Conference Preview: MVC Valley

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cedar Rapids Jefferson (8-15, 10.8% of scoring returning): </strong>The top five, and eight of the top nine, scorers from last year's team graduated. Senior wing Dominic White (4.0) is the top returnee. Carson Dighton (1.9) started a few games last season, and Logan Augustine (0.6) is the only other player who appeared in double-digit games. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":1404550,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/03/Colby-Dolphin-crop-2683x1762-1646884913.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/03/Colby-Dolphin-crop-2683x1762-1646884913-300x197.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1404550" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cedar Rapids Kennedy (21-4, 55.7%): </strong>The Cougars will have the best backcourt in the conference, and arguably the best in the state this season, with the returns of seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1167718' first='Colby' last='Dolphin'] (14.0) and [player_tooltip player_id='956877' first='Kenzie' last='Reed'] (12.9), junior [player_tooltip player_id='1171687' first='Cyrus' last='Courtney'] (7.6), and the projected emergence of sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1381415' first='Trey' last='McKowen']. Dolphin and Reed have a ton of varsity experience and complement each other well. Dolphin is a strong, physical guard who can play with or without the ball in his hands, showcasing a smooth lefty stroke from the arc and the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim. Reed is a pure point guard who loves to get others involved, and who has also really improved as a scorer. Courtney is a fantastic athlete on the perimeter, defending multiple positions, making plays for others, and getting to the bucket routinely. McKowen played really well on the sophomore team last season and is coming off a great summer with Martin Brothers. A high IQ guard who is the son of head coach Jon McKowen, he'll fit into whatever role is asked of him - scorer, defender, facilitator. The Cougars also add Linn-Mar transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1288851' first='Trevan' last='Krumrei'], a long, athletic wing who can score from all three levels. Kennedy is the team to beat in the conference and should be among the top 5 teams in 4A all year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":1458739,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/Aidan-Yamilkoski-crop-3226x2118-1652846577.jpeg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/05/Aidan-Yamilkoski-crop-3226x2118-1652846577-300x197.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-1458739" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cedar Rapids Xavier (11-12, 75.7%): </strong>The top three, and eight of the top ten, scorers return for the Saints. They'll be headlined by the tandem of senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1167689' first='Aidan' last='Yamilkoski'] (15.2) and junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1171667' first='Joseph' last='Bean'] (13.3). Yamilkoski is a three-level scorer who has really improved his all-around game on both ends of the floor over the last year, while Bean is a high IQ guard who can score from anywhere or get others involved. He showed a flash of what he can do last year in their substate semifinal loss to Central DeWitt, going for 30 points and 9 assists, and if he's able to stay healthy this year, the Saints offense should be among the best in the conference. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1367451' first='Josef' last='Lemker'] (9.0) is a solid role player and shooter, while [player_tooltip player_id='1240086' first='Aidan' last='McDermott'] (5.3), [player_tooltip player_id='1240106' first='Brody' last='Hoffman'] (3.6), [player_tooltip player_id='1240088' first='Maverick' last='Burger'] (2.4), Grayson Hartman (2.1), Thomas Sundell (1.2), and Tyler Netolicky (2.0) all return with plenty of playing experience. The Saints should be deep, and with Yamilkoski and Bean leading the way, they'll be very good offensively. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dubuque Hempstead (13-11, 9.1%): </strong>Like Jefferson, the Mustangs were decimated by graduation. The top five scorers from last year's team graduated, leaving only sophomore Reed Strohmeyer (2.7) as the only player who appeared in more than four games last season. It will be entirely new faces taking the floor for Hempstead this winter, which could lead to a long season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Dubuque Senior (12-11, 79.8%): </strong>A young team last season, the Rams bring back five of their top six scorers from a team that probably overachieved a little bit. While they may not have a ton of traditional size, they are long and hyper-athletic, which allows them to be an aggressive defensive unit that should be among the best in the class. Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1376678' first='Jacob' last='Williams'] (10.5) led the team in scoring and rebounding last season. He's a long, bouncy forward who has really improved his offensive game over the last year. Sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id='1381411' first='Jalen' last='Johnson'] (6.7) and senior [player_tooltip player_id='1367411' first='Devonta' last='Jackson'] (6.2) provide additional athleticism and length in the painted area, which will make this team tough to score against inside the arc. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1239872' first='Hayden' last='Jacobsmeier'] (7.2) is a talented perimeter scorer who can get to the rim or knock down jumpers, and sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id='1381404' first='Josh' last='Brauer'] (4.2) was a solid contributor as a freshman. Look for incoming freshman Tevin Schlutz to play a major role for the Rams as well this season. A talented 6-7/6-8 big man with great footwork, hands, and touch, he has a chance to make an immediate impact. Senior will be deep, talented, athletic, and a nightmare to play defensively. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Iowa City West (13-9, 48.8%):</strong> The Trojans got off to a strong 9-2 start last season before going just 4-7 down the stretch. The drop-off offensively was huge from the first 11 to the final 11, dropping by nearly 11 points a game, which is something that needs to be figured out heading into this winter. [player_tooltip player_id='1381414' first='Jack' last='McCaffery'] (9.9) is the team's top returning scorer, a 6-8 combo forward who can score inside and out. The sophomore had an up-and-down freshman season at West but has a ton of talent and great size. He had a productive summer with D1 Minnesota and looks ready to step into a bigger role. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1376672' first='Jacob' last='Koch'] (8.6, 40.4 3P%) is a quality playmaker and shooter, and wing [player_tooltip player_id='1171670' first='Kareem' last='Earl'] (8.2) should have a better season after an up-and-down sophomore year. The Trojans added some additional firepower in the form of junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1256297' first='TaeVeon' last='Stevens'], who averaged 10.5 points and shot nearly 40% from the arc last season at City High. The loss of Savion Taylor is a major one to overcome on both ends of the floor. He was a high IQ wing who could defend multiple positions and really shoot it. He suffered a knee injury early last season, and then his father took the head coaching job at Elon, so Taylor is now down in North Carolina. With McCaffery, Koch, Earl, and Stevens, West has a solid core to build around. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Waterloo West (8-14, 67.0%): </strong>A pair of big-time scorers return for the Wahawks in seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1288869' first='Si'Marion' last='Anderson'] (15.5) and [player_tooltip player_id='1367438' first='Keishaun' last='Pendleton'] (14.8), who combined to put up over 30 points a game last season. Both are at their best when they're playing downhill and using their athleticism to attack the bucket. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='1381413' first='Jahlil' last='Manago'] (7.3) was a solid contributor last season as a freshman and he should step into a bigger role as a playmaker this season. In Anderson, Pendleton, and Manago, West has a trio of viable playmakers and shot creators to help ease the transition of the new faces into the rotation. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Projected Order of Finish</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1. Kennedy<br>2. Senior<br>3. Xavier<br>4. Iowa City West<br>5. Waterloo West<br>6. Hempstead<br>7. Jefferson</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis:</strong> Kennedy should be considered a pretty healthy favorite within this division. The Cougars have arguably the best backcourt in the state and the constant pressure that their quartet of guards will be able to put on opposing teams will be too much to overcome. Senior and Xavier were both young last season and should be improved, and Iowa City West is always solid.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"align":"right","id":1404125,"sizeSlug":"medium","linkDestination":"media"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/03/Kenzie-Reed-crop-2809x1845-1646851075.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/03/Kenzie-Reed-crop-2809x1845-1646851075-300x197.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1404125" /></a></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Preseason Player of the Year</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='956877' first='Kenzie' last='Reed'], Kennedy:</strong> A talented lead guard who loves to get others involved, Reed is one of the best pure point guards in the state, a true floor general who is another coach on the floor for the Cougars. He's also a dynamic three-level scorer who will pace a Kennedy attack that will be among the most potent in the state. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='956877' first='Kenzie' last='Reed'], Kennedy<br>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1167718' first='Colby' last='Dolphin'], Kennedy<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1171687' first='Cyrus' last='Courtney'], Kennedy<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1288851' first='Trevan' last='Krumrei'], Kennedy<br>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1167689' first='Aidan' last='Yamilkoski'], Xavier<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1171667' first='Joseph' last='Bean'], Xavier<br>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1367451' first='Josef' last='Lemker'], Xavier<br>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1288869' first='Si'Marion' last='Anderson'], Waterloo West<br>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1367438' first='Keishaun' last='Pendleton'], Waterloo West<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381413' first='Jahlil' last='Manago'], Waterloo West<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376678' first='Jacob' last='Williams'], Senior<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381411' first='Jalen' last='Johnson'], Senior<br>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='962639' first='Walker' last='Tart'], Senior<br>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1367411' first='Devonta' last='Jackson'], Senior<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381404' first='Josh' last='Brauer'], Senior<br>2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1239872' first='Hayden' last='Jacobsmeier'], Senior<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381414' first='Jack' last='McCaffery'], Iowa City West<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376672' first='Jacob' last='Koch'], Iowa City West<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1171670' first='Kareem' last='Earl'], Iowa City West<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1256297' first='TaeVeon' last='Stevens'], Iowa City West</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->