Way Too Early Top 10: Class 3A

1.) Ballard (State semifinalist, 19-8 last year, 82.9% of scoring returning)

Bombers improved in a major way on offensive end last season and qualified for State again...Bring back top four scorers, led by the dynamic duo of [player_tooltip player_id="796112" first="Connor" last="Drew"] (18.3 points, 7.5 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id="962491" first="Ashton" last="Hermann"] (15.7 points, 2.8 steals)...Drew has ability to score inside and out with great efficiency, while Hermann is turning himself into one of the most versatile players in the class...Lead guard [player_tooltip player_id="964880" first="Mason" last="Murphy"] is the straw that stirs the drink, dishing out 5.4 assists a game and doing a great job protecting the ball, while big man [player_tooltip player_id="962630" first="Kale" last="Krogh"] provides some size and physicality in the paint...Look for increased production from role players Isaiah Peasley, Sam Petersen and Jacob Ihle...Talented group that has qualified for State two years in a row, brings back a lot of talent and has two go-to players; easy pick to open the season at #1.

2.) Dallas Center-Grimes (17-7 last year, 68.8% of scoring returning)

Mustangs got off to hot 7-0 start before stumbling a bit after the holiday break...If you’re looking for a player to have a [player_tooltip player_id="801831" first="Bowen" last="Born"]-esque scoring year, look at junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="682270" first="Cole" last="Glasgow"]...Glasgow is a versatile guard who can get to the bucket or fill it up from 3, averaged 15.6 points, 4.4 rebounds last season...[player_tooltip player_id="796144" first="Luke" last="Rankin"] joins Glasgow to give DCG the best backcourt in the class...Rankin protects the ball at a high-level, dishing out 6.4 assists against 1.7 turnovers a game last year...[player_tooltip player_id="964840" first="Alex" last="Thomas"] is the other key returnee, averaging 8.7 points, 4.8 rebounds last year...’Stangs don’t have much size, and depth will be a concern early on, but Glasgow-Rankin backcourt will win a ton of games.

3.) Assumption (19-5 last year, 37.8% of scoring returning)

Playing in 4A MAC prepares the Knights well for postseason play, and they may be the team to beat on the eastern side this year...Major piece to replace with graduation of [player_tooltip player_id="801857" first="Sean" last="Peeters"], but they bring in [player_tooltip player_id="678937" first="Emarion" last="Ellis"], a transfer from Davenport Central...Ellis, a Texas commit, averaged 17.8 points, 7.8 rebounds last season at Central, and should see his numbers increase even more this year...A highly athletic wing who is starting to put all of his tools together, he’s a major matchup problem with his length, athleticism and ability to score from anywhere...[player_tooltip player_id="964862" first="Dayne" last="Hodge"], a solid lead guard, and [player_tooltip player_id="962602" first="Noah" last="Mack"], a long junior wing, also return for the Knights...Rumor has it that a number of other transfers may be on the roster...Knights should be deep and talented.

4.) Sergeant Bluff-Luton (State runner-up, 16-11 last year, 52.8% of scoring returning)

Warriors have qualified for State four straight years, finishing runner-up in 2017 and last year...Playing in a 4A league, they’ll always have a worse record than most other contenders in the class, but they are strong...Will have to deal with major loss in big man [player_tooltip player_id="801838" first="Daniel" last="Wright"], now playing quarterback at Wisconsin, and guard [player_tooltip player_id="955283" first="Deric" last="Fitzgerald"], but bring back four of top six scorers...Going to be big again with a pair of Southwest Minnesota State commits leading the way in 6-7 [player_tooltip player_id="796115" first="Jake" last="Layman"] and 6-8 [player_tooltip player_id="964797" first="Majok" last="Majouk"]...[player_tooltip player_id="962638" first="Jacob" last="Imming"], Nick Muller and Brady Schaap saw time last year and will be asked to be major contributors...Don’t expect a sterling record from SB-L, but they’ve proven themselves to be an elite program in 3A basketball, and this year will be no exception...Great size, length, discipline and depth.

