Conference Preview: SICL West

The Teams   BGM (6-16, 54.7% of scoring returning): The Bears lost leading scorer Jacob Moel to graduation, but bring back three starters in senior Jacob Maurer (11.2) and juniors Dominic Coleman (4.1) and Brayden Hepke (1.8). Maurer should have the ball in his hands quite a bit this season after finishing second on the team in assists last season, and he'll be tasked with taking on the primary scoring role. Junior Caleb Fleming (2.1) also returns with some experience.   Colfax-Mingo (4-18, 66.8%): The Tigerhawks' leading scorer graduated, but they bring back a strong group of 2024 players in Cael Bracewell (9.8), Joe Earles (8.5), Curtis Horras (7.5), and Brandon Kite (3.5), giving them a solid quartet to build around. Sophomore Harrison Rhone (2.5) also saw a fair amount of playing time last season. This group is going to be young again, but they'll be looking to improve this year and build towards a 2023-24 season that could be really good.   HLV (5-18, 46.7%): Leading scorer Landon Hall (12.6) returns to lead the Warriors, and he'll need to be a major contributor and leader, especially early in the season, as the next three scorers, and four of the next five, graduated. He led the team in steals (2.6 a game) and can create some chaos on the defensive end, and he'll be asked to carry the scoring and playmaking load on the offensive end. Junior Ethan Licht (3.2) and senior Jack Cheney (2.9) are the other returnees with experience.   Lynnville-Sully (18-7, 69.5%): Three double-figure scorers return for the Hawks, with the possibility of a fourth coming back late in the season, so this group is going to be loaded with offensive talent. Leading returning scorer [player_tooltip player_id='1167730' first='Preston' last='Rodibaugh'] (13.6) is the iffy one. He suffered a significant injury late last season, and the timetable for his return is something that we're not sure of at this time. If he's able to return in some role, he's a three-level scorer with good size and length on the perimeter. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1240095' first='Conner' last='Maston'] (13.4) buried a team-high 52 3-pointers last season at a 42.3% clip and will be the top scoring threat, while junior [player_tooltip player_id='1171666' first='Corder' last='Noun Harder'] (10.3) led the team in assists. He'll pair with Maston to hold down a backcourt that should be dynamic. The most important player for this team, however, may be junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1376719' first='Klayton' last='Van Dyke'] (10.1), who led the team in rebounding (9.3), pulling down 4.5 offensive boards a game. He's a good finisher around the bucket and can protect the paint defensively. Kale Ehresman (4.3, 48.6 3P%) can provide additional perimeter shooting. The Hawks should be a strong unit on both ends of the floor with plenty of scoring threats. If Rodibaugh is able to come back, they could be a 1A state tournament contender.   Montezuma (18-5, 64.2%): The Braves lost a pair of double-figure scorers from last year's team but bring back three senior guards who will hold down the backcourt and give them arguably the top trio of ball handlers in the conference. Eddie Burgess, who averaged 16.7 points and 15.9 rebounds last season, will be extremely difficult to replace, and this year's team will be much smaller as a result. [player_tooltip player_id='956886' first='Masin' last='Shearer'] (14.1, 4.5 assists) is the leading returning scorer and playmaker. A talented ball-handler and passer who can get to the rim or knock down shots from deep, he'll be the focal point of opposing game plans on a nightly basis. Gavin Strong (11.4) and Owen Cook (8.7) are both capable secondary ball-handlers who can initiate the offense and allow Shearer to move off the ball on occasion. They'll need someone to step into the huge hole vacated by Burgess, especially on the glass. This team is going to be small, but will be able to rely on their quickness to put constant pressure on opposing teams on both ends of the floor.   North Mahaska (20-6, 87.2%): The Warhawks went 13-3 in league play last year and qualified for the 1A state tournament for the first time since 2006, potentially arriving a year early. This is the season that North Mahaska has been building towards for the last three years, with a dynamic quartet of seniors leading the charge. [player_tooltip player_id='1167743' first='Nash' last='Smith'] (19.3), a do-it-all 6-6 wing, is the star for this group. He handles it well, can shoot it from deep, post up smaller defenders, rebound at a high clip, and he's the focal point of their defense. His ability to control the game even when he isn't scoring is rivaled by very few in the class. Guard [player_tooltip player_id='1367407' first='Lane' last='Harmon'] (13.8, 41.4 3P%) is a nice complement to Smith, a knockdown shooter who moves well without the ball. [player_tooltip player_id='1167746' first='Braden' last='Steel'] (9.6, 9.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists) is an ideal role player who rebounds extremely well on both ends of the floor and is a really good passer that the offense can flow through, while Ethan Huffman (8.5, 37.3 3P%) provides additional perimeter shooting. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2221633' first='Nolan' last='Andersen'] (5.4) is the other key returnee for this group, providing some scoring off the bench last season. This team is going to be able to light up the scoreboard, and they'll defend well enough to control this division. The question for them will be how well they fare against pressure defenses (see: North Linn at the state tournament last year), but that shouldn't be too much of an issue in league play.     Projected Order of Finish   1. North Mahaska 2. Lynnville-Sully 3. Montezuma 4. Colfax-Mingo 5. BGM 6. HLV   Analysis: There are three really good teams at the top of the division, headlined by a North Mahaska team that brings back 87% of their scoring from a state tournament team. The Warhawks have to be considered the favorite within the division, while Lynnville-Sully and Montezuma will both win a ton of games as well.     Preseason Player of the Year   <figure class="wp-block-image alignright size-medium"><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/09/622-Nash-Smith-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1668550557.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2022/09/622-Nash-Smith-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1668550557-300x197.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1662657" /></a></figure>   2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1167743' first='Nash' last='Smith'], North Mahaska: Smith is a long, lanky 6-6 wing who can do a little bit of everything for the Warhawks. He's the focal point of their trapping defense, he can shoot it, he can handle it, and he's a good passer who likes to get others involved. He's a matchup problem who should have a massive senior year.     Players to Watch   2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1167743' first='Nash' last='Smith'], North Mahaska 2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1367407' first='Lane' last='Harmon'], North Mahaska 2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1167746' first='Braden' last='Steel'], North Mahaska 2023 Ethan Huffman, North Mahaska 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2221633' first='Nolan' last='Andersen'], North Mahaska 2023 [player_tooltip player_id='956886' first='Masin' last='Shearer'], Montezuma 2023 Gavin Strong, Montezuma 2023 Owen Cook, Montezuma 2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1240095' first='Conner' last='Maston'], Lynnville-Sully 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1171666' first='Corder' last='Noun Harder'], Lynnville-Sully 2023 [player_tooltip player_id='1167730' first='Preston' last='Rodibaugh'], Lynnville-Sully 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376719' first='Klayton' last='Van Dyke'], Lynnville-Sully 2023 Landon Hall, HLV 2023 Jacob Maurer, BGM 2024 Cael Bracewell, Colfax-Mingo 2024 Joe Earles, Colfax-Mingo 2024 Curtis Horras, Colfax-Mingo

The Teams