Conference Preview: CIML Central
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The Teams Ames (11-13): The most production gained by a team this offseason was definitely Ames. First of all, they return the #1 ranked player in the Class of 2022 in Tamin Lipsey Tamin Lipsey 6'2" | PG Ames |…
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Ames (11-13): The most production gained by a team this offseason was definitely Ames. First of all, they return the #1 ranked player in the Class of 2022 in Tamin Lipsey Tamin Lipsey 6'2" | PG Ames | 2022 State #163 Nation IA . Lipsey, who is fully recovered from knee surgery, which held him out this past season is looking to lead his team back to a positive record this upcoming season. The heady and athletic lead guard, Lipsey is a stat sheet stuffer who does a little bit of everything, but can take over games when needed. The top 2 leading scorers from this past season Keyshaun Brooks Keyshaun Brooks 6'1" | CG Ames | 2021 State IA (14.8) and Corey Phillips Corey Phillips 6'5" | PF Ames | 2022 State IA (9.2 points and 6 rebounds) both also return as Brooks will be a senior and Phillips a junior. It’s looking like the two players who will fill out the startling lineup is Trevion Labeaux Trevion Labeaux 6'3" | SF Ames | 2022 State IA (14.8) and Jonathan Beverly Jonathan Beverly 6'2" | SF Ames | 2022 IA (6.3), who both have moved to Ames High from their respective schools. Labeaux comes from Waterloo East, and will bring size and athleticism to this lineup along with scoring. Beverly, coming from Des Moines Hoover, will give the Ames backcourt more quickness, defensive capabilities, and talent. Both are ranked in the top 25 of our Class of 2022 rankings. Senior guard Casey Mumm Casey Mumm 5'11" | PG Ames | 2021 State IA is also returning to the squad after sitting out the 2019-2020 season with a knee injury as well. Mumm shoots it well and averaged 5.9 points as a sophomore two seasons ago. The questions are about depth and whether this team can put it together. I think with Lipsey at the helm, the ceiling on this team could be higher than some think.
Ankeny (21-5): The reigning Class 4A state champs are looking to repeat, though they do face some significant departures as their top 3 scorers exhausted their eligibility. Braxton Bayless Braxton Bayless 6'1" | PG Ankeny | 2020 State IA (22.9), Jaxon Smith (14.5), and Jordan Kumm Jordan Kumm 5'10" | PG Ankeny | 2020 State IA (9.3) have both moved onto collegiate life, and the Hawks will be looking to Junior, Ryan Crandall Ryan Crandall 6'1" | SF Ankeny | 2022 State IA (6 points) to become the leader. He will be helped by a host of others Brecken Manus Brecken Manus 6'0" | SF Ankeny | 2021 State IA (5.5), Bentor Neyail (3.3), Matt Stueckradt (2.5), and Braden Simonsen (2.5). They will need to continue their defensive prowess that they had going at the state tournament when they held both Iowa City West and Cedar Falls and their respective offenses to under 60 points in the first two rounds. Their 3pt shooting will be a key to this team as Crandall (40%), Stueckradt (37.9%) and Manus (36.6%) bring back some firepower from the perimeter. 6’6 Sophomore JJ Kohl also could factor into this team as he has moved from Ankeny Centennial to Ankeny. He hasn’t logged any varsity minutes, but provides size and length. Winning a state championship brings about good pedigree and environment for the Hawks to return to, and they will look to build upon that.
Centennial (24-3): Centennial Jaguars lose their leading scorer in Cody McCullough Cody McCullough 6'7" | PF Ankeny Centennial | 2020 State IA (14.3) and 2 more of their top 5 scorers, but I don’t see them taking a step back. The Jaguars will retool with Jaron Crews (13.4), who is a solid PG who I’ve grown to like over the summer and fall season. With him and sharp shooting, Midland commit Colin McAleer Colin McAleer 6'3" | SG Ankeny Centennial | 2021 State IA (7.3 points, 37.5% 3pt) they will form a solid core to build around. Crews can score the basketball but another attribute he possesses is his ability to distribute at a high level as well, dishing out 4.5 assists per game this past season. Centennial will likely take a step back in conference and overall record, but look for them to be competitive. They will look for an uptick in production from Brock Jensen (2.2), D’Eric Smith (1.9) and Michael Joensen (1.2).
