Conference Preview: Hawkeye Ten

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Atlantic (7-15, 44.5% of scoring returning): </strong>Leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id='1376690' first='Colton' last='Rasmussen'] (18.2 points per game) returns to lead the Trojans, giving them one of the best players in the conference. A versatile scoring wing who can get to the rim or occasionally knock down shots from deep, he's a volume scorer who is capable of getting hot and carrying his team for stretches. Nolan Waters (7.5) is one of the best shooters in the conference, knocking down 49.1% of his 3-point attempts as a junior. He figures to step into a bigger role as a senior alongside Rasmussen, giving the Trojans a pair of dangerous scoring threats. Look for sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2413616' first='Gavin' last='McLaren'] (2.4) to step into a significant role this season as well after contributing as a role player as a freshman. Rasmussen should have some big nights, but is there enough depth alongside him for Atlantic to compete on a consistent basis?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Clarinda (12-11, 27.8%):</strong> The Cardinals struggled to compete against the top teams in the conference last season, dropping all five games against Glenwood, Denison-Schleswig, and Kuemper Catholic last season by an average of 19.4 points a game. The good news is that Cole Baumgart returns. Baumgart played in just one game last season, but was great in that game, scoring 12 points with 7 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. If he's able to stay healthy, he could be one of the best players in the conference. [player_tooltip player_id='2325300' first='Creighton' last='Tuzzio'] (7.6), Justus Fine (3.4), and Andrew Jones (3.0) each saw significant playing time last season and also return. If Baumgart stays healthy and the aforementioned trio is able to take another step up, they could replicate last year's success. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Creston (11-9, 42.8%): </strong>Senior guard Cael Turner (13.7, 3.4 assists) returns to lead the Panthers after pacing the team in scoring, rebounding, assists, and steals last season. He puts pressure on opposing teams with his ability to create off the dribble and get to the rim. Of the top six from last season, the only other returnee is junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1874784' first='Jake' last='Hoyt'] (8.0), a long, athletic wing who looks like he may be primed to take the next step. He can defend multiple positions and provides some versatility on the offensive end, showing some secondary playmaking and passing as well as the ability to get to the rim. They'll need some other pieces to step up alongside Turner and Hoyt, but that tandem will be one of the better tandems in the league. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Denison-Schleswig (16-6, 41.3%):</strong> Two of the top three from last year return for the Monarchs, giving them a strong pair to build around this winter. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1376724' first='Luke' last='Wiebers'] (12.0, 3.8 assists) led the team in assists last season and was the second leading scorer. He's a tough guard who gets to the rim and puts pressure on opposing teams on both ends of the floor with his quickness. 6-8 big man [player_tooltip player_id='2325320' first='Lance' last='Arkfeld'] (8.7) is the other notable returnee. He's an efficient interior option with great size, and he looks like he may be ready to take another step forward in his development. The Monarchs will need to find a lot of new pieces to fill in alongside Wiebers, Arkfeld, and Jake Fink (4.1, 2.3 assists), but this is a program that has experienced a fair amount of success of late, and they won't bottom out. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Glenwood (15-8, 23.1%):</strong> Last year's 15 wins will be hard to replicate for the Rams this season after losing five of their top six scorers to graduation. The lone returnee among that six is senior guard Kayden Anderson (8.2), who will be tasked with stepping into the primary ball-handling role following the graduation of Caden Johnson, who led the team in assists last year. Casey Godbout (2.8) and Adam Severn (2.4), another pair of seniors, appeared in a combined 44 games last season so they have som experience, but they are the only other players on the roster who saw much, if any, time last season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Harlan (17-6, 39.1%):</strong> Under coach Mitch Osborn, Harlan has been the model of consistency, routinely winning 16-20 games and competing for Hawkeye Ten titles and state tournament berths. So, while at most programs you'd be concerned with losing three double-figure scorers to graduation, at Harlan, we're not too worried. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2325354' first='Franz' last='Reisz'] (12.2, 9.1 rebounds) is a dominant interior presence on both ends of the floor who can control the painted area, while senior guard Will Arkfeld (7.1, 37.1 3P%) gives them some perimeter shooting and allows Reisz some room to operate in the paint. Those are the only two returnees with significant experience, but Harlan will once again be a factor in the league race. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kuemper Catholic (18-7, 75.1%): </strong>Six of the top seven scorers return for the Knights, who qualified for the 2A state tournament last season, so expectations are sky high in Carroll. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='1288927' first='Michael' last='Kasperbauer'] (13.4) is the team's top scorer, a versatile guard who shoots it at a high clip from behind the arc and moves well without the ball in his hands. He'll be joined in the backcourt by [player_tooltip player_id='1765503' first='Brock' last='Badding'] (8.4, 37.8 3P%) and [player_tooltip player_id='1759944' first='Carson' last='Kanne'] (7.8, 4.0 assists), giving the Knights the best backcourt in the conference. Badding is a sharpshooting sophomore who, like Kasperbauer, is a great shooter off the catch, while Kanne is a skilled lead guard who loves to get his teammates involved. [player_tooltip player_id='1376722' first='Dennis' last='(DJ) Vonnahme'] (9.2, 6.9 rebounds) is arguably their most important player. He's a future Iowa football player who uses his strength and athleticism to defend multiple positions, rebound on both ends of the floor, and finish around the rim. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1951817' first='Tregan' last='Beiter'] (4.9) and senior Carter Putney (5.1) also return after giving Kuemper solid production as role players last season. The Knights are loaded with shooting, should have good depth, and have a versatile Swiss Army knife defender in Vonnahme. This is the team to beat in the Hawkeye Ten. