that duo with some experience. This group needs to shoot it better from the arc (27.6% last year) and take better care of the ball (279 turnovers, 238 assists) if they want to make a major leap. With how difficult it’s going to be to replace Smallwood, expect to see the Panthers finishing right around .500 in the league again.
Goanar Biliew (Photo credit: KMALand.com)
Denison-Schleswig (18-5, 15-2): The Monarchs were probably the biggest surprise team in the state last season, rattling off 10 straight wins down the stretch before falling by three to Winterset in the substate final, falling just a few possessions short of a state tournament trip. They bring back four starters from that group, including 6-8 power forward Goanar Biliew (18.2, 10.8 rebounds, 74 blocks), who emerged as one of the state’s best two-way big men last year. A great athlete with outstanding size, he’s a force on both ends of the floor and is primed for a huge senior year. His running mate, point guard Charlie Wiebers (16.1, 108 assists) is the straw that stirs the drink, and a solid two-way player in his own right, leading the team with 72 steals. Austin Korner (5.3), a 6-4 forward, returns in the paint to take some pressure off of Biliew, while Damien Magnuson (5.3) is the final returning starter. They’ll need to find some depth, as only Jack Mendlik (3.2) and Bryce Fink (1.7) saw much time off the bench last year as returnees, but the starting group should be as good as any in 3A. The inside-out tandem of Biliew and Wiebers is as good as it gets, but this team is going to need to find some shooting, as no returnee shot better than 34.8% from the arc last year (Wiebers). If a shooter emerges to help take some pressure off of Biliew in the paint, watch out, this could be a state title team.
Zach Carr
Glenwood (14-7, 13-5): The biggest threat to Denison-Schleswig at the top of the conference is probably the Rams. The 2017-18 3A champions bring back two of the best players in the league in guard Zach Carr (16.2) and combo forward Ryan Blum (13.9), who were each key contributors on that state title winning team two years ago. Carr is a slashing guard who does most of his damage inside the arc and by getting to the rim. He led the team in assists last year, and finished second in scoring behind Christian Stanislav, who averaged just under 21 points a night. With Stanislav gone, Carr will have the ball in his hands even more this year, and should emerge as one of the best scoring threats in 3A. Blum is a versatile forward who can score inside and out, handle it a bit, pass it, rebound and protect the rim. He’ll be asked to do a lot for a Glenwood team that pretty much only returns Carr and Blum. No other returnee scored more than 12 points last season, so a lot of new faces will need to fit into key roles, but with a duo as good as Carr and Blum to build around, expect to see them making noise.
Harlan (11-9, 10-5): The Cyclones bring back three of their top five scorers from last year’s group, headlined by Jonathan Monson (9.3), a 6-1 guard who led the team in assists and tied for the lead in made 3-pointers last year with 28. He’ll need to step into an even larger scoring and distributing role following the graduation of Brett Sears, who averaged over 14 points a game last year. Connor Bruck (8.3) and Michael Heithoff (5.4) both return on the perimeter as well, giving Harlan a solid trio of guards to build around. Unfortunately, those are the only three who saw significant time last year, so a lot of new faces will be stepping into key roles. The Cyclones are always competitive under coach Mitch Osborn, and don’t expect that to change, even if they do have a lot of new players to fit into the mix. This group will battle every night.
Kuemper Catholic (8-14, 6-7): Like conference rival St. Albert, the Knights record will always be a bit deceiving when it comes to postseason play, because this is a 2A school playing in a 3A league. They lose their top two scorers, but bring back six of their top 10 rotation pieces from last year, so there is some experience coming back. Kyle Berg (8.4) will be the primary option in the paint, and he’ll be surrounded by Tyler Putney (7.0), Cole Collison (5.2) and Tre Knobbe (2.2). Austin Tigges (2.4) should provide some additional interior presence, and this is a team that could get Blaise Gunnerson back as well. Gunnerson missed last year with a torn labrum, and the Nebraska football commit would be a huge addition (literally) if he decided to lace it up again this year. He averaged 3.0 a game as a sophomore for a state qualifying Kuemper team, and would give this team some much needed size and toughness in the paint.
Lewis Central (13-10, 10-3): There’s good news and bad news for the Titans heading into the 2019-20 season. The bad news is that they lost their top four scorers from last year’s team, all players who averaged between 8.1 and 11.4 points a game. The good news is that this was a deep group last year, and four of the next five return. Logan Jones (7.0) is the leading returning scorer, but Easton Dermody (6.2), Noah Rigatuso (4.9) and Cole Drummond (3.7) all saw plenty of time last year and should be ready to step into starting roles this year. Dermody and Drummond are capable shooting from the arc, while Jones should provide a presence inside. Look for increased production out of 6-5 junior forward Thomas Fidone (1.7), who should be able to provide a bit of rim protection and interior scoring. This group probably isn’t going 10-3 in the league again this year, but they should finish comfortably above .500 again and finish somewhere between 2-6.