Dowling Catholic (16-8): Senior-laden teams who seem to always backfill are what we’ve become accustom to at Dowling, and that won’t change this basketball season. The Maroons did lose Matt Stilwill (12.1), Drew Daniel Drew Daniel 6'5" | SF Dowling Catholic | 2020 State IA (8.7) and Omaha Biliew Omaha Biliew 6'8" | SF Link Academy | 2023 #14 Nation FL (6.2) by way of school transfer or graduation, but they do bring back their leading scorer in Senior, Ryan Riggs Ryan Riggs 6'9" | PF Dowling Catholic | 2021 State IA (12.2) and fellow Senior Matt Riedl Matt Riedl 6'2" | SF Dowling Catholic | 2021 State IA (6.7). Riggs is a big 6’9 post player who has experienced the varsity level for a couple of years now and is looking to have a big senior season. Riedl is a 6’5 wing who can score it from all three levels and has athleticism that allows him to convert around the basket well. The Maroons will also rely on long distance shooter Simon Daniel (45.5 3pt%) and big men Jack Groeteke Jack Groeteke 6'9" | C Dowling Catholic | 2021 State IA (1.3) and Andrew Lentsch (2.5) to bring shooting and size inside. Guard play will be key to Dowling’s success as they have size to go toe-to-toe with any opponent inside.
Johnston (15-8): Quite the opposite of Dowling, Johnston has some talented perimeter players and will need depth inside if they’re going to compete for a conference championship. The Dragons returning leading scorer does happen to be 6’6, Senior Max Roquet Max Roquet 6'6" | C Johnston | 2021 State IA (11.6 points, 9.1 rebounds) who will be solid inside on the boards and scoring the basketball as he nearly averaged a double-double this past season. Junior, Steven Kramer Steven Kramer 6'5" | SG Johnston | 2022 State IA is another 6’6 player who categorizes more as a winger who can score it at all levels and has been impressive all summer and fall that will additionally provide length and athleticism to this Dragons team. The guards who are looking to combine well on the outside are Juniors Trey Lewis Trey Lewis 5'10" | PG Johnston | 2022 State IA (10.9), Jacob Runyan Jacob Runyan 5'9" | PG Dallas Center-Grimes | 2022 State IA (4.0) and Senior Reid Grant Reid Grant 6'1" | PG Johnston | 2021 State IA (9.3). The North Dakota commit Reid Grant Reid Grant 6'1" | PG Johnston | 2021 State IA is a tough player on both ends of the court and does well as a pass-first PG with 3.7 assists per game this past season. This team has a lot of potential to go along with it and living up to that will be the challenge for the Dragons. Senior guard, Karter Kriegel should also provide production along with Tyler Kronlage who gives them size depth inside.
Urbandale (10-13): The J-Hawks were a young team this past season returning a core of good scoring options. However, they do lose their leading scorer in Cal Watson (9.9) to graduation. It will be on Seniors Drew Dykstra Drew Dykstra 6'0" | PG Urbandale | 2021 State IA (8.0), Dylan Sams Dylan Sams 5'10" | CG Urbandale | 2021 State IA (7.8), Grant DeKruyf Grant DeKruyf 6'3" | PG Urbandale | 2021 State IA (6.3), Juniors Dillon Kuehl Dillon Kuehl 6'1" | SG Urbandale | 2022 IA (7.7), Greysn Schmitz (1.7) and Sophomores Kai Black (4.4), Jack Craig (0.5) who were all contributors this past season to shoulder the load now. The two that seem primed to have a breakout season are Drew Dykstra Drew Dykstra 6'0" | PG Urbandale | 2021 State IA and Dylan Sams Dylan Sams 5'10" | CG Urbandale | 2021 State IA who are savvy guards who can get the offense going. It will be tough in this conference to get out of the bottom spot this season, but it will all rely on these contributors taking steps in their game.
