Conference Preview: South Central

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Albia (14-9, 23.8% of scoring returning): </strong>The Blue Demons lost their top three, and four of their top five, scorers to graduation, leaving junior forward Luke Wynn (4.9) as the top returnee. Wynn primarily came off the bench last season for Albia, providing some scoring and rebounding, and he'll need to be the focal point of the attack on both ends of the floor this season for a young, inexperienced team. Junior Rowen Archer (4.2) figures to step into a primary ball-handling role after seeing time in all 23 games last season. Albia has had a pretty good run of success over the last decade, with just one losing season during that time, but with the significant losses to graduation, there is a chance of a second sub-.500 season coming. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cardinal (6-18, 47.9%): </strong>The Comets lost their top two scorers to graduation, but bring back the next four from last year's team, giving them a somewhat experienced quartet to build around. Senior Montana Rupe (7.7) is an efficient interior scorer, shooting 56% from the floor last season while also contributing 4.5 rebounds a game. Nick Walker (5.0) will assume lead guard responsibilities after finishing second on the team in helpers last season, while Alec Rochford (4.4) and Chase Hengstenberg (5.8) can provide some additional scoring punch, Rochford on the interior, Hengstenberg on the perimeter. This group gave up nearly 70 points a game last season, a number that will need to greatly improve if they want to add some more "Ws" to the column. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Centerville (5-18, 76.2%):</strong> The Big Reds were a pretty young team last season, led by a bevy of juniors who are back for their senior seasons and looking to make some improvements. Six of the top seven scorers last season were juniors, while three other players who saw some time also return. Ryan Sinnott (12.0) is the top returnee, a player who largely operates inside the paint on the offensive end and is also a versatile defender who can switch or protect the rim. Connor Stephens (8.4) led the team in assists last season and will man the lead guard spot, while Daniel George (6.6) and Brandon Shinn (5.0) are the other notable returnees. Centerville struggled to score last season, averaging 46 points a game, but with some more experience and additional chemistry, that should be a bit improved. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chariton (10-14, 85.9%): </strong>The Chargers struggled to compete against the top teams on the schedule last season, but should be improved in that regard this season with their top four scorers returning, including star guard [player_tooltip player_id='1476980' first='Mason' last='Smith'] (22.2). Smith is small, but he's a big-time scoring threat who loves to play downhill and attack the rim, routinely getting to the bucket for finishes. He'll be joined in the backcourt by [player_tooltip player_id='2511580' first='Cameron' last='Gibson'] (9.5, 5.3 assists), a talented ball-handler and passer who does a good job getting his teammates involved, as well as Quinten Gruwell (8.0), who has shown some flashes as a secondary ball-handler and facilitator. Brock Oxenreider (8.0, 8.8 rebounds) is a physical force in the paint who is strong on the glass, a good finisher around the rim, and can pass out of the post. This is a group that struggled to shoot it last season (28.2 3P%), and if they can improve that number a bit this year, they could make a significant jump. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Clarke (16-7, 85.4%): </strong>The Indians were a high-powered attack last season, averaging 69.4 points a game, which ranked fifth in Class 3A. They bring back three double-figure scorers from that team, so expect them to fill it up in bunches again. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1171696' first='Jack' last='Cooley'] (20.0, 10.0 rebounds) is a do-it-all wing who impacts the game in a major way on both ends of the floor with his blend of size, athleticism, and length. He's capable of defending any position at the high school level, creating off the dribble, and stretching the floor. Big man [player_tooltip player_id='1324979' first='Cole' last='White'] (12.0, 2.4 blocks) provides some valuable rim protection, and [player_tooltip player_id='1376707' first='Bo' last='Otto'] (11.3, 8.2 assists) is an excellent ball-handler and passer who loves to get his teammates involved. Four others players who averaged at least 2.8 points a game return as well, giving Clarke seven pieces of the rotation returning. They should battle it out with EBF and Knoxville at the top of the league. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Davis County (4-17, 27.4%):</strong> It may be a long winter in Bloomfield after the Mustangs lost their top four scorers from last year's 4-win team. Junior forward Carter Will (6.0, 5.5 rebounds) is the top returnee, while Klaydrick Proctor (4.9), Charlie Bigsby (2.4), and Jackson Grim (2.2) are the other notable returnees. Will, a 6-2 forward, figures to be the primary offensive option. Ball security could be an issue after they turned it over 20 times a game last season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (20-3, 62.1%):</strong> Four of the top five scorers return for the Rockets, led by senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1171680' first='Brooks' last='Moore'] (20.9, 8.6 rebounds), an athletic 6-4/6-5 forward who is a nightmare in transition who loves to dunk on anyone and everyone. He has worked hard to improve his all-around offensive game, getting better as a ball-handler and playmaker, and he looks like he's primed to have a huge senior season. [player_tooltip player_id='1476979' first='Jesse' last='Cornelison'] (9.0, 3.2 assists) led the team in assists and is back to headline the backcourt, while [player_tooltip player_id='1751224' first='Karic' last='Stout'] (7.2, 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 blocks) is an elite rim protector at this level. Landon Glosser (6.3) is probably the team's best perimeter shooting threat, but that is an area of EBF's game that could stand to improve as a whole after shooting 28.6% from the arc as a team. That was somewhat offset by the 15.4 offensive rebounds they pulled down last season, a number that should be impressive again this year. In Moore, they have arguably the most dynamic player in the league, and this is a group that has a lot of size, which will be tough for opposing teams to contend with. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Knoxville (11-10, 97.9%): </strong>The top nine scorers return for a Panthers team that got off to a hot 11-3 start before dropping their final seven games. They're led by junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1668669' first='Landen' last='Norris'] (14.5, 3.4 assists), a skilled scorer and playmaker who led the team in both categories. He shot 40% from behind the arc last season and has shown some ability to play both with and without the ball. Seniors Jay Kellar (9.7), Noah Keefer (9.5), and Carson Uitermarkt (9.2) are all experienced options who help this team with balanced scoring, while juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2511505' first='Kaiden' last='Smith'] (5.3, 2.2 blocks) and [player_tooltip player_id='1759952' first='Gabe' last='Clark'] (5.3) are ready to step into bigger roles. Smith, a 6-6 combo forward, in particular looks like he's ready for a major jump. He's long, athletic, contests shots at a high clip, and can defend multiple positions. Another name to know is freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id='2231637' first='Lincoln' last='Norris'], Landen's younger brother, a skilled three-level scorer who can really shoot it from deep or create for his teammates. He could make an immediate impact. The Panthers split with both Clarke and EBF last season, and they bring back the most production of those three. </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. Knoxville<br>2. Clarke<br>3. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont<br>4. Chariton<br>5. Albia<br>6. Centerville<br>7. Cardinal<br>8. Davis County</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis: </strong>The race for the top spot between Knoxville, Clarke, and Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont will be a lot of fun to watch. All three teams bring back a significant chunk of their roster. Knoxville split with both teams last season, while EBF swept Clarke. </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='1171696' first='Jack' last='Cooley'] (Clarke):</strong> A versatile, athletic stat-sheet stuffing wing who can guard one through five and do it all on the offensive end, Cooley is a dynamic player who will have Clarke battling for a league crown.</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='1171696' first='Jack' last='Cooley'] (Clarke)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376707' first='Bo' last='Otto'] (Clarke)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1324979' first='Cole' last='White'] (Clarke)<br>2024 Jesus Vega (Clarke)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1171680' first='Brooks' last='Moore'] (Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1751224' first='Karic' last='Stout'] (Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1476979' first='Jesse' last='Cornelison'] (Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont)<br>2024 Landon Glosser (Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1476980' first='Mason' last='Smith'] (Chariton)<br>2025 Brock Oxenreider (Chariton)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2511580' first='Cameron' last='Gibson'] (Chariton)<br>2025 Quinten Gruwell (Chariton)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1668669' first='Landen' last='Norris'] (Knoxville)<br>2024 Jay Kellar (Knoxville)<br>2024 Noah Keefer (Knoxville)<br>2024 Carson Uitermarket (Knoxville)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2511505' first='Kaiden' last='Smith'] (Knoxville)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1759952' first='Gabe' last='Clark'] (Knoxville)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2231637' first='Lincoln' last='Norris'] (Knoxville)<br>2024 Ryan Sinnott (Centerville)<br>2024 Connor Stephens (Centerville)<br>2024 Daniel George (Centerville)<br>2025 Luke Wynn (Albia)<br>2025 Rowen Archer (Albia)<br>2024 Montana Rupe (Cardinal)<br>2025 Chase Hengstenberg (Cardinal)<br>2025 Carter Will (Davis County)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->