Conference Preview: SEISC South

<p><span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>The Teams</strong></span></p> <p><strong>Cardinal (10-13):</strong> Cardinal dropped five straight games to close out last season, costing them an above .500 record for the first time this decade. Look for them to get above that .500 mark this year. There has been a youth movement going on in Eldon, and they’ll start to see the benefits of that this year. The top four scorers last season were all sophomores, and now with them being juniors. look for them to start making some noise. [player_tooltip player_id="962689" first="Griffin" last="Greiner"] (13.6) and [player_tooltip player_id="962693" first="Landon" last="Becker"] (13.4) are the leaders of this group, while Blaine Bryant (8.7) is the group’s top shooter. With all the experience they have coming back, the Comets will be looking to make a push for a top-3 finish in the division. </p> <p><strong>Central Lee (4-18):</strong> The Hawks bring back their top two scorers from last year’s group, and five of the top six overall, so there is some hope for improvement. Bronson Sargent (13.6) is the team’s top returning scorer, but this group is going to need to take better care of the basketball if they want to make a real jump.</p> <p><strong>Danville (11-12):</strong> The Bears lose leading scorer and rebounder Taylor Kennsett, but bring back a big-time scorer in junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="962692" first="Ty" last="Carr"] (15.9), who led the team in assists last year. He struggled with turnovers, however, so that will be an area that needs to be addressed this year. Cam Edle (8.0), Cadence Williams (4.0), and Sawyer Nelson (3.0) are the other key returnees for Danville. They should be able to score again, but improvement in the record will depend on how they do on the defensive end. </p> <p><strong>Holy Trinity Catholic (8-14):</strong> The Crusaders were very balanced last year, with six players averaging between 6.3 and 9.8 points a game. Three of those players are back - Vasin Thurman (9.8), Jason Thurman (9.0) and Chandler Rung (7.0) - so expect to see another balanced attack. If this group can improve from the arc (24.1% as a team last season), they could make a bit of noise. </p> [caption id="attachment_1086716" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Blaise-Porter.jpeg?1605730991678"><img class="wp-image-1086716 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/11/Blaise-Porter-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Porter[/caption] <p><strong>New London (16-8):</strong> The Tigers have a Division I point guard in sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="956871" first="Blaise" last="Porter"] (17.3), who is coming off a fantastic freshman season and a great summer with the Iowa Barnstormers. A quick guard who can fill it up from all three levels, Porter is also capable of getting his teammates involved at a high level and is a pest on the defensive end. He’s going to put up some astronomical numbers for the Tigers during his last three years. The other key returnee for them is fellow sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="956872" first="Kade" last="Benjamin"] (11.7), an agile big man who runs the floor, can stretch it, and really protects the paint with his shot blocking. Devon Swanson (5.9) and Torren Riley (2.1) are the other returnees with experience, but this group is all about the Porter-Benjamin duo, which is going to win them a ton of games. </p> <p><strong>Notre Dame (18-5):</strong> The Nikes were strong on the defensive end last season, allowing 47.7 points a game, and they’ll need to lean on that end of the floor, especially early on, while everyone adjusts to bigger roles. They lost the top three scorers to graduation, leaving senior forward Josh Smith (8.3, 6.0 rebounds) as the top returning scorer. Matt Johnson (7.5), Sam Brueck (6.7) and Anthony Hoffman (2.6) all saw time last year, so the cupboard isn’t bare, but [player_tooltip player_id="956068" first="Axel" last="Tjaden"] is a big loss for this group on both ends of the floor. Notre Dame is traditionally a strong program, and they should compete for the divisional crown, even with significant personnel losses. </p> <p><strong>Van Buren (6-17):</strong> The Warriors were one of the lowest scoring teams in the conference last season, averaging just 47.0 points a game. Leading scorer Jackson Manning (11.5) returns after a good freshman year, and Lane Davis (8.1) and Wyatt Mertens (5.4) saw time last season. This group really struggled protecting the ball last year, committing 19.5 turnovers a game. That number really needs to improve.</p> <p><strong>WACO (22-1):</strong> Last year was (nearly) magical for the Warriors, starting off 22-0 before losing to New London in the postseason. Expect to see them take a major step back this year, as only 54 total points from last year’s roster return. It’ll be an entirely new look group.</p> <p><strong>West Burlington (14-9):</strong> The top seven scorers are back for the Falcons, led by athletic forward [player_tooltip player_id="964848" first="Marvion" last="Jackson"] (14.5), who can defend multiple positions. [player_tooltip player_id="964898" first="Colten" last="Sherwood"] (12.8), [player_tooltip player_id="964909" first="Darian" last="Johnson"] (12.4), Cayson Shipp (7.5), Austin Applegate (4.4), Ty Hill (2.2), and Ethan Eilers (1.6) are all also back, providing them with a ton of experienced players. Johnson is a talented lead guard who does a great job getting others involved and limiting turnovers. This group is going to be very athletic and should challenge New London, who they were swept by, at the top of the division.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Projected Order of Finish</strong></span><br /> 1. New London<br /> 2. West Burlington<br /> 3. Notre Dame<br /> 4. Cardinal<br /> 5. Danville<br /> 6. WACO<br /> 7. Holy Trinity<br /> 8. Van Buren<br /> 9. Central Lee</p> <p><strong>Analysis:</strong> New London has the best player in the league, and they swept West Burlington last year. While the Falcons bring back more of their roster, the Tigers have the best player and they get the edge here. Notre Dame will still be dangerous, and Cardinal continues their upward trajectory. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Preseason Player of the Year</strong></span></p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="956871" first="Blaise" last="Porter"], New London (2023):</strong> 17.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 3.4 steals</p> <p>Porter is already one of the best guard prospects in the state, and having a Division I guard in this conference gives you a major advantage. He has the ability to really fill it up from anywhere on the floor, and he can also dominate games without scoring with his impact on the defensive end and passing.</p> <p><span style="text-decoration: underline; font-size: 14pt;"><strong>Players to watch</strong></span></p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="956871" first="Blaise" last="Porter"], New London (2023)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="956872" first="Kade" last="Benjamin"], New London (2023)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="962689" first="Griffin" last="Greiner"], Cardinal (2022)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="962693" first="Landon" last="Becker"], Cardinal (2022)</p> <p>Bronson Sargent, Central Lee (2021)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="964848" first="Marvion" last="Jackson"], West Burlington (2021)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="964898" first="Colten" last="Sherwood"], West Burlington (2021)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="964909" first="Darian" last="Johnson"], West Burlington (2021)</p> <p>Josh Smith, Notre Dame (2021)</p> <p>[player_tooltip player_id="962692" first="Ty" last="Carr"], Danville (2022)</p>