5.) Monticello (2A state qualifier, 21-3 last year, 92.3% of scoring returning)

Panthers move up to 3A this year after qualifying for State for first time in 60 years...Two losses last year came to really strong 2A Camanache, the other to 4A Cedar Rapids Washington...All five starters return, led by senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="796120" first="Justin" last="Recker"], who averaged 17.2 points, 6.3 rebounds...Recker is a versatile scorer who can fill it up from anywhere at a highly efficient clip...Panthers go small around Recker, with four talented guards who can all handle and distribute...[player_tooltip player_id="964837" first="Luke" last="Lambert"] has the ball in his hands the most, dishing 4.4 assists last year to go with 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds...[player_tooltip player_id="956879" first="Tate" last="Petersen"] coming off solid freshman year in which he shot 42.7% from 3...[player_tooltip player_id="964856" first="Connor" last="Lambert"] is a versatile player who does a bit of everything, as is [player_tooltip player_id="964892" first="Ty" last="Kehoe"]...Starting five has a ton of chemistry and will be among the best in 3A...Should roll through the RVC, but the question is how will they adjust to postseason play against 3A schools.

6.) Clear Creek-Amana (State semifinalist, 21-6 last year, 64.3% of scoring returning)

High-scoring Clippers rode potent offense to third-place finish last year, averaging 66.5 points a game and scoring 76+ points in four of six postseason games...Lose two major pieces in guards [player_tooltip player_id="955272" first="Tyler" last="Schrepfer"] and [player_tooltip player_id="955290" first="Nick" last="O’Connor"], but bring back seven of top nine scorers, including leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id="796141" first="Christian" last="Withrow"]...Withrow averaged 15.9 points, 6.0 rebounds last year and is a highly efficient scoring wing who gets to the bucket...[player_tooltip player_id="964923" first="Mike" last="Potter"] has great size and length on the wing, averaged 8.3 points, and [player_tooltip player_id="796172" first="TJ" last="Bollers"] is the other key returnee...Bollers, a Wisconsin football commit, is one of the most impactful defensive players in the state...Brock Reade, Ryan Navara, Kyle Schrepfer return after seeing significant time last year...Clippers will need younger Schrepfer to provide shooting after O’Connor, Schrepfer shot 43% from the arc last season.

7.) Waverly-Shell Rock (12-10 last year, 89.9% of scoring returning)

Down year for the Go-Hawks still resulted in above .500 record...Ranked second in 3A last year defensively, allowing 47.4 points a game, but struggled offensively, putting up 50.1...Top five scorers from last year return, including three double-figure scorers...[player_tooltip player_id="682272" first="Hogan" last="Hansen"], high-scoring guard, leads the way after averaging 15.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists...[player_tooltip player_id="796182" first="Caleb" last="Burks"] is the real difference maker here, a shot-blocker who runs the floor and controls the paint...Burks averaged 10.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 blocks a game...Need to protect the ball better after committing 292 turnovers against 261 assists last year...Annually strong program, should return to the 17-18 win range this year and be a force come postseason play.

8.) Le Mars (15-9 last year, 68.1% of scoring returning)

Bulldogs struggled against better teams on the schedule, going 4-8 against teams that finished above .500...Tandem of [player_tooltip player_id="964800" first="Alec" last="Dreckman"] and [player_tooltip player_id="796129" first="Spencer" last="Mackey"] will be one of the best one-two punches in 3A...Combined to average 28.5 points last season, and Dreckman’s efficiency numbers were great (51-41-83 splits)...Lead ball-handler Jaxon Baumgartner also returns after dishing out just under 4 assists a game last year...’Dogs will need to find some beef in the middle if they want to compete at a higher level against the better teams on the schedule.

