Conference Preview: Heart of Iowa

The Teams   Grand View Christian (13-10 last season, 84.6% of scoring returning): Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1381402' first='Emiliano' last='Barrantes'] (27.4, 15.0 rebounds, 3.0 blocks) put up truly ridiculous numbers last season, followed that up with one of the best springs and summers of any player in the state, and looks primed to put up numbers that will rarely ever be seen in the state this season. A 6-11 big man who runs the floor, protects the rim, and shot the cover off the ball this summer, he's a matchup nightmare who will absolutely dominate the game on both ends of the floor on a nightly basis. The Thunder are able to surround him with a ton of shooting with [player_tooltip player_id='2413533' first='Jameson' last='Scharnberg'] (11.0), [player_tooltip player_id='2520010' first='Lincoln' last='Cowell'] (6.1), Tate Moulton (4.2), and Thomas Childs (2.7) all having the ability to also stretch the floor and allow Barrantes more room to operate. The X-factor for this group is junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2287857' first='Brayden' last='Hoben'] (15.9, 9.1 rebounds), who emerged as another dominant two-way player alongside Barrantes last season, and if he's able to take his game up another level as a playmaker, GVC will be nearly impossible to slow down. He has great size and length at 6-5/6-6, can defend multiple positions, and is another quality shooting threat as well. After operating as an Independent for several years and testing themselves against an extremely difficult schedule, the Thunder join the HOIC this season and should dominate the league immediately.   Greene County (2-20, 29.4%): The top three scorers from a 2-win team graduated, leaving a pretty big hole on the Rams' roster heading into this season. Broc Stream (4.0) and Isaac Carman (3.9) are the top two returnees, and they'll be asked to play significant roles this season. It will probably be another long winter in Jefferson.   Nevada (19-5, 55.1%): The Cubs lost two of their top three scorers, a tandem that combined to average 28.9 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game, which will obviously leave a significant hole in the rotation. The good news is that they bring back three starters, including junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1765535' first='John' last='Nelson'] (15.1, 2.5 blocks, 45.3 3P%), who may be the best non-Grand View Christian player in the conference. An athletic, physical forward who can score inside and out as well as dominate the game as a rim protector, he should have a huge junior year as the go-to option. Easton Gray (11.4) gives them some additional perimeter scoring, and Kane Williams (6.8, 2.6 assists) returns to give them a reliable ball-handler in the backcourt. Expect juniors Drake Hinson (3.1), Gavin Egeland (2.9), and Caleb Jensen to step into bigger roles alongside the returning trio. The Cubs probably aren't on the same level as GVC, but they should be the second best team in the league.   PCM (10-13, 59.9%): In senior wing Gavin VanGorp (13.7), the Mustangs will have one of the best players in the league on their side, which will obviously be giving them a leg up on most nights. Cutler VandeLune (6.7) provides some additional scoring, and Kaleb DeVries (3.7, 4.1 assists) gives them a playmaker in the backcourt who does a nice job initiating the offense and protecting the ball. Look for juniors Gavin Steenhoek (3.2) and Alex Wendt (2.4) to be bigger parts of the rotation this season as well. After a long run of successful seasons, PCM hasn't had a winning season in the last two. Look for them to get back onto the positive side of .500 this year.   Perry (9-14, 57.4%): A pair of double-figure scorers return to lead the Bluejays in seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2721697' first='Geren' last='Kenney'] (13.9, 8.0 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id='2721707' first='Owen' last='Myers'] (12.3), giving them a strong base to build around this season. Kennedy is a talented playmaker who can also pound the glass on both ends of the floor and score inside and out, while Myers is a more inside-the-arc player who does most of his damage around the bucket. [player_tooltip player_id='2731871' first='Gustavo' last='Drahos'] (5.0) gives them an additional experienced piece returning, a talented shooter who takes advantage of his open looks. Perry will need to improve on the defensive end if they want to make a serious jump in the league, but they should approach .500.   