Conference Preview: SEISC South

The Teams   Central Lee (4-18, 90.8% of scoring returning): The Hawks won just four games last season, with two of those coming against 4-win Columbus, but there is some reason for optimism with nine of the top 10 scorers returning, led by junior forward Brayden Wyrick (15.8). Wyrick is a tough, physical 6-4 forward with soft hands, good touch, and solid footwork around the bucket. Sophomore Owen Swan (6.6) is the top perimeter scoring threat, while senior Aden Ross (3.4) is the leading returnee in assists. This is a team that will need to move the ball better, averaging just 4.2 assists a game last season, but some additional chemistry and experience should help.   Danville (14-8, 33.9%): Both double-figure scorers from last year's team graduated, leaving senior forward Carson Ourth (6.1) as the top returnee. Ourth is an athletic big man who runs the floor hard and protects the painted area, blocking 1.7 shots a game last season. Titus Svoboda (5.7), Jaden Bauer (3.7), and Carter Buck (2.0) are the other notable returnees. Svoboda joined Ourth in the starting lineup for nearly every game last season, while Bauer and Buck appeared in a combined 38 games off the bench. While they lost a lot of production, this is a program and a community that loves basketball and they almost certainly have some talent ready to step in and produce in bigger roles.   Holy Trinity Catholic (9-13, 88.4%): If you're looking for a team to potentially make a major leap in the South Division this year, check out the Crusaders, who bring back their top two scorers, and all but one player off of last year's roster in total. In junior wing Luke Hellige (19.2), they have one of the most dynamic scorers in the conference. Hellige, a 6-4 wing who can really shoot it, posted 50-38-73 shooting splits as a sophomore while also leading the team in rebounding, pulling down 8.4 a game. Senior guard Conner Gehling (13.5) is another big perimeter scoring threat, while senior Maddox Rung (5.1) will pair with junior [player_tooltip player_id='2397192' first='Adam' last='Sobczak'] (4.1) to give this group a pair of quality ball-handlers who can initiate the offense. Rung and Sobczak combined to average 8.5 assists a game last season and can put pressure on opposing teams with their ability to get by defenders. This was a young group that gained a lot of valuable experience last season, and they should be improved on both ends of the floor.   Mediapolis (12-11, 49.6%): The Bulldogs lost their top two scorers to graduation, but bring back six who saw a fair amount of playing time last season, so they should be pretty competitive again this season. They'll be led by sophomore guard Max Griffin (7.3), a skilled offensive weapon who came off the bench last season to provide some serious scoring punch. He's a talented shooter both off the dribble and the catch, and he'll pair with Jackson Hutcheson (5.9, 2.1 assists) and Lance Ludens (5.5, 1.5 assists) to give the 'Dogs a trio of solid players in the backcourt. This is probably going to be a pretty small group, losing their top two rebounders, but they should be pretty quick and may look to play a bit faster as a result.   New London (19-7, 28.7%): The Tigers lost two of the program's all-time greats to graduation in Blaise Porter and Kade Benjamin, who combined to average 44.6 points, 17.1 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 4.1 steals, and 4.7 blocks a game. Needless to say, those two are going to be impossible to replace. They bring back a pair of starters, however, in guards Brendan Richey (8.4) and Leo Gebauer (8.2), giving them a pair of experienced players to start to rebuild around. Porter's younger brother, Brigham Porter, played sparingly as a freshman but could become an impact player as a sophomore.   Notre Dame (17-6, 48.6%): The Nikes lost their leading scorer from last year's 17-win team, but bring back the next two, and three of the top five overall. They'll be headlined by senior wing Liam Delaney (13.2) and guard [player_tooltip player_id='2325465' first='Gedi' last='Boal'] (8.4, 3.7 assists), giving them a good one-two punch on the perimeter. Spencer Brent (6.3) was a key rotation piece as well last season and returns to provide some additional perimeter scoring. Sophomore guard Shay Stephens (3.2, 39.4 3P%) was a solid role player last season and should step into a much larger role in his second year of varsity ball. He's a good perimeter shooting threat who can play with or without the ball in his hands. This is a fantastic program that has averaged 17 wins a year over the last 15 seasons, and they'll be a factor in the league race again this season.   Van Buren County (5-16, 42.8%): The Warriors lost their leading scorer but bring back the next two, and three of the top five, from last year's team. Isaac Loeffler (9.5) and Lucas Fett (5.7) each started all 21 games last season and will be relied upon to be the leaders for this group. Junior forward Bryce Newcomb (4.9) is the only other returnee with relevant experience.   West Burlington (22-2, 59.6%): New coach Cody Van Fleet takes over after Ryan O'Hern left to take the activities director job at Humboldt. Van Fleet inherits the best backcourt in the conference with the return of senior guard Brady Martin (17.0) and junior Mason Watkins (14.5, 38.9 3P%), a tandem that plays really well together. Both are capable of playing with or without the ball in their hands, as both are reliable ball-handlers and playmakers who see the floor well and like to get their teammates involved. They're also both really good shooters off both the dribble and the catch, and they are capable of creating real chaos on the defensive end with their speed. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2731885' first='Ayden' last='Figuereo'] (2.7) is the only other returnee who saw significant playing time last season, appearing in all 24 games off the bench. No other player appeared in more than eight games last season, with those all coming near the end of blowouts, so they'll have to break in a lot of new pieces.   Projected Order of Finish   1. West Burlington 2. Notre Dame 3. Holy Trinity Catholic 4. Danville 5. Mediapolis 6. New London 7. Central Lee 8. Van Buren County   Analysis: Like in the North Division, there seems to be a pretty clear-cut top two in the division with crosstown rivals West Burlington and Notre Dame. The Falcons have the best backcourt in the league, and while they'll be filling in a lot of gaps with new faces, should be considered the favorite because of Martin and Watkins.   Preseason Player of the Year   2024 Brady Martin (West Burlington): You could take either Martin or teammate Mason Watkins here, both dynamic three-level scorers for the Falcons. We'll side with Martin, the leading returning scorer for West Burlington.   Players to Watch   2024 Brady Martin (West Burlington) 2025 Mason Watkins (West Burlington) 2025 Luke Hellige (Holy Trinity Catholic) 2024 Conner Gehling (Holy Trinity Catholic) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2397192' first='Adam' last='Sobczak'] (Holy Trinity Catholic) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2887884' first='Layne' last='Rung'] (Holy Trinity Catholic) 2025 Brayden Wyrick (Central Lee) 2026 Owen Swan (Central Lee) 2024 Carson Ourth (Danville) 2024 Titus Svoboda (Danville) 2024 Liam Delaney (Notre Dame) 2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2325465' first='Gedi' last='Boal'] (Notre Dame) 2024 Spencer Brent (Notre Dame) 2026 Shay Stephens (Notre Dame) 2024 Brendan Richey (New London) 2024 Leo Gebauer (New London) 2025 Izaak Loeffler (Van Buren County) 2024 Lucas Fett (Van Buren County) 2026 Max Griffin (Mediapolis) 2024 Jackson Hutcheson (Mediapolis)

The Teams