Conference Preview: Hawkeye Ten

<h4>The Teams</h4> Atlantic (14-7): The Trojans got hot in mid-January last year, winning 11 of 12 games down the stretch before falling to Dallas Center-Grimes in the substate championship game. Unfortunately for them, they lose five of the top six from that team, leaving senior wing Dayton Templeton (10.1) as the lone returnee who averaged more than 3.9 points a game. Templeton is a nice player who can score inside and out, is a capable ball-handler and decision-maker, and contributes on the glass. Ethan Sturm (3.9) is the only other returnee who saw significant playing time last year, so it will be a largely new cast of characters taking the floor for Atlantic. Clarinda (10-11): Eight of the Cardinals’ 11 losses last year came by single digits, so they were right there in a large majority of their games. Leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id="1158487" first="Drew" last="Brown"] (14.9), a talented wing who is capable of having some explosive scoring nights, returns to lead the charge. Seven of the top eight are back in all, with seniors Grant Jobe (9.6) and Cooper Neal (3.8) joining juniors Wyatt Schmitt (6.1), Tadyn Brown (4.8) and Isaac Jones (2.4) as the key returnees. With loads of experience returning and one of the league’s best players headlining, Clarinda should be very competitive this season, and if a few things break correctly, they may be able to push Glenwood and Harlan at the top of the league. Creston (10-10): The Panthers lost their top three scorers, and four of their top five, from a group that finished .500 last year. Junior wing Kyle Strider (8.1) is a solid 3-point shooting threat, and he’ll be asked to take over as the primary scorer this season. Khalil Sherrod (5.1, 4.7 rebounds) is a solid piece in the paint, blocking a shot a game last season, and will need to hold down the painted area on both ends of the floor. Outside of Strider and Sherrod, there isn’t much back for Creston, so it could be an up-and-down season for them. Denison-Schleswig (7-15): The Monarchs lost nine games by single digits last season, so they were much more competitive than their record indicates. They lost leading scorer Braiden Heiden, as well as Evan Turin, who combined to average 23.1 points a game last season. Senior wing Aiden Schuttinga (8.9) is the top returnee, and he’s a good piece to build around after burying nearly 41% of his 3-point attempts and leading the team in assists last year. Junior guard Carson Seuntjens (7.4) and senior Hunter Emery (5.0) are also solid shooting threats, and this may be the most potent 3-point team in the conference this year. Size may be an issue for the Monarchs, which can be an issue in a league filled with teams that pound the glass hard. Glenwood (20-3): The Rams rolled through league play last season, losing just once against a conference foe in the regular season (Harlan) before an upset loss at the hands of Atlantic in the postseason. They’ll be hard-pressed to replicate that success following the graduation of [player_tooltip player_id="796117" first="Ryan" last="Blum"], one of the best players in school history. He averaged just under 25 points a game last season, and three of the top four from last year’s group have graduated. Junior lead guard [player_tooltip player_id="1240101" first="Caden" last="Johnson"] (9.1, 3.7 assists) is the top returnee. He’s a capable 3-point shooter and led the team in assists last year, but he’ll be asked to be a bigger scorer this season. Senior forward Brock Sell (5.2), and senior wings Jayme Fritts (3.7) and Tommy Johnson (1.6) return with some experience, as does junior Logyn Eckheart (3.4) in the paint. Glenwood has averaged 19.7 wins a year over the last six seasons, and they’ll be good again, but probably not the dominant force they were last season. Harlan (9-12): Last season’s nine wins were the fewest for the Cyclones in the QuikStats/VarsityBound era (dating back to 2006-07), but don’t expect to see a repeat of that this year, as legendary coach Mitch Osborn has a full stable of players returning. The top four scorers, including three double-figure scorers, are back, led by senior [player_tooltip player_id="1158445" first="Connor" last="Frame"] (15.0). He’s a versatile scoring threat with good size and length who uses that length to his benefit on the defensive end. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1167729" first="Bradley" last="Curren"] (12.1) and forward Aidan Hall (10.0) are back, as is big [player_tooltip player_id="962648" first="Will" last="McLaughlin"] (9.8). McLaughlin is a physical forward who has committed to play linebacker at Iowa State, and he provides this group with some size, athleticism, and toughness in the paint. The Cyclones didn’t shoot it very well from 3 last year, just 28.6% as a team, and that number will need to improve, but expect to see them be very good defensively, pound the glass on both ends of the floor, and use their size and physicality to exert their will on teams. They should find themselves at the top of the league this year. Kuemper Catholic (9-14): The Knights lose their top three scorers from last year’s team, leaving senior forward Isaac Evans (6.7), senior guard Michael Pottebaum (5.9) and junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1288884" first="Dawson" last="Gifford"] (5.9) as the top returnees. Evans led the team in rebounding last year and does a great job pounding the offensive glass, while Pottebaum and Gifford are both capable perimeter scoring threats who should adjust just fine to bigger roles. Lewis Central (10-10): The Titans had a very streaky season last year, winning their first two, then dropping five straight. They followed that up with an eight-game winning streak and closed the season on a five-game skid. They bring back their top four scorers and only have one rotation piece to replace. