Conference Preview: Siouxland

<h4>The Teams</h4> [caption id="attachment_1147283" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Tanner-Te-Slaa-new-crop-2786x1829-1615315690-crop-541x355-1615315703.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1147283 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Tanner-Te-Slaa-new-crop-2786x1829-1615315690-crop-541x355-1615315703-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Te Slaa[/caption] Boyden-Hull (26-1): The Comets nearly went wire-to-wire as the #1 team in 2A last season, going 26-0 before falling to down-the-street rival Western Christian in the 2A championship game. Of their 26 wins, 22 came by double figures, and despite losing some key pieces from that team, don’t expect any drop-off from this group. They’re led by senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="682290" first="Tanner" last="Te Slaa"] (21.5), a South Dakota State signee who impacts the game on both ends of the floor. He’s a three-level scorer with an incredible feel for the game. He can get others involved, dominate the game defensively, and he rebounds at a high level. The Comets got a boost with the addition of Spirit Lake transfer [player_tooltip player_id="962615" first="Vance" last="Katzfey"] (15.4). Katzfey is an electric wing scorer from all three levels, and a plus-athlete who should pair well with Te Slaa on the perimeter. Role players [player_tooltip player_id="1158463" first="Bryan" last="Zylstra"] (7.5, 45.6 3P%) and [player_tooltip player_id="1234974" first="Dylan" last="Francis"] (5.5, 54.5 3P%) also return, so the Comets are going to have a ton of perimeter shooting on this roster. They’ll need to find some role players and rotation pieces, but with Te Slaa and Katzfey leading the way, this is the team to beat in the Siouxland, and one of the best in 2A again. Central Lyon (16-7): A young Lions team put together a strong nine-game winning streak late last season and will be looking to carry some of that momentum into this year, bringing back the top seven scorers from that roster. Do-it-all guard [player_tooltip player_id="1253020" first="Zach" last="Lutmer"] (20.4), a talented junior playmaker, leads the charge. He led the team in every major category last season, and did so at a highly efficient level, posting 58-45-69 shooting splits. Senior guards [player_tooltip player_id="962637" first="Mason" last="Gerleman"] (13.1, 47.1 3P%) and [player_tooltip player_id="1235019" first="Jace" last="Schrick"] (5.2, 41.9 3P%) give them even more perimeter shooting, while Cooper Spiess (10.2) is a strong option inside the arc. Lutmer is a superstar, and they’re able to flank him with a ton of shooting. The Lions will be excellent, and should battle it out with Rock Valley for second place in the conference. George-Little Rock (3-20): The Mustangs lost five of their top seven scorers from last season, but bring back a quintet of sophomores who saw significant playing time as freshmen and who will be focal points of the program for the next three years. Forward Drew Denekas (8.1, 7.3 rebounds) led the team in scoring and rebounding last season, while guard Noah Terhark (3.9, 5.0 assists) led the team in assists. Isaiah Johnson (2.6), Micah Jumbeck (1.8), and Matt Helkenn (1.3) also return after getting some run last year. It will be another long winter for this program, but they are headed in the right direction with the youth that they have. MOC-Floyd Valley (7-15): The top three scorers from last year’s team return for the Dutchmen, and with them comes a whole lot of shooting. Juniors [player_tooltip player_id="1167713" first="Ayden" last="Klein"] (16.1, 37.0 3P%) and [player_tooltip player_id="1167726" first="Luke" last="Korver"] (10.9, 49.2 3P%), as well as senior Carter Aalbers (9.1, 33.3 3P%) all return, and they combined to make 122 3-pointers last season. Having that type of shooting returning, with an additional year of experience, will make MOC-FV a more dangerous outfit this season. They’ll be reliant on senior forward Tyson Blom (2.8, 4.0 rebounds), who was second on the team in rebounding last season, to be a major contributor on the glass for a team that lacks size. [caption id="attachment_1073016" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Lucas-Lorenzen.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1073016 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/Lucas-Lorenzen-300x197.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Lorenzen[/caption] Okoboji (9-14): The Pioneers were able to compile nine wins last season, despite leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id="682280" first="Lucas" last="Lorenzen"] (23.6, 7.7 rebounds) only playing in 11 contests. Unfortunately for them, the next three scorers from that team graduated, leaving junior forward Aidan Dahms (5.6) as the next returnee alongside Lorenzen. Had they been bringing back even one more of the double-figure scorers from last season, this could have been a team that may have surprised some people. In Lorenzen, they have a 6-6 combo forward who scores at an efficient clip from all three levels, and he’s capable of dominating games. They’ll need to find someone else to step up alongside Lorenzen as a secondary scoring option. Rock Valley (17-6): The biggest threat to Boyden-Hull should come from the Rockets, who bring back 80% of their scoring from a 17-win team. This group was extremely close to being a 20-win team last season, as three of their six losses came by a single point. They bring back three double-figure scorers in [player_tooltip player_id="1158431" first="Landyn" last="Van Kekerix"] (16.6), [player_tooltip player_id="962672" first="Bryson" last="Van Grootheest"] (16.5), and [player_tooltip player_id="962673" first="Sam" last="Remmerde"] (10.7), a trio of seniors with a ton of experience playing together. Neither Van Kekerix and Van Grootheest shot it as well from deep as they’re capable of last season, so a little bit of