Roland-Story (17-4, 15.9%): After a really impressive run over the last four years, the Norsemen figure to take a bit of a step back in 2024-25. They lost all three double-figure scorers, and five of their top six overall, from last year's 17-win team, leaving junior guard Cody Long (6.3) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2754727' first='Luke' last='Thoreson'] (3.2) as the only returnees who saw any real playing time last season. Both are good shooters who look capable of stepping into bigger scoring roles, but there will probably be some rough patches for this group, especially early in the season. That said, this is a program that has averaged 15.5 wins over the last 17 years, with only two losing season during that stretch. The bottom won't fall out, there is simply too much talent in the program, we just don't know much about it yet.   Saydel (13-9, 70.1%): Last year's 13 wins were the most Saydel has had in a season since 2009-10, when they went 14-9. And with over 70% of last year's production returning, including three of their top four scorers, they have a chance to put together a truly special season for a program that hasn't experienced much success over the last several decades. [player_tooltip player_id='2420787' first='Brady' last='Hicks'] (13.9, 7.0 rebounds) put together a really strong freshman season, leading the team in scoring and rebounding, and returns for his sophomore season as one of the best players in the conference. Hunter Reed (11.9) and Adam Ollin (10.1) are both solid scoring threats as well, with Ollin also serving as the team's leading returnee in assists. Trevor Goode (5.4) gives them another viable scorer, and there are a few juniors returning who saw some time as sophomores. The Eagles probably don't have enough talent on the roster to compete at the top of the league, but this should be their best season in quite a while.   South Hamilton (18-5, 2.0%): It will be an almost entirely new-look team in Jewell this winter, as the top seven scorers graduated from last year's team. That leaves just 28 points from last year's roster returning, which means that they will probably take a pretty significant step back. The tradition at South Hamilton is pretty strong, so while the faces will be new, and there may not be quite as much success as last season, don't expect the bottom to fall out on this group.   West Marshall (5-16, 65.3%): The Trojans bring back four of their top five scorers to a team that improved as the season progressed last year, so they should be better this season. Cash Johnston (9.4, 6.6 rebounds) led the team in scoring and rebounding last season. Lucas Barnes (6.2), Noah Desotel (5.2), and AJ Dee (5.1) were all solid contributors last season as well and should step into bigger roles, as should DJ Ridout (4.1). They'll still struggle to compete against the top teams in the conference, but don't be surprised to see this group approaching .500 this winter.   Projected Order of Finish   1. Grand View Christian 2. Nevada 3. Saydel 4. Roland-Story 5. PCM 6. South Hamilton 7. Perry 8. West Marshall 9. Greene County   Analysis: GVC should be considered a pretty heavy favorite in their first year in the league after playing well against high-level competition for the last several years. With Barrantes, one of the best players in the state, leading the charge, they have an incredible size advantage against every other team in the conference, and they'll also be tremendous in the backcourt. Nevada should be strong again, Saydel has their best team in years, and the trio of Roland-Story, PCM, and South Hamilton are tradition-rich programs that should continue to find success.   Preseason Player of the Year   2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381402' first='Emiliano' last='Barrantes'] (Grand View Christian): This may be the easiest selection of any POY honor in any conference. Barrantes put up video game numbers as a junior, followed it up with a dominant summer with [program_tooltip program_id='2270834' first='Iowa' last='United'], and should absolutely dominate the HOI.   Players to Watch   2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381402' first='Emiliano' last='Barrantes'] (Grand View Christian) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2287857' first='Brayden' last='Hoben'] (Grand View Christian) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413533' first='Jameson' last='Scharnberg'] (Grand View Christian) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2520010' first='Lincoln' last='Cowell'] (Grand View Christian) 2026 Tate Moulton (Grand View Christian) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765535' first='John' last='Nelson'] (Nevada) 2025 Easton Gray (Nevada) 2025 Kane Williams (Nevada) 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2420787' first='Brady' last='Hicks'] (Saydel) 2025 Hunter Reed (Saydel) 2025 Adam Ollin (Saydel) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2721697' first='Geren' last='Kenney'] (Perry) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2721707' first='Owen' last='Myers'] (Perry) 2025 Gavin VanGorp (PCM) 2026 Cutler VandeLune (PCM) 2025 Cash Johnston (West Marshall) 2026 Cody Long (Roland-Story)

The Teams