Conference Preview: NICL East
The Teams Aplington-Parkersburg (15-6, 15-2): The Falcons lose an outstanding player in Carter Cuvelier, along with the top four scorers from last year’s 15-win team. Owen Thomas (4.0) and Josh Haan (4.0) are the team’s leading returning scorers, and while…
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Continue ReadingThe Teams
Aplington-Parkersburg (15-6, 15-2): The Falcons lose an outstanding player in Carter Cuvelier, along with the top four scorers from last year’s 15-win team. Owen Thomas (4.0) and Josh Haan (4.0) are the team’s leading returning scorers, and while they didn’t post huge numbers last year, they’re a good pair to start building around. Thomas knocked down 18 3s last year and should be the team’s top perimeter scoring threat, while Haan, a 6-6 junior big man, could become a dominant two-way force in the paint for the Falcons. He shot 66.7% from the floor last year. Riley Oberhuaser (3.4) is also back in the backcourt, and he should be the team’s lead guard this year after dishing out 50 assists last year, good for second on the team. Look for increased production out of sophomore guard Jayden Mackie (1.3), who played sparingly last year as a freshman, but he has talent. Cameron Luhring (1.9) gives them some more shooting. The Falcons always go deep, and that should remain this year. That depth, combined with the athleticism, length and talent they routinely put on the floor, should keep them near the top of the league this year, even with a bunch of new pieces adjusting to much larger roles. This is the definition of a program.
Columbus Catholic (2-20, 2-17): The Sailors from Waterloo struggled to score last year, ranking 86th in 2A at just 46.5 points a game, with 34-25-59 shooting splits. Cannon Butler (11.5) returns after leading the team in scoring and rebounding (10.0 a game), and in all, the top three scorers from last year’s team are back. Reed Ulses (6.0) and Daniel Buchanan (5.5) provide some experience, as do Carter Gallagher (3.6) and Charlie Dugan (2.3). That said, this group did win just two games last year. They may win a few more this year, but they’ll still be at the bottom of the league.
Denver (16-7, 12-7): Last year’s Cyclones team was interesting, in that the majority of the production came either from seniors or sophomores. Luckily for Denver, the sophomores outnumbered the seniors, and three of the best ones are back now as juniors. Three double-figure scorers return, led by Kyler Matthias (15.8) and Bryce Phelps (15.7), a tandem that combined to make 133 3-pointers last season and will make up one of the better backcourts in 2A. Phelps dished out 150 assists last season and also led the team with 66 steals. Isaac Besh (10.0) is the other returning starter, he made 39 3s of his own and is a really good secondary ball handling option, dishing out 78 assists last season (against 49 turnovers). Guard play goes a long way towards winning high school basketball games, and the Cyclones have three good ones to build around. Five of their seven losses last season came to either Aplington-Parkersburg or Dike-New Hartford. Both of those teams should be down a bit this year, which should help out Denver as well.
Dike-New Hartford (21-2, 17-1): The Wolverines qualified for State last year, but lose nearly 70% of their scoring from that team. They’ll be led by the guard trio of Dane Fuller (9.9), Derek Kinney (5.6) and Parker Kiewiet (2.7), the three returnees who saw significant time last year. Kiewiet is a solid shooter, while Kinney and Fuller are both capable shooters, but better attacking the rim. Look for more out of junior guard AJ Wegener this year as well. Expect to see the Wolverines get a major contribution from Landen Sullivan, who started on Cedar Falls’ loaded sophomore team last year, and has transferred to Dike-New Hartford. A solid scoring wing, he should really enjoy the step down to 2A competition, and could become a go-to scoring threat for the Wolverines. D-NH always has a deep rotation, and despite losing a lot of production, don’t expect that to change. This school, like Aplington-Parkersburg, generally reloads rather than rebuilds.
Hudson (7-15, 6-13): The Pirates really struggled to score last year, averaging just 41.9 points a game, which ranked 122nd in 1A. And they lose the only double figure scorer from that group in Jacob Murray, who averaged 15.1 a night. Carter Swope (7.0) is the leading returnee, while Sam Hansen (6.2) should provide some shooting on the perimeter. Six of the top eight from last year’s rotation are back, but this group needs to protect the ball better (363 turnovers, 214 assists) if they want to become more efficient and win more games. They’re a solid defensive team, allowing just 50.9 points a game last year, so hopefully the continuity with the majority of the roster returning helps them score a bit more and win a few more.
