Conference Preview: River Valley North

<h4>The Teams</h4> Anamosa (14-7): Do-it-all wing [player_tooltip player_id="682294" first="Sam" last="Wilt"] (12.5) returns for the Blue Raiders to lead the charge. Wilt is one of the most versatile players in 2A, putting up 5.2 "stocks" (steals + blocks) a game last season, in addition to 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists. His versatility and talent on both ends of the floor will make Anamosa a dangerous team regardless of what else is back. Graham Humpal (6.7) gives them a solid secondary ball-handling option, while [player_tooltip player_id="962685" first="Jake" last="Jess"] (4.6) and Eli Lehrman (4.2) give them some shooting options on the perimeter. With four rotation pieces back, and one of the division’s best players in Wilt, Anamosa should be competitive again this season and push for a top-three division finish. Bellevue (6-16): The top five scorers, and nine of the top 10, return for the Comets, headlined by the division’s leading returning scorer, senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1158506" first="Colby" last="Sieverding"] (16.2). Sieverding is an attacking guard who led the division in free throw attempts last season, and if he can improve his shooting efficiency a bit, he could have a monstrous senior season. Cole Heim (6.3) returns with him in the backcourt after leading the team in assists last season, and Jackson Mueller (5.5) and Jensen Wedeking (5.1) combined to pull down 10.4 rebounds a game last season. With a ton of experience coming back and one of the division’s best players, expect to see improvement from Bellevue this season. [caption id="attachment_1289171" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/Zane-Witt-crop-4852x3186-1632325512.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1289171 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/Zane-Witt-crop-4852x3186-1632325512-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Witt[/caption] Camanche (18-7): Josh Davis has built the Storm into a bit of a powerhouse in northeast Iowa, averaging 20.2 wins a year over the last six seasons, including three state tournament appearances. They’ll be headlined this season by senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="682268" first="Zach" last="Erwin"] (15.0), a talented 6-4 do-it-all wing with incredible versatility on both ends of the floor. He scores from all three levels, rebounds the ball well, gets others involved, and is a high-level defender who can bang with bigs in the paint, or move his feet on the perimeter. The Storm lose a pair of double-figure scorers, but bring back four other rotation pieces from last season to flank Erwin with in [player_tooltip player_id="962661" first="Mike" last="Delzell"] (7.3), [player_tooltip player_id="1167714" first="Zane" last="Witt"] (5.6), [player_tooltip player_id="1158491" first="Adam" last="Dunlap"] (5.4), and [player_tooltip player_id="1234975" first="Tucker" last="Dickherber"] (3.8). Witt, a 6-8 junior big, could make a major leap this season after a great summer with the Iowa Mavericks. He’s a mobile big who finishes around the bucket and can switch defensively. Dunlap is an athletic wing who can be a menace in transition, Delzell is another versatile wing who does a little bit of everything, and Dickherber is a quality point guard who protects the ball and moves his feet defensively. Camanche will be athletic, and they always find players to add to their depth. This will be the team to beat in the RVC North. Cascade (6-16): Coach Nate McMullen took over a program that lost a lot of production before last season and the Cougars struggled a bit, averaging just 35 points a game. They continued to play strong defense in their 2-3, allowing just 44.4 points a game, and despite the rough year, McMullen is excited about the trajectory of the program, with a number of talented youngsters making their way up into the system. Junior forward Cole McDermott (5.6) is the leading returning scorer and was their most efficient option last season. Gavin Manternach (4.0), Cass Hoffman (2.9), and Justin Roling (2.6) are the other key returnees. With another year under McMullen, Cascade should be improved, and they'll use this as a building year towards what is expected to be a bright future. [caption id="attachment_1287347" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/Tate-Petersen-top-250-crop-4852x3186-1632164110.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1287347 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/Tate-Petersen-top-250-crop-4852x3186-1632164110-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Petersen[/caption] Monticello (22-1): The Panthers lost a special group of seniors (Justin Recker, Luke Lambert, Connor Lambert, Ty Kehoe, Riley Manternach) that helped lead the school to back-to-back state tournaments after a 60-year absence, so expect to see Monticello take a bit of a step back this season. The good news is that they bring back a pair of key contributors from last year’s team in junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="956879" first="Tate" last="Petersen"] (10.5) and sophomore combo forward [player_tooltip player_id="1171677" first="Preston" last="Ries"] (6.9). Petersen shot 37.2% from behind the arc and has continued to grow and mature physically, which will be extremely beneficial for a player who is going to be relied upon to be the primary scorer this season. Ries is a big, physical combo forward who can bang inside or stretch the floor, and he should be a big-time contributor for the Panthers for the next three seasons. Tim Lambert has done a great job building this program, and they should continue to be competitive within the division despite the heavy personnel losses. North Cedar (7-16): Sharpshooting senior Tadan Lange (10.3, 38.0 3P%) returns to lead the Knights, who return just one of their top four scorers. Davonte Crist (4.7) finished second in assists last season and is also back to give North Cedar an experienced backcourt to build around. They'll rely on senior Tyler Jackson (2.4) to become a vital piece for them in the paint after pulling down 3.3 rebounds a game as a role player last season. For a team that lacks size, Jackson's physicality in the paint will be key. Northeast (10-8): The Rebels have been one of the best defensive teams in 2A for years now, and last year was no exception, ranking second in points per game, giving up just 42.3 points a night. Of course, some of that can be attributed to their deliberate pace on the offensive end, but if you watch them, you’ll see how well-coached and disciplined they are on defense. A pair of double-figure scorers return in seniors Cade Hughes (10.7) and Carter Pataska (10.1), as do role players Hayden Lee (5.3) and Jimmy Weispfenning (1.6). If they can cut down on the turnovers (14.7 a game last season), this could be a team that pushes for a top-three finish in the division with their returning experience and dominant defense.   <h4>Projected Order of Finish</h4> 1. Camanche 2. Monticello 3. Anamosa 4. Northeast 5. Bellevue 6. North Cedar 7. Cascade Analysis: Camanche should be the best team in this division with what they have coming back. Monticello may struggle early as newcomers get acclimated to bigger roles, but should continue to be competitive, while Anamosa should be strong again as well. Northeast is always dangerous with their defense, and Bellevue should be more competitive with all of their returnees.   <h4><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Zach-Erwin.jpeg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1068658" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Zach-Erwin-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>Preseason Player of the Year</h4> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="682268" first="Zach" last="Erwin"], Camanche: One of the most versatile players in the state on both ends of the floor, Erwin can dominate games even when he’s not scoring with his court vision, defense, and rebounding. He has a tremendous feel for the game and can score from all three levels.   <h4>Players to Watch</h4> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="682268" first="Zach" last="Erwin"], Camanche 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167714" first="Zane" last="Witt"], Camanche 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962661" first="Mike" last="Delzell"], Camanche 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158491" first="Adam" last="Dunlap"], Camanche 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1234975" first="Tucker" last="Dickherber"], Camanche 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="956879" first="Tate" last="Petersen"], Monticello 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1171677" first="Preston" last="Ries"], Monticello 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158506" first="Colby" last="Sieverding"], Bellevue 2022 Cole Heim, Bellevue 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="682294" first="Sam" last="Wilt"], Anamosa 2022 Graham Humpal, Anamosa 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962685" first="Jake" last="Jess"], Anamosa 2022 Cade Hughes, Northeast 2022 Carter Pataska, Northeast 2022 Tadan Lange, North Cedar 2023 Cole McDermott, Cascade