9.) Carroll (19-4 last year, 58.9% of scoring returning)

Tigers started 16-1 last season before 3-3 finish...Two of top three scorers graduated, but six of the top eight return...Two players who shot above 50% from 3 return, giving Carroll a ton of shooting in juniors [player_tooltip player_id="962671" first="Nick" last="Macke"] (59.1%) and [player_tooltip player_id="962631" first="Kaleb" last="Booth"] (53.1%)...Booth in particular looks primed for a breakout year as the leading scorer...[player_tooltip player_id="964871" first="Colby" last="Christensen"], [player_tooltip player_id="964938" first="Kelin" last="Jones"], Tory Feldman and Treyton Goins all saw plenty of time last year and also return...Tigers shouldn’t have any issues putting the ball in the bucket again this year, but defense and rebounding will determine how far they go.

10.) Mount Vernon (22-3 last year, 46.6% of scoring returning)

Mustangs were great last year, especially on defense, allowing just 48.7 points a game...Lose a lot of production, but bring back star guard [player_tooltip player_id="530135" first="Keaton" last="Kutcher"], a South Dakota commit...Kutcher averaged 20.0 points a game last season and is one of the state’s best shooters...Look for senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="964883" first="Jayden" last="Meeker"] to emerge as the secondary scoring threat following graduation of [player_tooltip player_id="955270" first="Noah" last="Erickson"]...Collin Swantz was a solid rotation piece last year, will be asked to step into bigger role...’Stangs have a lot of pieces to replace, but Kutcher and coaching will keep them relevant. 

Ten more teams to watch

Bondurant-Farrar (10-13 last year, 68.6% of scoring returning)

Bluejays were led in scoring last year by freshman wing [player_tooltip player_id="956874" first="Colby" last="Collison"], who averaged 13 points on 50-38-78 shooting splits...They struggled against the top teams on the schedule last year, but should improve with lots of experience returning...Led by Collison, four of top five scorers are back, and nine of the top 11...Need to take much better care of the ball after committing 364 turnovers against 302 assists last year.

Clear Lake (20-4 last year, 49.2% of scoring returning)

Lions have gone 44-6 in the last two years, bring back top two scorers...Inside-out tandem of [player_tooltip player_id="796155" first="Andrew" last="Formanek"] and [player_tooltip player_id="682292" first="Carson" last="Toebe"] will be one of the best one-two punches in 3A...Formanek averaged 15.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks, while Toebe put up 14.5 points, 4.4 assists last season...Depth and role players are a major question mark to start the year, with Eric Ritter (1.6) the only other returnee who saw significant playing time last season.

Gilbert (16-6 last year, 59.2% of scoring returning)

High-scoring Tigers averaged over 71.5 points a game last season, bring back three players who averaged 9.7 points a game or more - [player_tooltip player_id="796143" first="Tanner" last="Henningsen"] (10.8), [player_tooltip player_id="964912" first="Jacob" last="Papesh"] (10.1) and [player_tooltip player_id="796185" first="Tony" last="Terrones"] (9.7)...Terrones is one of the better lead guards in the class, dishing out 5.8 assists a game, and he does a great job protecting the ball...Major hole to fill with the graduation of [player_tooltip player_id="801852" first="Matt" last="Ockey"], an 18.5 point scorer, but they still have plenty of firepower...[player_tooltip player_id="964933" first="Easton" last="Johnson"] combines to Henningsen to provide athleticism in the frontcourt, ability to control the glass as they averaged 16.0 rebounds a game combined...Two of the top three scorers graduated, but the rest of the top 12 are back, so plenty of experience here...Strong argument to include them in the top 10.

Glenwood (17-6 last year, 45.6% of scoring returning)

Rams have been one of the best programs in 3A over the last five or so years...Led by senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="796117" first="Ryan" last="Blum"], who should be one of the best players in 3A, coming off a 19.7 point, 9.2 rebound season...Will need increased production out of Silas Bales, Ben Hughes, and find some new faces to step up...Don’t return much outside of Blum, but he’s good enough to keep them afloat, and they’ll find new pieces.

