Conference Preview: Upper Iowa

<h4>The Teams</h4> <p><strong>Central Elkader (6-17):</strong> The Warriors lose their top two scorers from last year’s team, leaving junior guard Dan McGreal (6.8) and senior guard Parker Vaughn (5.9) as the top returnees. The duo combined to make 49 3-pointers last season, giving them a bit of shooting on the perimeter, but they won’t have very much size, so they will struggle with bigger, more athletic, and more physical teams on the interior. </p> <p><strong>Clayton Ridge (11-10):</strong> If you’re looking for a potential surprise team this season, look at the Eagles, who bring back their top seven scorers to a team that lost eight games by single digits, including six by five points or fewer. They have a trio of double-figure scorers returning in seniors Caleb Helle (14.0), Caden Palmer (13.6), and William Speilbauer (13.3), who also combined to average 16.1 rebounds a game to go with their scoring prowess. Helle is the team’s top player, dishing out 4.9 assists to go with his scoring, and he can get the job done at all three levels. Speilbauer and Drake Ostrander (2.0) provide solid secondary ball-handling options. With a ton of experience coming back to a team that was close to putting together a really strong season, expect to see Clayton Ridge battling for the conference title. </p> [caption id="attachment_1290438" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/48-Dalton-Dibert.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1290438 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/48-Dalton-Dibert-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> Dibert[/caption] <p><strong>Kee (11-11):</strong> In senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1158479" first="Dalton" last="Dibert"] (17.2), the Kee Hawks have one of the conference’s best players returning. In addition to his scoring, Dibert dished out 4.5 assists a game last season, so he can take over games even when he’s not putting the ball in the bucket himself. Senior wing Tyson Cota (11.0) is another double-digit scoring returnee, and senior forwards Damon Weber (7.1, 6.2 rebounds) and Jonah Reinke (5.5, 7.7 rebounds) will hold down the fort in the painted area. Seven of the top eight scorers return to a team that went .500 last season, so expect to see them competing at the top of the league.</p> <p><strong>MFL-Mar-Mac (7-15):</strong> Four of the top six scorers from last year’s team return for the Bulldogs, so expect them to be improved. They’re led by sophomore guard Wyatt Powell (10.0), who led the team in scoring, assists, and steals last season. He can score from all three levels, gets others involved, and should continue building on a strong freshman season. Fellow sophomore Carver Blietz-Bentien (7.5, 6.9 rebounds) led the team in rebounding and will pair with Powell to give them a strong core to build around for the next three seasons. Cullen McShane (9.5) and Kaden Stocker (5.6), a pair of senior wings, give them some more perimeter scoring options. Powell and Blietz-Bentien provide plenty of reason for optimism for MFL, and they should be much more competitive this season as their talented young pieces gained valuable experience.</p> <p><strong>North Fayette Valley (18-5):</strong> The TigerHawks were strong in league play last season, finishing with a 13-2 mark against league competition. They lose their top three scorers from that team, leaving senior Ben Miller (7.3) as the top returning scorer, and Tayler Luzum (4.3) is the only other returnee who averaged more than 2.2 points a game. After losing a lot of production and size from last year’s roster, expect NFV to take a bit of a step back this season, opening the door for teams like South Winneshiek, Clayton Ridge, Kee, and Turkey Valley are the top of the league. </p> <p><strong>Postville (3-16):</strong> The Pirates won just three games last season, and only had three other games decided by 11 points or less. They bring back three of their top four from last year’s team, so they could be a bit more competitive this year. Senior forward Austin Schutte (9.1, 7.8 rebounds) is the headliner after leading the team in scoring and rebounding last season. Look for sophomore lead guard Koby Bohr (5.1) to step into the primary ball-handling role after finishing second on the team in assists last year. </p> [caption id="attachment_1147267" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Trey-Kriener-crop-2786x1829-1615315506-crop-498x327-1615315520.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1147267 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/03/Trey-Kriener-crop-2786x1829-1615315506-crop-498x327-1615315520-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Kriener[/caption] <p><strong>South Winneshiek (18-7):</strong> Two of the top three scorers graduated from the Warriors’ first state tournament team in 34 years, but with senior big man [player_tooltip player_id="1158422" first="Trey" last="Kriener"] (12.9, 9.6 rebounds) returning, they shouldn’t take too much of a step back this year. Kriener is a 6-7, mobile big man who can run the floor, finish at the rim effectively, and protect the paint with his shot-blocking instincts and athleticism. Juniors Keagan Streeter (6.3) and Carson Wenthold (6.2) return on the perimeter to give them some scoring punch as well. This team will need to find some role players to step up alongside Kriener and the wings, but they should remain competitive and at or near the top of the conference.</p> <p><strong>Turkey Valley (14-7):</strong> The Trojans lose their leading scorer from last year’s team but bring back everyone else, so expect them to remain at the top of the league again this season. Senior forward Garrett Kurtenbach (14.0) leads the charge, a versatile scorer who also led the team in rebounding last season. Junior point guard Noah Hanson (7.6) led the team in assists, while junior wing Calvin Bodensteiner (9.7) is the team’s top perimeter shooting threat. A solid defensive team that averaged over 11 steals a game last season, they should be good on that end of the floor again, which will pace an offense that should become more efficient with all of the returning talent they have. Expect Turkey Valley to be among the top contenders in the conference.</p> <p><strong>West Central (4-18):</strong> The Blue Devils lose their leading scorer from last year’s roster, but bring back the next four, headlined by senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="1281340" first="Logan" last="Wescott"] (12.4), who led the team in rebounding last season, pulling down 6.0 a game. Juniors Creighton Houge (5.7), Brooks Ingels (4.4), and Brandon Cushion (3.9) were solid contributors last season and also return, giving them some experience.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Projected Order of Finish</h4> <p>1. Turkey Valley<br /> 2. South Winneshiek<br /> 3. Clayton Ridge<br /> 4. Kee<br /> 5. MFL-Mar-Mac<br /> 6. North Fayette Valley<br /> 7. West Central<br /> 8. Central Elkader<br /> 9. Postville</p> <p><strong>Analysis:</strong> We could easily see any of the top four teams in this projection winning the conference. Turkey Valley brings back a lot from a good team, South Winneshiek has the conference's best player, and Clayton Ridge and Kee both bring back a majority of their rosters.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Preseason Player of the Year</h4> <p><strong>2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158422" first="Trey" last="Kriener"], South Winneshiek:</strong> Kriener helped lead the Warriors to their first state tournament appearance in 34 years last season, leading the conference in rebounding and blocks. A versatile 6-7/6-8 big man who can stretch the floor and protect the rim, he’s the type of modern big man that college programs covet.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h4>Players to Watch</h4> <p>2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158422" first="Trey" last="Kriener"], South Winneshiek<br /> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158479" first="Dalton" last="Dibert"], Kee<br /> 2022 Tyson Cota, Kee<br /> 2022 Garrett Kurtenbach, Turkey Valley<br /> 2023 Calvin Bodensteiner, Turkey Valley<br /> 2023 Noah Hanson, Turkey Valley<br /> 2022 Caleb Helle, Clayton Ridge<br /> 2022 Caden Palmer, Clayton Ridge<br /> 2022 William Speilbauer, Clayton Ridge<br /> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1281340" first="Logan" last="Wescott"], West Central<br /> 2024 Wyatt Powell, MFL-Mar-Mac<br /> 2022 Cullen McShane, MFL-Mar-Mac<br /> 2024 Carver Blietz-Bentien, MFL-Mar-Mac<br /> 2022 Austin Schutte, Postville<br /> 2022 Ben Miller, North Fayette Valley</p>