Projected Order of Finish
1. Ames
2. Johnston
3. Centennial
4. Ankeny
5. Dowling Catholic
6. Urbandale
Analysis: This will arguably be the toughest conference in the state and the entire Class 4A. I really like the starting 5 in the Ames lineup but will need to have some depth and bench players to step up. Johnston has another solid top 6 players but will need more depth, but if they can prove that, they could overtake Ames for the top spot. For Centennial they have a nice returning core of players but I’ll be looking to see who steps up to fill the shoes left. Ankeny is almost the same as Centennial in terms of players stepping up, but they don’t have the go-to scorer like the Jaguars have in Crews that gives them the edge. Dowling will always have a say in this conference, but guard play will be important if they’d like to make a run. Urbandale seems to be just a step behind the other teams in the conference, but could make a run in the tournament when they get outside of conference play.
Preseason Player of the Year
Tamin Lipsey Tamin Lipsey 6'2" | PG Ames | 2022 State #163 Nation IA , Ames High School (2022): Freshman Stats (2018-2019, injured in 2019-2020) 17.0 points, 4.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds, 52.3% FG, 37.9% 3PT
Though Lipsey has a claim to being the best in the state of any class, this decision still was tough with the talent that is in this conference. Though Lipsey sat out this past season with a knee injury, he was good playing for D1 Minnesota this summer and looked like he was getting back to his full self on the hardwood. Look for him to impact the game in a variety of ways for the Little Cyclones and give opposing defenses fits on both ends of the floor.
Players to watch
Tamin Lipsey Tamin Lipsey 6'2" | PG Ames | 2022 State #163 Nation IA , Ames (2022)
Trevion Labeaux Trevion Labeaux 6'3" | SF Ames | 2022 State IA , Ames (2022)
Keyshaun Brooks Keyshaun Brooks 6'1" | CG Ames | 2021 State IA , Ames (2021)
Jonathan Beverly Jonathan Beverly 6'2" | SF Ames | 2022 IA , Ames (2022)
Corey Phillips Corey Phillips 6'5" | PF Ames | 2022 State IA , Ames (2022)
Max Roquet Max Roquet 6'6" | C Johnston | 2021 State IA , Johnston (2021)
Steven Kramer Steven Kramer 6'5" | SG Johnston | 2022 State IA , Johnston (2022)
Reid Grant Reid Grant 6'1" | PG Johnston | 2021 State IA , Johnston (2021)
Trey Lewis Trey Lewis 5'10" | PG Johnston | 2022 State IA , Johnston (2022)
Jacob Runyan Jacob Runyan 5'9" | PG Dallas Center-Grimes | 2022 State IA , Johnston (2022)
Matthew Riedl, Dowling (2021)
Ryan Riggs Ryan Riggs 6'9" | PF Dowling Catholic | 2021 State IA , Dowling (2021)
Jack Groeteke Jack Groeteke 6'9" | C Dowling Catholic | 2021 State IA , Dowling (2021)
Jaron Crews, Centennial (2021)
Colin McAleer Colin McAleer 6'3" | SG Ankeny Centennial | 2021 State IA , Centennial (2021)
Ryan Crandall Ryan Crandall 6'1" | SF Ankeny | 2022 State IA , Ankeny (2022)
Brecken Manus Brecken Manus 6'0" | SF Ankeny | 2021 State IA , Ankeny (2021)
Drew Dykstra Drew Dykstra 6'0" | PG Urbandale | 2021 State IA , Urbandale (2021)
Drew Sams, Urbandale (2021)