Conference Preview: NICL West

<h4>The Teams</h4> <p><strong>AGWSR (6-15):</strong> The Cougars lose their top two scorers from last year’s team, but bring back a solid piece to start building around in senior forward Daniel Stahl (7.3, 6.2 rebounds), who led the team in rebounding last season. Senior guard David Koop (5.2) was second on the team in assists last year and also returns. This group struggled to shoot it from deep last year (25.1% from 3), and that number will need to improve if they’re going to be more competitive.</p> <p><strong>BCLUW (10-13):</strong> There will be a lot of new faces on the floor this year for the Comets, as they lost their top two scorers, and five of their top six. That leaves junior forward Parker Pike (6.9) as the lone returnee who averaged more than 1.6 points a game last season. Pike was second on the team in rebounding last season, pulling down 4.6 boards a game, and he’ll be relied upon to be their go-to scorer this year. With a largely new slew of faces taking the floor for BCLUW this season, it’s difficult to see them competing on a nightly basis against some of the more talented teams in the division.</p> <p><strong>East Marshall (7-13):</strong> The Mustangs lose three double-figure scorers, returning just 26.5% of their scoring from last season. Still, they have a solid tandem of ball-handling guards to build around in juniors [player_tooltip player_id="1188298" first="Bo" last="Lee"] (5.9) and Junior Brown (5.9), who combined to dish out 5.8 assists a game last season. That will be a solid foundation to build upon. The other returnees don’t have much experience, so it may be a rough start to the season, but Lee and Brown will be one of the better backcourts in the division, and that will keep them afloat. </p> [caption id="attachment_1288254" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/William-Kiburis-crop-4852x3186-1632260355.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1288254 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/William-Kiburis-crop-4852x3186-1632260355-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Kiburis[/caption] <p><strong>Gladbrook-Reinbeck (17-4):</strong> The Rebels have the chance to put together a truly special season this year, with five of their top six scorers returning to a team that had three losses come by a combined nine points (the other an 11-point setback to 3A Crestwood). They’re headlined by junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1167671" first="William" last="Kiburis"] (19.0, 7.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists), one of the best all-around players in 1A. He has good size, plays with pace, sees the floor well, and if he can improve his 3-point shooting (28.0% last year), he could have an absolutely huge junior season. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="1158493" first="Tristen" last="Sanford-Anders"] (10.2, 8.0 rebounds) is the anchor in the paint, while juniors Caleb Egesdal (9.1), Luke Riffey (7.2), and Kadyn Shick (3.0) provide more scoring punch alongside Kiburis on the perimeter. Egesdal knocked down 43.2% of his 3-point attempts last season, giving them some much-needed shooting. Kiburis is the most dominant player in the division, and if the role players continue to develop, this could be a real state tournament threat.</p> <p><strong>Grundy Center (16-6):</strong> In senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="962675" first="Brayden" last="Sawyer"] (13.7, 45.8 3P%), the Spartans have one of the best shooters in the state on their side, which will make them competitive regardless of what else is back. Luckily for them, he’s not alone. Senior wing Dayne Zinkula (9.0) led the team in assists and was second in rebounding last season, while fellow senior guard Dexter Whitehill (5.6) is a strong secondary ball-handler and decision-maker. The Spartans are generally one of the better defensive teams in 1A, and last year was no exception, allowing just 48.8 points a game, and they should be strong on that end of the floor again. With Sawyer returning, they have a (potentially) dominant scorer, and they bring back six players who saw significant playing time last season, so there is plenty of experience here. This should be the second-best team in the division again, and they’ll be dangerous when postseason play comes.</p> <p><strong>South Hardin (11-10):</strong> Leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id="1167748" first="Ryan" last="Walters"] (11.2), a junior lead guard who also finished second on the team in assists last season, returns to lead the Tigers. Senior forwards Mason Sheldahl (9.3) and Wyatt Hollingsworth (4.8) also return, giving them a solid trio of pieces to build around. Walters is a quick lead guard who can score from all three levels and get others involved, but he’ll need to limit turnovers this season. South Hardin pounded the glass, particularly the offensive glass, hard last season, and look for that to continue as well this year, buying them extra possessions. This should be a middle-of-the-pack team in the division, and if Walters takes another step, they could be a potential darkhorse in the postseason.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Projected Order of Finish</h4> <p>1. Gladbrook-Reinbeck<br /> 2. Grundy Center<br /> 3. South Hardin<br /> 4. East Marshall<br /> 5. BCLUW<br /> 6. AGWSR</p> <p><strong>Analysis:</strong> Gladbrook-Reinbeck is without a doubt the team to beat in this division. The Rebels have the most coming back, and the best player in the division. Grundy Center will be dangerous with their defense and Sawyer’s shooting.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Preseason Player of the Year</h4> <p><strong>2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167671" first="William" last="Kiburis"], Gladbrook-Reinbeck:</strong> There’s no doubt who the POY pick is here. Kiburis is a dominant two-way player who does a great job using his length to his advantage on both ends of the floor. A 6-3 lead guard who stuffs the stat sheet as well as just about anyone in the state, he’s the division’s top returnee in scoring, assists, and steals. The best player on the league’s best team.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Players to Watch</h4> <p>2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167671" first="William" last="Kiburis"], Gladbrook-Reinbeck<br /> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158493" first="Tristen" last="Sanford-Anders"], Gladbrook-Reinbeck<br /> 2023 Caleb Egesdal, Gladbrook-Reinbeck<br /> 2023 Luke Riffey, Gladbrook-Reinbeck<br /> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962675" first="Brayden" last="Sawyer"], Grundy Center<br /> 2022 Dayne Zinkula, Grundy Center<br /> 2022 Dexter Whitehill, Grundy Center<br /> 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167748" first="Ryan" last="Walters"], South Hardin<br /> 2022 Mason Sheldahl, South Hardin<br /> 2022 Wyatt Hollingsworth, South Hardin<br /> 2022 Daniel Stahl, AGWSR<br /> 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1188298" first="Bo" last="Lee"], East Marshall<br /> 2023 Junior Brown, East Marshall<br /> 2023 Parker Pike, BCLUW</p>