regression to the mean could be coming, which would be dangerous for opposing teams. Remmerde can score inside and out and provides some rim protection. Role players Dawson Van Beek (8.0), Caleb Kats (5.2), Brycen Zomer (3.4), Ryan Strait (2.8), and Brayan Gonzalez (2.0) all return as well, so this group is loaded with experience. If another team is going to sit atop the Siouxland this year, it will be Rock Valley. Sheldon (9-14): Senior combo forward [player_tooltip player_id="1158498" first="Shane" last="Brouwer"] (12.2, 6.1 rebounds) returns to lead the Orabs. He was second on the team in scoring and led them in rebounding last season, and he scores at a remarkably efficient clip, shooting 67.1% from the floor. [player_tooltip player_id="1240094" first="Blake" last="Radke"] (5.3, 42.4 3P%) gives them some more perimeter shooting, but those are the only two returnees who saw significant playing time last season, In Brouwer, they have a player who can impact the game in a number of ways, but they’ll need to find a number of new role players. Sibley-Ocheyedan (9-13): The Generals lost their leading scorer to graduation, but bring back four players who averaged between 4.9 and 8.5 points a game, so they will have some experience and talent coming back. Junior wing Dougie Noonkester (8.5) is the top returning scorer and perimeter threat, while senior forward Logan Bruxvoort (7.3, 6.0 rebounds) will anchor the paint on both ends of the floor. They will struggle against the top-tier teams in the league but should be able to compile a similar amount of wins as last year’s team did. Sioux Center (7-15): The Warriors return leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id="962670" first="Christian" last="Vietor"] (14.8), as well as two other major scoring threats in junior Kylar Fritz (8.2) and sophomore Cael Van Beek (7.5), so expect this team to put up plenty of points this season. Vietor is a long, lanky wing who can fill it up from all three levels, and Fritz and Van Beek are both quality shooting threats. They struggled with turnovers last season, giving it away over 17 times a game last season, and that number needs to improve, but they have a solid trio to build around. West Lyon (13-9): Seven of the Wildcats nine losses came by single digits last season, and they bring back three double-figure scorers from that team in seniors Caleb Folkens (11.7), Javen Meyer (10.5), and [player_tooltip player_id="962676" first="Jaxon" last="Meyer"] (10.4). After losing their top two assisters from last year’s team, expect Folkens to have the ball in his hands more and serve as more of a playmaker. He’s also the team’s lone returning perimeter shooting threat, so there will be a lot on his plate. The Meyer boys are excellent athletes and rebounders who combined to pull down 5.1 offensive boards a game last season, gaining plenty of extra possessions for this group. After playing for the 2A football championship and thus getting a late start to the basketball season, it may take this team a little while to get going, but with three double-figure scorers back to a team that was close to being very good last year, expect to see the ’Cats near the top of the league standings by the end of the season.   <h4>Projected Order of Finish</h4> 1. Boyden-Hull 2. Rock Valley 3. Central Lyon 4. West Lyon 5. MOC-Floyd Valley 6. Okoboji 7. Sioux Center 8. Sheldon 9. Sibley-Ocheyedan 10. George-Little Rock Analysis: Boyden-Hull is the team to beat in this conference, and they would have been our selection even if they hadn’t added Katzfey as a transfer. That said, Rock Valley, Central Lyon, and West Lyon will each be very dangerous teams, and MOC-Floyd Valley, Okoboji, Sioux Center, and Sheldon each have a star player who can take over a game on a given night.   <h4>Preseason Player of the Year</h4> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="682290" first="Tanner" last="Te Slaa"], Boyden-Hull: The South Dakota State signee dominates the game on both ends of the floor with his size, length, talent, and IQ. He can fill it up from all three levels, rebounds at a high level, is a versatile defender, and an excellent passer. He’s a winner.   <h4>Players to Watch</h4> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="682290" first="Tanner" last="Te Slaa"], Boyden-Hull 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962615" first="Vance" last="Katzfey"], Boyden-Hull 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158463" first="Bryan" last="Zylstra"], Boyden-Hull 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1234974" first="Dylan" last="Francis"], Boyden-Hull 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="682280" first="Lucas" last="Lorenzen"], Okoboji 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1253020" first="Zach" last="Lutmer"], Central Lyon 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962637" first="Mason" last="Gerleman"], Central Lyon 2022 Cooper Spiees, Central Lyon 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158431" first="Landyn" last="Van Kekerix"], Rock Valley 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962672" first="Bryson" last="Van Grootheest"], Rock Valley 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962673" first="Sam" last="Remmerde"], Rock Valley 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167713" first="Ayden" last="Klein"], MOC-Floyd Valley 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167726" first="Luke" last="Korver"], MOC-Floyd Valley 2022 Carter Aalbers, MOC-Floyd Valley 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962670" first="Christian" last="Vietor"], Sioux Center 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158498" first="Shane" last="Brouwer"], Sheldon 2022 Caleb Folkens, West Lyon 2022 Javen Meyer, West Lyon 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962676" first="Jaxon" last="Meyer"], West Lyon 2023 Dougie Noonkester, Sibley-Ocheyedan 2024 Drew Denekas, George-Little Rock