Conference Preview: Lakes Conference

The Teams   Cherokee (8-14, 3-9 Lakes) If there were ever a time for Cherokee to contend for a Lakes Conference title, this would be it. The Braves have an experienced bunch led by six-foot-seven Northwestern College commit Ryan Hurd. Hurd, who led the team with 15.5 points per game, also recorded 201 total rebounds and 65 assists. He'll be joined by fellow seniors Alex Paulsrud and Trevor Lundquist. Paulsrud averaged 9.5 PPG, while Lundquist will look to provide more production in his final season. Opposing coaches in the conference are speaking highly of Mark Hurd's squad and know they'll be on high alert when they face the Braves this season.   Estherville/Lincoln Central (5-18, 0-12 Lakes) After finishing over .500 the year before, the Midgets struggled last season and went winless in conference play. Fortunately, junior point guard Octavious Piercy-Maze will finally return to the lineup after suffering multiple knee injuries last year. Teammate Will Larson will be missed this season though after tearing his ACL during club basketball in the spring. Besides Piercy-Maze returning, the Midgets also return their leading scorer in senior Izaak Sander (10.7 PPG). Head coach Nick Gruhlke feels this will be a completely different team than last season with more skilled playmakers.   Spencer (15-7, 8-4 Lakes) Eight seniors return for the Tigers and they hope not only to compete for a conference title but to contend for a berth in the state tournament as well. While it's a roster made up of mostly upperclassmen, its head coach Kory Petzenhauser's son, Karter, who has been making noise. The 6-foot-2 guard led the Tigers his freshman season with 14.8 PPG and had 52 assists. Expect Petzenhauser to mature as a shooter in Year 2 and be amongst the best players in the conference. The biggest question will be who can fill the role of Michael Storey, who was strong on the boards and came down with 168 total rebounds last season.   Spirit Lake (11-13, 4-8 Lakes) The biggest question heading into the season for Spirit Lake is how will it replace the heart and soul of the team in big man Owen Coburn? Coburn not only led the conference with 22.2 PPG and 12.1 rebounds per game but almost led the Indians to the state tournament when he returned for the substate playoffs. Coburn was out a month nursing an injury. While the Indians went 2-7 in his absence, it gave younger players the opportunity to step up and gain experience. Creighton Moricsh (10.6 PPG) and Brent Scott (8.5 PPG) ended up stepping up and will be the main contributors heading into their junior seasons.   Storm Lake (14-7, 9-3 Lakes) Storm Lake took a share of the Lakes Conference title last season with its veteran experience and athleticism. Now its the team in the conference that must replace its top four scorers in Mach Nyaw, Cham Deng, Malga Yanga and Chakouthchok Malou. With the Tornados losing 83 percent of its scoring from last season, head coach Heath Stille will rely on new playmakers to step up. Junior point guard Jamuo Gatwech will be one of those players, along with junior Mark Eddie. Storm Lake will likely go through growing pains early on and will look to build confidence as the season progresses.   Western Christian (13-8, 9-3 Lakes) The Wolfpack weren't as dominant as they had been in years prior but still managed to take home another conference title. Derek Keizer's team was definitely affected by the loss of big man Jacob Vis, who went down with an injury in the second game of the season. With Western Christian still being the team to beat in the conference, it will rely on its senior trio consisting of Dawson Feenstra, Dyson Kooima and Cole Zevenbergen. Feenstra averaged 10.8 PPG and finished second on the team with 67 total rebounds. The 6-foot-6 Zevenbergen will provide a big man presence that the program continues to have year after year.   Projected Order of Finish 1. Western Christian 2. Spencer 3. Cherokee 4. Spirit Lake 5. Storm Lake 6. Estherville/Lincoln Central   Analysis The Lakes Conference loses a stellar program in Le Mars, but will still be just as competitive as it was last season. No team can take a night off in this league because of the parity this league possesses. Western Christian will be the favorite, but not by much. Spencer and Cherokee have the experience to contend for the league title as well.   Preseason Player of the Year Karter Petzenhauser, Spencer- 2022 Petzenhauser is on track to have a storied career for the Tigers after a successful freshman campaign. After averaging 14.8 PPG and leading the team in scoring, he played with Martin Brothers on the AAU circuit and will be a much-improved shooter from the perimeter.   Biggest Sleeper Creighton Moricsh, Spirit Lake 2021 As mentioned above, Moricsh was one of the players that stood out when Coburn was out. He averaged double digits in scoring as only a sophomore and has the ability to be dangerous from behind the arc. Moricsh led the Indians with 59 three-pointers last season.   Players to Watch 2020 Ryan Hurd, Cherokee 2020 Alex Paulsrud, Cherokee 2021 Octavious Piercy-Maze, Estherville/Lincoln Central 2020 Izaak Sander, Estherville/Lincoln Central 2022 Karter Petzenhauser, Spencer 2021 Creighton Morisch, Spirit Lake 2021 Brent Scott, Spirit Lake 2021 Jamuo Gatwech, Storm Lake 2021 Mark Eddie, Storm Lake 2020 Dawson Feenstra, Western Christian 2020 Dyson Kooima, Western Christian 2020 Cole Zevenbergen, Western Christian