Conference Preview: Little Hawkeye

The Teams

Dallas Center-Grimes (20-4): After qualifying for the state tournament last year, the Mustangs will be looking to do a little more damage in Des Moines this season. They're headlined by senior guard (16.6), an athletic scoring guard with the ability to drop 25-30 on any given night at a highly efficient clip, and with his athleticism, size, and skill set, he's a really difficult matchup. He has committed to play his college ball at UMKC. Senior guard (12.2, 52.2 3P%) is an elite shooter who benefitted by playing alongside Glasgow and Luke Rankin last year, and he has improved over the summer as a playmaker. They add Johnston transfer to the lineup this year, which will help offset the loss of Rankin to graduation. Runyan is a true lead guard who thrives on getting others involved, and he should be able to get Glasgow and Huston plenty of open looks. Seniors (5.2), Troy Peitzman (2.1), and Blake Perrin (1.8) are quality role players with experience. Jones in particular is a very good defender who utilizes his length well. There are some younger players who should be able to step into complementary roles this year. Grinnell (10-14): The Tigers lose a ton of production from last year's team, with their top five, and seven of the top eight, graduating. Aaron Campbell (3.5), Colin Gibson (2.1), Calvin Jaworski (1.9), and Dylan McIlrath (1.8) are the lone returnees who saw significant playing time last season. Gibson and Jaworski will be relied upon as perimeter scoring threats, with Campbell and McIlrath doing more of their damage inside the arc.

Indianola (16-7): In 6-5 junior wing (18.0), the Indians have one of the state's elite scoring threats on the perimeter. Kingery has tremendous length, a silky smooth jumper, and is a high-level two-way player who scores from all three levels, impacts the game on the defensive end, and doesn't force anything. He's primed to have a massive junior year, but he's far from alone, as three of the top four, and six of the top eight, scorers return. Senior point guard (10.0, 3.7 assists) will have the ball in his hands a ton following the graduation of CJ Kuehl, who led the team in assists last year. Nailor is a crafty lead guard who sees the floor well, plays downhill, and thrives on getting others involved. Junior wing (7.5) is an athletic two-way wing who plays with a bit of an attitude, and the key player for this group may be 6-5 combo forward (5.0). Willmott is a versatile combo forward who can score inside and out, and he was unstoppable when we saw Indianola at the Winterset Shootout in June. In addition to the returnees, they add Ankeny transfer (7.0), a solid ball-handler and scoring threat. Kingery is one of the state's best players, there are a lot of solid scoring options returning, and they have a potential breakout player in Willmott. This team can push Pella at the top of the league.

[player_tooltip player_id="682281" first="Adam" last="Mattes"]

Newton (9-13): The Cardinals improved as the season went on last year, and will be looking to build on that momentum heading into the 2021-22 season. The top four scorers, and seven of the top eight, return. They'll be led by senior wing (14.6), a big, physical wing who can fill it up from all three levels and has improved as a playmaker. Improved playmaking out of Mattes will make this offensive attack more dangerous. Junior guards (10.0, 37.2 3P%) and (9.4, 40.4 3P%) are both good perimeter shooting threats to put alongside Mattes, and they'll benefit from his playmaking the most, getting more open looks. Kael Swarts (6.8) is a solid role player, and Keith Moko (4.6) and Zayvier Arguello (3.5) were quality bench pieces last season. Look for sophomore guard to play a key role for the Cardinals as well, a talented three-level scorer with a good feel for the game. The Cardinals have a lot of experience returning to a team that was improving down the stretch. With a lot of shooting and a talented scorer/playmaker in Mattes leading the way, they could pick off a few of the top teams in the league and be dangerous in the postseason.