Jesup (13-9, 12-6): The J-Hawks closed last season strong, winning seven of their last eight games before a blowout postseason loss to eventual champion North Linn. The good news is that they bring three of the top four scorers from that group back in Brodie Kresser (10.0), Cooper Fuelling (9.8) and Landon Borrett (7.8). Kresser and Fuelling combined to make 84 3-pointers last season, and should give Jesup one of the better shooting backcourts in the division, while Borrett is a strong interior presence who rebounds well. No other returnee scored more than 2 points last year, so it’ll be a lot of new faces alongside that trio.
Sumner-Fredericksburg (11-11, 9-10): The Cougars had their most successful season in a while last year, finishing .500 and showing what they were capable of with wins over Denver and Gladbrook-Reinbeck. But they were also blown out by the better teams in the league, Aplington-Parkersburg and Dike-New Hartford, so there is still a ways to go. They bring back leading scorer James Stimson (13.5), who led the team with 49 made 3s, and three of their top four scorers overall. Kelby Olson (8.3) is an efficient forward who shot 56% from the floor and was second on the team in rebounding last year, while Kody VanEngelenburg (7.3) also does a majority of his damage inside the arc. No other returnee scored more than 11 points last year, so there will be a lot of new pieces filling into key roles.
Union (2-18, 2-13): The Knights won just two games last year, both against Columbus. Three of the top four scorers return, led by Keegan Block (12.8), who also led the team in assists. Caleb Reel (7.1) and Devin Reel (4.4) also return, after combining to make 58 3s last year, giving them some shooting. This group will need to protect the ball better (372 turnovers, 183 assists) and become much more efficient offensively (34-29-60 shooting splits) if they want to win more games.
Wapsie Valley (12-9, 8-7): Wapsie loses one of the state’s biggest scorers in Paul Rundquist, but brings back some solid talent and should be a more balanced group this year. The Warriors will be led by 6-5 senior forward Kiks Rosengarten (15.6), an efficient low-post player who also led the team in rebounding last year. He’ll be flanked by guards Blayde Bellis (7.6), Kobe Risse (5.5) and Tyler Ott (2.7), who should give them some shooting from the arc. Risse’s season was cut short by injury last year, but he was productive as a freshman and should be a welcome addition to this group. While Rundquist provided the ability to beat anyone if he got hot, he also took a ton of shots, and at times, it didn’t allow others to get involved. Look for a more balanced attack this year, and that could lead to a similar record, despite losing a big-time scorer.
Projected Order of Finish
1. Denver
2. Dike-New Hartford
3. Aplington-Parkersburg
4. Jesup
5. Sumner-Fredericksburg
6. Wapsie Valley
7. Hudson
8. Union
9. Columbus Catholic
Analysis: Denver returns the most of any team in this league, and should take advantage of “down” teams from both D-NH and A-P. That said, both of those programs are still incredibly dangerous, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see either of them remain at the top of the division.
Preseason Player of the Year
2021 Bryce Phelps, Denver: 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2.9 steals
Second behind his teammate Kyler Matthias in returning scoring, Phelps is also the leading returnee in both assists and steals in the division. A stat sheet stuffing point guard, he’s the focal point for a Cyclones team that should be the best in the division, and one of the best in 2A.
Biggest Sleeper
2021 AJ Wegener, Dike-New Hartford: Wegener is a small (5-8), but lightning quick guard who can get into the paint, pass it and create some chaos on the defensive end of the floor. He hardly saw the floor last year on a deep D-NH team, but look for him to make an impact this year.
Players to Watch
2021 Bryce Phelps, Denver
2021 Kyler Matthias, Denver
2021 Isaac Besh, Denver
2020 Kiks Rosengarten, Wapsie Valley
2021 Blayde Bellis, Wapsie Valley
2020 James Stimson, Sumner-Fredericksburg
2020 Kelby Olson, Sumner-Fredericksburg
2021 Kody VanEngelenburg, Sumner-Fredericksburg
2021 Dane Fuller, Dike-New Hartford
2020 Derek Kinney, Dike-New Hartford
2020 Keegan Block, Union
2020 Caleb Reel, Union
2020 Cannon Butler, Columbus Catholic
2021 Reed Ulses, Columbus Catholic
2021 Brodie Kresser, Jesup
2020 Cooper Fuelling, Jesup
2020 Landon Borrett, Jesup
2021 Owen Thomas, Aplington-Parkersburg
2021 Josh Haan Aplington-Parkersburg
2020 Riley Oberhauser, Aplington-Parkersburg
2021 Carter Swope, Hudson
2021 Sam Hansen, Hudson