Conference Preview: Missouri River

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bishop Heelan (19-7, 60.9% of scoring returning): </strong>The Crusaders enter the year at #1 in our Class 3A rankings on the strength of a semifinal appearance and the return of senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1171695' first='Matthew' last='Noll'] (18.1, 8.2 rebounds), who will be the best player in the conference and is one of the best in the state. He recently committed to play his college ball at D2 Wayne State, where he'll give the Wildcats a versatile 6-8 scorer who can control the game on both ends of the floor. The Crusaders lost a pair of veteran shooters in Carter Kuehl and Sam Skinner who were huge for them last season, but bring back [player_tooltip player_id='2325373' first='Quinn' last='Olson'] (7.6, 3.2 assists) and [player_tooltip player_id='2325363' first='Sean' last='Schaefer'] (7.5, 2.4 assists), who should step into bigger roles. Both are reliable ball-handlers and playmakers who can create for their teammates. [player_tooltip player_id='1288898' first='Beau' last='Chamberlain'] (5.5, 39.0 3P%) is the other key returnee, giving this group some needed shooting following the graduations of Kuehl and Skinner. This will be a veteran group that will battle it out with Sioux City East for the league crown. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Council Bluffs Jefferson (3-19, 76.0%): </strong>The Yellow Jackets were rarely competitive last season, losing by an average of 20 points a game and only having two losses come by single digits. They should be improved this season with six of their top seven scorers returning, including their top two. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1938205' first='Jordan' last='Dewaele'] (16.5) is the headliner, an athletic 6-6 forward who can protect the paint and score around the bucket. Devin Davis-Conti (9.9) led the team in assists last season and also returns, giving them a veteran presence in the backcourt. Look for sophomores Timothy Calabro (3.9) and Leyton McNabb (2.3) to step into bigger roles after being solid role players as freshmen. This team probably still finishes at the bottom of the league, but they should compete on a more consistent basis. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Council Bluffs Lincoln (15-7, 56.4%): </strong>The Lynx have been a pretty consistent team over the last decade, averaging 15.7 wins a year over the last nine seasons. They should be back in that range again this year, led by senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1376689' first='Cole' last='Arnold'] (13.8). He's a strong wing who can get to the rim and finish at a high clip, and he's a good enough shooter that it needs to be respected. As good as Arnold is, however, the potential of this team will come down to a pair of juniors - [player_tooltip player_id='1381403' first='Creighton' last='Bracker'] (10.1, 9.1 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id='1759908' first='Etienne' last='Higgins'] (8.6). Bracker is a tough, physical forward who dominates the glass on both ends of the floor and can also step out and stretch the floor, while Higgins is a good athlete on the wing who puts the ball on the floor and looks to attack. Sophomore point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1978104' first='Easton' last='Klement'] will step into a primary ball-handling role this season, and if he can limit turnovers and get Arnold, Bracker, and Higgins into good positions, this could be a really good offensive team that can push East and Heelan at the top of the league. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>LeMars (4-17, 84.4%):</strong> The Bulldogs had a down year, posting their first losing season during the QuikStats/Bound era (dating back to the 2006-07 season), but a drop was to be expected with the incredible amount of youth they had on the roster. They still showed what this group <em>could</em> be capable of, knocking off Heelan late in January, and they generally got more competitive as the year progressed. The top seven scorers from that team return, led by Andrew Fifita (8.2, 7.3 rebounds). They were extremely balanced last season, with seven averaging between 3.5 and 8.2 points a game, which can make this team difficult to prepare for. They struggled with turnovers last season, giving it away 19 times a game, and that number will need to improve if they want to make a jump, but they should be improved and pushing for a top-half finish in the conference. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sergeant Bluff-Luton (14-8, 10.8%):</strong> The top six scorers have graduated, leaving senior forward Scott Dickson (3.9) and Emiliano Gonzalez (1.4) as the top returnees. In all, only 125 total points from last year's roster return, so there will be a ton of new faces taking the floor this season for the Warriors. Adam Vander Schaaf is one of the best coaches in the state and will have them competing on a nightly basis, but there are some serious questions about the roster heading into the season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sioux City East (21-3, 30.3%):</strong> No matter how much production the Black Raiders lose, they're going to remain competitive under Ras Vanderloo, and that won't change this year. Dating back 17 years (the QuikStats/Bound era), they don't have a losing season, and have averaged 19.7 wins a year, which is why we're still picking them to win the conference despite losing 70% of their production off of last year's team. The good news for them is that leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id='1437607' first='Fitzgerald' last='Grant'] (14.5) is back to lead the way. An athletic combo guard who can create off the bounce for his teammates, he's an extremely efficient scorer who gets to the rim seemingly at will. AJ Flemister (3.7, 41.2 3P%) is the only other returnee who saw much time last season, but he'll provide some floor spacing with his shooting. There are four young players who may be ready to step into bigger roles for East this season, and this quartet is what makes this group potentially dangerous - junior [player_tooltip player_id='1540183' first='Manasse' last='Kasongo Malu'], sophomores [player_tooltip player_id='1765550' first='Bilal' last='Yusuf'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1765551' first='Neaf' last='Yusuf'], and freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2124047' first='Fami' last='Yusuf']. All four of them are long, athletic players. Kasongo Malu is 6-7 and bouncy, a potential rim protector and rim-running big, while the three Yusuf brothers are all athletic wings who can create off the dribble and are oozing with potential. They're still pretty raw, but there is a lot of talent there. East has won 11 straight meetings with Heelan, their primary threat in the league, and until the Crusaders beat them, the MRAC remains the Black Raiders' conference.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sioux City North (4-18, 60.7%): </strong>The Stars won just four games last season, and two of those wins came against 1A competition, but they bring back a talented backcourt in senior [player_tooltip player_id='1238369' first='Zach' last='Hesse'] (14.0, 37.3 3P%) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1765514' first='Noah' last='Conley'] (10.1, 3.0 assists), giving them a solid tandem to build around. Hesse is a good shooter while Conley uses his quickness to play downhill and put pressure on the defense. Junior forward Dominic Foster (5.9) gives them some size and rebounding in the paint, and Chris Berger (3.1) saw a good amount of time last season and also returns. With Hesse and Conley leading the way, North has a chance to win a few more games than they did last season, but there are still a ways away from competing with the teams at the top of the league. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sioux City West (12-12, 12.5%): </strong>The top five scorers from last year's 12-win team graduated, leaving junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1951829' first='Gio' last='Vazquez'] (4.0) and senior wing Shamar Harrell (3.6) as the top returnees. The Wolverines will be breaking in a ton of new pieces, but they should have enough athleticism and talent in the program to stay out of the cellar. </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. Sioux City East<br>2. Heelan<br>3. Council Bluffs Lincoln<br>4. LeMars<br>5. Sioux City North<br>6. Sioux City West<br>7. Sergeant Bluff-Luton<br>8. Council Bluffs Jefferson</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis: </strong>With the domination that East has displayed over Heelan in their head-to-head matchups over the last five years, we have to give the nod to the Black Raiders in the MRAC. But Heelan is a real contender in 3A, and CBAL could push both teams at the top of the league. LeMars and North should both be improved. </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='1171695' first='Matthew' last='Noll'] (Heelan):</strong> We expect the Crusaders to be the team to beat in the MRAC this season, and Noll is their best player. A versatile two-way player who can defend multiple positions, control the glass, and score in bunches. </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='1171695' first='Matthew' last='Noll'] (Heelan)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2325373' first='Quinn' last='Olson'] (Heelan)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1288898' first='Beau' last='Chamberlain'] (Heelan)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2325363' first='Sean' last='Schaefer'] (Heelan)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1437607' first='Fitzgerald' last='Grant'] (Sioux City East)<br>2024 AJ Flemister (Sioux City East)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765550' first='Bilal' last='Yusuf'] (Sioux City East)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765551' first='Neaf' last='Yusuf'] (Sioux City East)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376689' first='Cole' last='Arnold'] (Council Bluffs Lincoln)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381403' first='Creighton' last='Bracker'] (Council Bluffs Lincoln)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1759908' first='Etienne' last='Higgins'] (Council Bluffs Lincoln)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1978104' first='Easton' last='Klement'] (Council Bluffs Lincoln)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1238369' first='Zach' last='Hesse'] (Sioux City North)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765514' first='Noah' last='Conley'] (Sioux City North)<br>2025 Dominic Foster (Sioux City North)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1938205' first='Jordan' last='Dewaele'] (Council Bluffs Jefferson)<br>2024 Devin Davis-Conti (Council Bluffs Jefferson)<br>2024 Jaden Dewaele (Council Bluffs Jefferson)<br>2024 Andrew Fifitia (LeMars)<br>2024 Ben Martin (LeMars)<br>2024 Drew Galles (LeMars)<br>2024 Brayden Dreckman (LeMars)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1951829' first='Gio' last='Vazquez'] (Sioux City West)<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->