Red Oak (1-20, 0-16): The Tigers won just a single game last season, a 3-point win over 1A Southwest Valley, and they lost their 16 league games by an average of 25.2 points a game. There isn’t much reason for optimism here, as they only bring back two of their top six scorers, Kobe Johnson (6.5) and Garrett Couse (3.0). Johnson shot by far the best percentage from the floor last year (51.1%, the team shot 34.3%), and will be called upon to be the go-to scorer. It’s hard to envision the Tigers winning a league game this season.
Shenandoah (5-17, 2-12): The Mustangs’ only two league wins came against Red Oak, and they were largely uncompetitive, with only two of their other conference games decided by single digits. Expect them to be a bit more feisty this year with four of their top six scorers returning. They’re led by Kyle Cerven (14.0), a forward who gets to the line frequently. Following the graduation of Drake Polsley, they’ll need to find some shooting, but Conner Birt (2.0) is a solid lead guard who distributes it and protects the ball. Braden Knight (6.0) and Anthony Stogdill (6.0) will need to step up alongside Cerven to take some scoring. Expect to see Shenandoah be a bit more competitive, but they’ll still finish near the bottom of the conference.
St. Albert (12-14, 6-6): Three starters return from a group that qualified for State and gave eventual three-time 1A champion Grand View Christian their toughest game in Des Moines, losing by just seven points to the Thunder. Following the graduation of Jared Gast, this group will be a little more perimeter oriented with Sam Rallis (10.0), Ryan Hughes (5.2) and Lance Wright (6.9) the three returning starters. Wright and Hughes ranked second and third on the team in made 3s last season while Rallis, an undersized post player, gives them some toughness on the glass and in the paint. Connor Cerny (3.4), Jeff Miller (2.8), Isaac Sherrill (1.4), Aiden Antisdel (1.2), Jack Eickholt (1.5) and Cy Patterson (1.0) all saw action in nearly every game last season and will give CBSA plenty of experience. This group is probably going to be below .500 for much of the season, given the fact they’re a 1A school playing in a 3A league, but that won’t mean that they aren’t one of the best teams in 1A. Expect to see them finish in the middle-of-the-pack in the conference, but competing for another trip to Des Moines come late February.
Projected Order of Finish
1. Denison-Schleswig
2. Glenwood
3. Lewis Central
4. St. Albert
5. Harlan
6. Atlantic
7. Creston
8. Kuemper Catholic
9. Shenandoah
10. Clarinda
11. Red Oak
Analysis: The Monarchs are a pretty easy pick here. They were the best team in the league last year, and return the most. Glenwood and their two stars look like a pretty comfortable #2, and the battle between Lewis Central, St. Albert, Harlan and Atlantic for third should be entertaining.
Preseason Player of the Year
2020 Goanar Biliew, Denison-Schleswig: 18.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.2 blocks, 68.0 FG%
Biliew may have been the single biggest surprise in the state last year, putting together a monstrous 18.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.2 blocks season while shooting 68% from the floor. The 6-8 big man is athletic and has emerged as one of the best two-way players in the state. He’ll put up huge numbers for a Monarchs team that we expect to control this league and be one of the best teams in 3A this year.
Biggest Sleeper
2021 Thomas Fidone, Lewis Central: The 6-5 forward saw a bit of time off the bench last year for the Titans, averaging 1.7 points in 11 games. In those limited minutes, he blocked four shots, and in more time this year, he should emerge as a solid scoring option in the paint and a rim protector.
Players to Watch
2020 Goanar Biliew, Denison-Schleswig
2020 Charlie Wiebers, Denison-Schleswig
2020 Zach Carr, Glenwood
2021 Ryan Blum, Glenwood
2020 Tyler Moen, Atlantic
2021 Skyler Handlos, Atlantic
2020 Kyle Cerven, Shenandoah
2021 Cael Kralik, Creston
2021 Brance Baker, Creston
2020 Nathan Lindsay, Clarinda
2020 Connor Brown, Clarinda
2020 Sam Rallis, St. Albert
2020 Lance Wright, St. Albert
2020 Jonathan Monson, Harlan
2020 Connor Bruck, Harlan
2020 Kyle Berg, Kuemper Catholic
2020 Tyler Putney, Kuemper Catholic
2020 Logan Jones, Lewis Central