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lewis Central (10-12, 71.9%): </strong>If you're looking for a team to jump up and potentially challenge Kuemper, Harlan, and Denison-Schleswig at the top of the league, look at the Titans. Leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id='1751214' first='Nash' last='Paulson'] (13.0) will be one of the best players in the conference, and six of the top seven scorers from last year's team return. Curtis Witte (8.2, 3.8 assists) led the team in helpers and is a strong lead guard who does a good job limiting turnovers and getting his teammates involved. This is a team that was fairly balanced behind Paulson last year, with six players averaging between 3.7 and 9.9 points a game, giving them a number of valuable options alongside their standout player. This is a team that didn't shoot it well from the arc at all (21.8 3P%). If they're able to get that up to even 27-28% this season, they'll have a chance to make some noise. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Red Oak (8-15, 74.3%): </strong>After making a surprise run to the 2022 2A state tournament, expectations were high for the Tigers heading into last season, but they never got it going. They got off to a 1-6 start before the holiday break and never really recovered. Senior guards [player_tooltip player_id='1376714' first='Max' last='DeVries'] (20.9) and [player_tooltip player_id='1938207' first='Hunter' last='Gilleland'] (14.0) have been the team's top two scorers each of the last two years (DeVries has actually led the team in scoring in each of his three varsity seasons), so they have a great tandem to build around this season. They will need players like Brayden Sifford (3.8), Cyrus Mensen (2.3), and Brett Erickson (1.6) to step up alongside DeVries and Gilleland and take some of the scoring pressure off of that tandem, and they'll need to take better care of the ball as a team (17.5 turnovers a game), if they want to get back to a level where they could be potential contenders within the league and in 2A. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>St. Albert (3-19, 71.5%): </strong>The Falcons were simply overmatched on a nearly nightly basis last season, with an average score of 72-55 in their 22 games. That is to be expected as a 1A school competing against mostly 3A schools, but this is a program that has experienced quite a bit of success, and they'll be looking to make a major improvement this season. That looks possible with all but last year's leading scorer, Colin Lillie, returning. Lillie will certainly be missed after putting up nearly 16 points a game, but the remainder of the roster gained a lot of valuable experience last season and should be improved. That starts with sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='1765504' first='Nicolas' last='Ballenger'] (11.6, 37.9 3P%), a skilled three-level scorer who can really shoot it from the arc. He had a really good spring and summer and looks ready to step up and be one of the best players in the conference. Jaxson Lehnen (7.2) and Luke Wettengel (5.7) will give them some size and rebounding, while Jeremiah Sherrill (5.7) and Noah Narmi (4.5) will provide some additional scoring punch on the perimeter for the Falcons. This is a group that could triple their win total this season, and they'll be ready to make some noise in the 1A postseason.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Shenandoah (2-20, 93.7%): </strong>The Mustangs really struggled last season, with both of their wins coming against 1A schools with a combined 6-38 record, and no other game decided by single digits. They lost leading scorer and rebounder Blake Herold to graduation, but bring back the next six scorers from last year's team as well as a bevy of players from the 2026 class who may be ready to take another step and start building for the future. Seniors Camden Lorimor (6.9) and Jade Spangler (5.9) are the top returnees. Despite returning more than anyone else in the conference, Shenandoah will still struggle to compete on a nightly basis. </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. Kuemper Catholic<br>2. Harlan<br>3. Lewis Central<br>4. Denison-Schleswig<br>5. Glenwood<br>6. Red Oak<br>7. St. Albert<br>8. Creston<br>9. Atlantic<br>10. Clarinda<br>11. Shenandoah</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis: </strong>Coming off a 2A state tournament appearance and bringing back a huge chunk of that roster, Kuemper is the team to beat in the league. But it won't be easy. Harlan is always good, with big, strong, physical athletes and a Hall of Fame coach. Lewis Central should be improved, and Denison-Schleswig has a pair of talented pieces to build around. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Preseason Player of the Year</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1288927' first='Michael' last='Kasperbauer'] (Kuemper Catholic): </strong>The top returning scorer for the team that we are projecting to win the league, Kasperbauer gets the edge for POY honors heading into the season. He's a dangerous shooter who moves really well without the ball in his hands, and he's improving as an on-ball playmaker. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1288927' first='Michael' last='Kasperbauer'] (Kuemper Catholic)<br>2024 DJ Vonnahme (Kuemper Catholic)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765503' first='Brock' last='Badding'] (Kuemper Catholic)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1759944' first='Carson' last='Kanne'] (Kuemper Catholic)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376714' first='Max' last='DeVries'] (Red Oak)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1938207' first='Hunter' last='Gilleland'] (Red Oak)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376690' first='Colton' last='Rasmussen'] (Atlantic)<br>2024 Nolan Waters (Atlantic)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765504' first='Nicolas' last='Ballenger'] (St. Albert)<br>2024 Jaxson Lehnen (St. Albert)<br>2025 Jeremiah Sherrill (St. Albert)<br>2024 Luke Wettengel (St. Albert)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2325354' first='Franz' last='Reisz'] (Harlan)<br>2024 Will Arkfeld (Harlan)<br>2024 Cael Turner (Creston)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1874784' first='Jake' last='Hoyt'] (Creston)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1751214' first='Nash' last='Paulson'] (Lewis Central)<br>2024 Curtis Witte (Lewis Central)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376724' first='Luke' last='Wiebers'] (Denison-Schleswig)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2325320' first='Lance' last='Arkfeld'] (Denison-Schleswig)<br>2024 Cole Baumgart (Clarinda)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2325300' first='Creighton' last='Tuzzio'] (Clarinda)<br>2024 Kayden Anderson (Glenwood)<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->