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="1158489" first="Wyatt" last="Hatcher"] (13.7) is the go-to scoring threat, a versatile scorer who can get the job done from all three levels. JC Dermody (8.8), Colby Souther (8.3), and Nick Miller (6.8) are all viable scoring threats as well, while Devin Nailor (4.1) and Caleb Moore (3.2) should see increased production this year. Moore was a solid role player last year as a freshman, a 6-0 guard who can score and facilitate. This team didn’t shoot the ball very well last year (just 24.0% as a team), and that number needs to improve if they want to make some real noise. Red Oak (10-12): Sophomore guard Max DeVries (13.6) led the team in scoring last year as a freshman, and is the top returnee in made 3-pointers in the conference, burying 51 triples last year. He’ll lead a Tigers attack that should be improved with the heavy amount of experience that they have returning. Seven of the top nine scorers return, including DeVries’ backcourt mate Baylor Bergren (8.2), who led the team in assists last season. The senior forward tandem of Ryan Johnson (7.8) and Bradley Sifford (7.2) combined to average 13.0 rebounds a game last year, and should hold down the painted area. They’ll need to improve their ball security, as they committed nearly 18 turnovers a game last season, but if they can get that number down into the 12-a-game range, they should be a fairly potent offensive team. Shenandoah (2-20): The Mustangs’ only two wins last season came against 1A schools Fremont-Mills and Griswold, and they lose two of their top three scorers from that group. Junior forward Blake Herold (8.6, 7.3 rebounds) is the top returnee. He led the team in rebounding last season and was their most efficient scoring threat. Zach Foster (6.6, 6.3 rebounds) is another strong rebounder, while sophomore wing Nolan Mount (3.7) saw significant playing time last year as a freshman. With Herold and Foster returning, they should be competitive on the glass, but this group shot just 16.8% from 3 last season, which isn’t going to get the job done in modern basketball. St. Albert (11-13): The Falcons had a very senior-heavy team last year, and lost six of their top seven scorers from that team. Senior guard Carter White (12.7) is the lone returnee who saw significant playing time last year, and while he's a nice piece to build around, they have a lot of production to replace. By the time postseason play rolls around, and they get to drop down to 1A competition, they should be competitive, but it could be a long year during conference play.   <h4>Projected Order of Finish</h4> 1. Harlan 2. Lewis Central 3. Glenwood 4. Clarinda 5. Red Oak 6. Atlantic 7. Kuemper Catholic 8. Denison-Schleswig 9. St. Albert 10. Creston 11. Shenandoah Analysis: Harlan, Lewis Central, and Glenwood should each have teams that are capable of winning this conference, and it'll be a fun battle to watch unfold this year. With Harlan returning the most production, we'll give them the edge, but wouldn't be surprised if any of those three finished atop the league. Clarinda, Red Oak, and Atlantic will all be dangerous teams as well.   <h4>Preseason Player of the Year</h4> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158445" first="Connor" last="Frame"], Harlan: We expect the Cyclones, who return their top four scorers, to be the best team in the league, and Frame is their best player. The leading returning scorer in the conference, he can score inside and out, contribute on the glass, and is a solid team defender.   <h4>Players to Watch</h4> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158445" first="Connor" last="Frame"], Harlan 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167729" first="Bradley" last="Curren"], Harlan 2023 Aidan Hall, Harlan 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962648" first="Will" last="McLaughlin"], Harlan 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158489" first="Wyatt" last="Hatcher"], Lewis Central 2022 JC Dermody, Lewis Central 2023 Colby Souther, Lewis Central 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158487" first="Drew" last="Brown"], Clarinda 2022 Grant Jobe, Clarinda 2024 Max DeVries, Red Oak 2022 Carter White, St. Albert 2022 Dayton Templeton, Atlantic 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1240101" first="Caden" last="Johnson"], Glenwood 2022 Aiden Schuttinga, Denison-Schleswig 2023 Blake Herold, Shenandoah 2023 Kyle Strider, Creston