Conference Preview: River Valley South

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Durant (0-23 last season, 60.9% of scoring returning):</strong> The Wildcats were winless last season and didn't have a single game decided by single digits, so there's nowhere for the program to go but up. Three of the top four scorers return in seniors Bryce Daufeldt (10.3, 8.2 rebounds), Dylan Arenholz (8.6, 6.6 rebounds), and Race Starr (6.4), giving them an experienced trio to build around. They should be a pretty physical and athletic group, but they'll probably struggle to compete against teams within the RVC again this season and will looking to the non-conference to grab a few wins.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mid-Prairie (12-10, 70.2%):</strong> Three double-figure scorers return for the Golden Hawks, giving them a great trio to build around heading into a season where the South Division looks pretty open. This is a group that is filled with talented guards, most notably [player_tooltip player_id='2520036' first='Bryce' last='Henry'] (14.4, 37.4 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='1951822' first='Ace' last='Peck'] (13.4, 41.3 3P%), and [player_tooltip player_id='1874767' first='Brady' last='Weber'] (10.7, 5.7 assists), a trio that complements each other well. Both Henry and Peck are talented shooters who move well without the ball in their hands, while Weber is good off the bounce, getting into the teeth of the defense and finding his teammates spotting up for 3s. They'll need to find some pieces to plug into the rotation alongside that standout perimeter trio, and this is a team that could be pretty small, so rebounding may be an issue. But they're going to score in bunches, and the pieces are in place for this group to challenge at the top of the South Division. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Regina (17-7, 44.7%):</strong> In his first year at Regina, Paul Rundquist helped lead the Regals to the 2A state tournament, a somewhat surprising development, and now there is a pretty good amount of momentum within the program, headlined by a pair of sophomores who were standout performers as freshmen on that team. [player_tooltip player_id='2419768' first='Tate' last='Wallace'] (11.7) was second on the team in scoring last season and is a talented forward who can score inside and out. He's a really good athlete who finishes well around the rim, can defend multiple positions, and is improving as a shot creator. [player_tooltip player_id='2419815' first='Will' last='Litton'] (8.1) is a back-to-the-basket big man with good footwork and touch around the rim, and he's a skilled passer out of the post. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2617530' first='Lucas' last='Schechinger'] (6.8, 37.9 3P%) will be the team's go-to perimeter scorer after emerging as a solid scorer largely off the bench last season, and role players [player_tooltip player_id='2886831' first='Drew' last='Greve'] (2.5) and Connor Nicpon (1.2) also return. The sophomores are the headliners, and Schechinger could emerge as one of the division's best scorers this year. While they lost a pair of skilled scorers, Regina is still going to be a factor in the RVC.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tipton (9-14, 37.6%): </strong>The Tigers lost both double-figure scorers, and four of the top six, from last year's team, leaving seniors Jacob Boedeker (6.4) and Zach Butler (6.3) as the top returnees. Butler was strong on the glass last season, averaging 5.3 boards a game, and likely ends up leading the team in scoring this season. Clay Bohlmann (3.9) and Jacob Barton (3.2) each saw some time last season as well and should step into bigger roles. They'll probably struggle to compete with the top teams in the league, but should be able to grab 6-8 wins this season again.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West Branch (17-7, 31.7%): </strong>The Bears lost one of the best players in school history in Holden Arnaman, as well as one of the most productive second options in the RVC in Reese Trepanier, a duo that combined to average 38.3 points, 15.1 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game last season. Needless to say, that's a ton of production to replace. The good news for the Bears is that pretty much every other player who saw time last season returns, led by junior guard Brennen Dale (6.3) and senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1587465' first='Nathan' last='Hills'] (4.7). Dale is a good athlete in the backcourt who should emerge as the team's go-to scorer and playmaker with the ball in his hands, and look for junior forward Michael Montgomery (3.4), a big and physical forward, to step in as a reliable interior presence on both ends of the floor. West Branch has had just two losing seasons since 2006-07, and that's probably not going to change this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West Liberty (7-15, 53.0%): </strong>The Comets lost their leading scorer to graduation, but bring back the other two pieces who were responsible for a significant chunk of their production in Ryker Dengler (10.7) and Seth Axsom (8.7), giving them a solid one-two punch to build around. They also bring back a number of bench players from last year's team, so there is a good amount of experience returning. The Comets may not have the top-tier talent that some of the other teams in the division have, but they have enough back to replicate last year's success. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wilton (15-8, 55.3%):</strong> The Beavers are another team that lost their leading scorer, but they bring back an electric sophomore tandem in [player_tooltip player_id='2419757' first='Bryer' last='Putman'] (17.1, 10.7 rebounds, 2.5 blocks) and [player_tooltip player_id='2419764' first='Oaklan' last='Jirak'] (12.2, 36.4 3P%), a pair that may make them the team to beat in the division. There were rumors throughout the summer that Putman, an impressive, athletic 6-4 combo forward, was transferring to Muscatine, but he stayed put at Wilton and will be the best player in the division this year. He's a highly skilled stat-sheet stuffer who averaged 17-11-3-3-3 as a freshman, one of the most productive two-way stat-lines we've ever seen for a player that young. Jirak is a talented perimeter scorer who can knock down the open shots that Putman will get him, and junior guard Briggs Oien (5.8, 4.1 assists) is a solid floor general who sets everything up. If this group can improve a bit on the defensive end, they'll have a real chance to make some noise, because they're going to be able to score in bunches. </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. Wilton<br>2. Mid-Prairie<br>3. Regina<br>4. West Branch<br>5. West Liberty<br>6. Tipton<br>7. Durant</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis:</strong> This figures to be one of the most entertaining league races in the state, as any of the top four in these projected standings could be the team that comes out on top. We'll give the edge to Wilton, buoyed by having the best player in the division, but this could go in a number of directions.</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>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2419757' first='Bryer' last='Putman'] (Wilton): </strong>Putman had a ridiculously productive freshman season for the Beavers, and with him back (there were rumors of a transfer to Muscatine), Wilton will be one of the best teams in the division. His two-way versatility is unmatched within the division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2419757' first='Bryer' last='Putman'] (WIlton)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2419764' first='Oaklan' last='Jirak'] (Wilton)<br>2026 Briggs Oien (Wilton)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2520036' first='Bryce' last='Henry'] (Mid-Prairie)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1951822' first='Ace' last='Peck'] (Mid-Prairie)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1874767' first='Brady' last='Weber'] (Mid-Prairie)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2419768' first='Tate' last='Wallace'] (Regina)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2419815' first='Will' last='Litton'] (Regina)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2617530' first='Lucas' last='Schechinger'] (Regina)<br>2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2523886' first='Ben' last='Wade'] (Regina)<br>2027 Ryker Dengler (West Liberty)<br>2025 Seth Axsom (West Liberty)<br>2026 Bryce Daufeldt (Durant)<br>2025 Dylan Arenholz (Durant)<br>2025 Jacob Boedeker (Tipton)<br>2026 Brennen Dale (West Branch)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1587465' first='Nathan' last='Hills'] (West Branch)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731645' first='Jayden' last='Harris'] (West Branch)<br>2026 Michael Montgomery (West Branch)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->