Conference Preview: Heart of Iowa

<h4>The Teams</h4> <p><strong>Greene County (5-15):</strong> The Rams struggled defensively last year, allowing 62.6 points a game, which ranked 84th (out of 96) in 2A. Part of that can certainly be attributed to the more up-tempo style that they like to play, but they’ll need to improve on that end of the floor if they want to be more competitive this year. The good news is that only one player graduated and 92.6% of their scoring production from last year returns, led by a pair of double-figure scorers in Bryce Stalder (15.4) and Richard Daugherty (14.3). They combined to make 91 3-pointers last year, with Daugherty, in particular, showing himself to be a marksman from deep, burying 59 triples at a 40.1% clip last season. Lead ball-handler Max Riley (7.0) returns in the backcourt as well, as does forward Jesse Miller (8.4), an efficient option who led the team in rebounding. Greene County has a lot of experience returning, and they’ll be able to score. The question will be whether or not the defense makes improvements. </p> <p><strong>Nevada (11-10):</strong> The top four scorers return for Nevada, led by double-figure scorers Colin Memmer (13.4) and Ty Dittmer (11.4), a pair of seniors with plenty of experience. Fellow seniors James Edwards (8.7) and [player_tooltip player_id="1288883" first="Spencer" last="Grant"] (6.4) also return, giving them a veteran quartet to build around. Edwards and Dittmer share the primary ball-handling responsibilities and finished as the top two in assists last year, while Memmer is their big scorer. Look for junior forward Carson Rhodes (3.4) and sophomore wing Treshaun Brooks (1.4) to step into bigger roles this year and provide some quality depth. With the experienced backcourt that the Cubs have returning, they should be able to compete with Roland-Story at the top of this league. If they can cut down on the turnovers a bit (16.0 a game), they could also be a dangerous club come postseason play.</p> <p><strong>PCM (11-11):</strong> Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="1235014" first="Durant" last="Van Dyke"] (9.5, 9.1 rebounds) is one of the best players in the conference, a dominant force in the paint on both ends of the floor who blocked 2.5 shots a game as a junior. Carson Vandelune (12.6) will be the headliner on the perimeter, a capable 3-point shooter and ball-handler, but those are the only two returnees who saw much playing time last year, so there will be a number of new faces on the floor for the Mustangs. The Van Dyke/Vandelune tandem will win them some games, but just how good this group can be will be dependent on the new faces.</p> <p><strong>Roland-Story (17-4):</strong> The Norsemen came out of the gates on fire last year, winning their first 11 games before dropping back-to-back contests to Martensdale-St. Marys and Grand View Christian. Outside of the GVC loss, their other three losses came by a combined 11 points, and they were really close to putting together a special season. Two starters return from that group - sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id="1171681" first="Jonovan" last="Wilkinson"] (11.0) and junior forward [player_tooltip player_id="1239871" first="Luke" last="Patton"] (7.5). Wilkinson is an athletic wing who impacts the game on both ends of the floor, while Patton is a combo forward who can score inside and out, and control the glass. They will provide the Norsemen with the best one-two punch in the conference, and will be enough to make R-S the favorite to win the league again this year. Junior guard Isaiah Naylor (4.9), along with Will Bunn (3.2) and Kale Lande (3.1), saw significant playing time last season and should transition into bigger roles without too many issues. Wilkinson is the best player in the league, and R-S should be the best defensive team in the conference as well. That makes them dangerous.</p> <p><strong>Saydel (2-16):</strong> The Eagles struggled to score consistently last season, with 11 games in which they scored 35 points or fewer. They bring back three of their top four, and six of their top eight, from that group, so there should be some hope for improvement on that end of the floor. Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="1240103" first="Mason" last="Hicks"] (9.1), a 6-4 lead who also averaged 8.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists, is the team’s top player with his ability to impact the game across the board. Judd Roberts (10.6) led the team in scoring last year, and Dallas Wicks (3.6), Brayden Mallory (3.1), and Juwuan Loatman (1.3) saw a fair amount of playing time last season. Saydel turned it over more than 21 times a game last season, which is a number that needs to improve in a big way if they want to be more competitive. </p> <p><strong>South Hamilton (15-7):</strong> The Hawks lose their top three scorers from last year’s 15-win team, leaving seniors Austin Busch (7.9) and Tycin Barkema (5.6) as the top returnees. Buch is a strong rebounder who pounds the offensive glass hard, a constant theme with last year’s Hawks team that pulled down nearly 11 offensive boards a game. Junior guard Landen Skartvedt (3.2) will likely have the ball in his hands much more this year, sharing the ball-handling responsibilities with Barkema, especially as they break in their new pieces. Expect to see junior forward Carter Balvanz (1.1) become a key contributor for them this season. South Hamilton has developed a strong program that won’t completely fall off the map because they play disciplined offense and strong defense, so despite losing a lot of production, they will still compete.</p> <p><strong>West Marshall (7-13):</strong> Like Saydel, West Marshall struggled to put the ball in the bucket at times last year, averaging just 42.8 points a game. They had a young rotation last year, with three sophomores and two freshmen seeing significant playing time, so expect to see a more fluid offensive attack this year. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1158512" first="Joey" last="Tollefson"] (12.1) is the top returning scorer, while junior wing Peyton Hart (9.1, 5.2 rebounds) is the top returning rebounder. Parker Reese (6.4), Graham Nason (4.8), and Owen Siegert (4.1) were quality role players last year who will step into bigger roles this season. The Trojans have a lot of experienced pieces returning, so expect to see them more competitive.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Projected Order of Finish</h4> <p>1. Roland-Story<br /> 2. Nevada<br /> 3. PCM<br /> 4. West Marshall<br /> 5. South Hamilton<br /> 6. Greene County<br /> 7. Saydel</p> <p><strong>Analysis:</strong> Roland-Story was dominant in league play last year, and despite losing some key contributors, they’re our pick to take home the league crown again this year. They’re the most well-balanced team on both ends of the floor, have the conference’s best player in Wilkinson, and a forward in Patton who looks primed to have a breakout year. Nevada and their experienced backcourt will make things interesting, and if PCM’s young role players get acclimated quickly, they could have a say in the league race as well.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/81-Jonovan-Wilkinson.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1290481" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/81-Jonovan-Wilkinson-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>Preseason Player of the Year</h4> <p><strong>2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1171681" first="Jonovan" last="Wilkinson"], Roland-Story:</strong> An athletic wing who can do a little bit of everything on the floor, Wilkinson put together a really strong freshman season for the Norsemen, and looks ready to take over as the team’s top player this year. We expect Roland-Story to be the best team in the league, and Wilkinson is their best player. </p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Players to Watch</h4> <p>2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1171681" first="Jonovan" last="Wilkinson"], Roland-Story<br /> 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1239871" first="Luke" last="Patton"], Roland-Story<br /> 2022 Bryce Stadler, Greene County<br /> 2023 Richard Daugherty, Greene County<br /> 2023 Jesse Miller, Greene County<br /> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1235014" first="Durant" last="Van Dyke"], PCM<br /> 2022 Carson Vandelune, PCM<br /> 2022 Colin Memmer, Nevada<br /> 2022 Ty Dittmer, Nevada<br /> 2022 James Edwards, Nevada<br /> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158512" first="Joey" last="Tollefson"], West Marshall<br /> 2023 Peyton Hart, West Marshall<br /> 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1240103" first="Mason" last="Hicks"], Saydel<br /> 2022 Judd Roberts, Saydel<br /> 2022 Austin Busch, South Hamilton<br /> 2022 Tycin Barkema, South Hamilton</p>