Keokuk (16-8 last year, 75.3% of scoring returning)

Chiefs were 15-4 last year before stumbling down the stretch...Bring back four of top five scorers, led by senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="796170" first="Anthony" last="Potratz"], who averaged 15.9 points a game...[player_tooltip player_id="965114" first="Isaiah" last="Seay"] gives them some athleticism in the backcourt, and MJ Davis, Callum Tackes have experience...Team doesn’t have much shooting, and needs to take better care of the ball, but they should win a lot of games...Question becomes whether or not the competition they get in southeast Iowa will be enough to prepare them for postseason play.

Knoxville (12-10 last year, 85.3% of scoring returning)

Panthers bring back their top three scorers, led by 3A’s leading returning scorer [player_tooltip player_id="796123" first="Kieren" last="Nichols"], who averaged 25.9 points a game...Nichols is a cat-quick guard who can get to the rim at will and has a nice mid-range game...6-5 wing [player_tooltip player_id="964804" first="Spencer" last="Hixson"] is a solid second option, averaging 12.1 points, 5.9 rebounds last year, despite not shooting nearly as well as he’s capable of...Luke Keitges was solid as a freshman, averaging 7.7 points, 5.0 rebounds...Panthers need to improve on the defensive end if they want to make a real run, as they allowed 66.8 points a game down the stretch in a 1-7 finish.

North Polk (8-14 last year, 80.1% of scoring returning)

Comets struggled against the better teams on their schedule last year, but bring back a star scorer in junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="682289" first="Jevin" last="Sullivan"]...Sullivan averaged 19.7 points a game last year as a sophomore, and keeps getting better...Five of the top six scorers in all from last year are back, so they’ll have plenty of returning experience...Ball protection will be key following graduation of Coby Bouchard, who had a nearly 2-1 assist-to-turnover ratio last season.

Solon (7-15 last year, 91.6% of scoring returning)

New coach Jared Galpin inherits roster that returns top five scorers...Spartans lost eight games by 10 or less last year, including five 2-point losses...Had quality wins over State qualifying teams Center Point-Urbana, Clear Creek-Amana...[player_tooltip player_id="796195" first="David" last="Bluder"] is the top returnee, averaging 13.4 points a game last season...Son of Iowa women’s coach, Lisa, David is long and can score from all three levels...Spartans will need to find new lead guard after graduation of Cam Miller, one of just two players with a positive assist-to-turnover ratio last year...Have to take better care of the ball after giving the ball away 16.5 times a game last year.

Washington (14-7 last year, 52.6% of scoring returning)

Demons had a fairly successful year last season, and return their top three scorers from that group...Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="962644" first="Kasen" last="Bailey"] led the team in scoring at 13.4 points a game and is coming off a strong summer with the Iowa Barnstormers...Bailey is an athletic wing who can fill it up from all three levels and looks like he’s primed to have a breakout year...Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="964869" first="Trashaun" last="Willis"] provides athleticism and size on the interior, along with some rim protection; he can also stretch out to the arc and knock down 3s...[player_tooltip player_id="956888" first="Ethan" last="Patterson"] put together a strong freshman year, averaging 10.1 points and shooting 36.3% from the arc...Depth will be a question, especially early on, as four key rotation players need to be replaced, but the Demons have three strong pieces to build around.

West Delaware (6-16 last year, 97.7% of scoring returning)

New coach Drake Schuring inherits a full cupboard and strong tradition after Matt Uthoff left to take over the girls program...Schuring, 23-year old graduate of Decorah, will bring energy to a roster full of potential...Top six, and 11 of top 12, scorers return, led by guard [player_tooltip player_id="796121" first="Kyle" last="Kelley"], who averaged 14.7 points a game last season...[player_tooltip player_id="964922" first="Logan" last="Woellert"], [player_tooltip player_id="784988" first="Blake" last="DeMoss"] and Eric Salow give the Hawks a solid backcourt, while [player_tooltip player_id="964893" first="Mitch" last="Krogmann"] provides some real size and physicality in the paint...This team will go as far as Kelley can take them, should be much more competitive this season with the returning experience they have.