Norwalk (14-9): The bad news for Norwalk is that the Warriors lost seven of their top eight scorers from last year's team, as well as their head coach, with Chris Larson retiring after 24 years. The good news is that sophomore guard (7.2) is back, and is primed to take over as a dominant scoring threat, ala big brother Bowen. Redek is a 6-2 wing with length who can fill it up from all three levels, and he has a great feel for the game as well. He was dominant as a scorer when we saw the Warriors at the Winterset Shootout in June, and he will need to be the leader for a team that will be breaking in entirely new pieces. Look for junior big to emerge as a go-to player in the paint. He's a 6-6 big with length who runs the floor well and finishes around the rim. Fellow junior Braedon Carlson (0.7), a 6-4 wing, will also be a key piece and a relied upon scorer. He finishes well around the bucket and moves well off the ball. He'll need to take some of the scoring pressure off of Born. It may be a building year for the Warriors in this loaded conference, but expect them to remain competitive. Oskaloosa (2-19): The Indians improved as the season went on last year, and bring back the top six scorers from that group, so expect to see them a bit more competitive this season. Senior wing (14.4) led the team in every major category last season and is a talented playmaker and scorer who can control games on both ends of the floor. Carson Genskow (5.2, 45.5 3P%) gives them some shooting, and Waylon Bolibaugh (6.5) is a solid rebounder on both ends of the floor. With lots of experience back, and an improved Flaherty leading the charge, expect to see Oskaloosa rack up significantly more "Ws" this season.

Pella (25-2): The Dutch were dominant last year en route to their third state championship in school history, with only seven of their 25 wins coming by single digits. Always a powerful offensive team, last year was no different, averaging 69.6 points a game, and three of the top four scorers return to that group. They'll be led by senior wing (15.7) and guard (12.3). That duo combined to shoot 124-291 (42.6%) from behind the arc last season, giving the Dutch a pair of big-time shooting threats to build around. Senior wing (7.2) is a freak athlete with a skill set that is catching up to his elite athleticism and frame. He's a major asset on the defensive end, using his length to play passing lanes and contest shots. Preston Rowe (3.7), (2.6), and Keegan Hansen (2.3) are other key returnees, while sophomore (1.4) could become a solid role player this year as well. Pella is always loaded with athletes that can fly all over the floor and create turnovers left and right, and this year's team is going to be electric from behind the arc. The defending 3A champions are the class of this loaded league with their shooting, athleticism, depth, and versatility.

Pella Christian (12-12): All five starters return for the Eagles, and eight of their top nine rotation players are back. The headliner for this group is rapidly developing big man (14.2, 9.5 rebounds), a 6-9 senior who is mobile and versatile on both ends of the floor. He had a huge summer with , his first year playing grassroots ball, and it led to a commitment to IPFW. His development and improved confidence will go a long way towards making the Eagles one of the best teams in the LHC and in 2A. They'll be able to flank him with a number of talented perimeter options, led by lead guard (12.6). He led the team in assists last year, and if he and the rest of his cohorts can cut down on the turnovers a bit, this could be a potent offensive team. Niko Schirz (7.3), Jaedon Huisman (6.7), Lucas Hol (6.4), Bennett Spronk (4.2), Daniel Andringa (2.4), and Aiden Stoltz (2.0) are all returning with valuable experience and look for senior forward (1.2), a 6-8 forward with plenty of length, to become a bigger contributor this year as well. If something will hold them back, it could be perimeter shooting (31.3% from 3 as a team last year), but this group is loaded with experience.

Projected Order of Finish

1. Pella 2. Indianola 3. Dallas Center-Grimes 4. Pella Christian 5. Newton 6. Norwalk 7. Grinnell 8. Oskaloosa Analysis: There may be four legitimate state championship threats in this league (Pella Christian in 2A, Pella and Dallas Center-Grimes in 3A, and Indianola in 4A), making this one of the best leagues in the state. Newton should be improved, and Norwalk will be dangerous because of Born. This is Pella's league to lose, but every night is going to be a battle.

Preseason Player of the Year

2022 Cole Glasgow Cole Glasgow 6'2" | SG Dallas Center- Grimes | 2022 State IA , Dallas Center-Grimes: An athletic guard who can fill it up from all three levels, Glasgow is an efficient scorer who thrives when he's playing downhill and using his athleticism to get to the bucket for tough finishes. He recently committed to play at UMKC.

Players to Watch

2022 , Dallas Center-Grimes 2022 , Dallas Center-Grimes 2022 , Dallas Center-Grimes 2023 , Indianola 2023 , Indianola 2022 , Indianola 2023 , Indianola 2022 , Pella 2022 , Pella 2023 , Pella 2022 , Pella 2022 , Pella Christian 2022 , Pella Christian 2022 Niko Schirz, Pella Christian 2022 , Oskaloosa 2024 , Norwalk 2023 , Newton 2023 , Newton