Conference Preview: SEISC North

The Teams   Columbus (4-18, 62.3% of scoring returning): The Wildcats lost leading scorer Tim Hills-Carrier, who put up over 18 points a game last season, but bring back everyone else from last year's roster. They'll be led by the tandem of sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2754662' first='Ellis' last='Hills-Carrier'] (7.2) and junior Gabriel Zuniga (4.7). With everyone else returning, they should be a bit improved, but they'll need to cut down on the turnovers big time (23.1 a game last season) if they want to add more wins to that column this winter.   Highland (3-19, 76.7%): Like Columbus, Highland loses their leading scorer from last year's team in Nicolas Oriano, and brings back the rest of the roster. Also like Columbus, this is a group that really needs to cut down on the giveaways (25.9 a game) if they want to make significant improvement. Logan McFarland (5.8) and Bryce Hazelett (5.5) are the headliners of the group. They'll win a handful of games, but likely struggle to compete again against the top-tier teams in the league.   Hillcrest Academy (15-8, 100%): The Ravens return everyone to a 15-win team and should probably be considered the favorite in the division this season, given the amount of losses to graduation that WACO and Winfield-Mt. Union suffered. This group will be led by senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2511490' first='Seth' last='Ours'] (16.1, 49.3 3P%), one of the state's elite shooting threats. He buried 69 3-pointers at a nearly 50% clip last season, showing the ability to do so both off the dribble and the catch, and he looks primed to take another step forward and become one of Class 1A's top scorers. Joining Ours in the backcourt are Mason Bender (9.8, 3.2 assists) and [player_tooltip player_id='2519950' first='Rowan' last='Miller'] (9.0, 5.2 assists, 41.7 3P%), giving them the best trio of guards in the division. Bryce Bailey (8.6), Phoenix Anderson (5.1), [player_tooltip player_id='2906526' first='Kale' last='Bailey'] (4.9), Mason Helmuth (2.2), and Owen Scott (2.1) all saw plenty of time last season and return to provide some additional depth. Hillcrest has the best player in the division on their side, and with all the experience they have coming back, they should be formidable.   Lone Tree (6-16, 59.8%): Leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id='2103624' first='Emmett' last='Burke'] (13.0, 4.1 assists) is back to lead the Lions after putting together a really strong sophomore season. He's a talented guard who can score from all three levels, and he creates some chaos on both ends of the floor with his quickness. He sees the floor well and is a talented passer who likes to get his teammates involved, and his quick hands on the defensive end allowed him to come away with 2.7 steals a contest last year. Classmates Reece Holbrook (7.2) and Domonic Garcia (6.7) are solid running mates alongside Burke on the wing, giving them three viable scorers. This team is going to be pretty small, so rebounding could be an issue, but their speed should be an advantage that they can play into.   Louisa-Muscatine (10-11, 31.5%): [player_tooltip player_id='2721688' first='Finnegan' last='Cline'] (14.2, 1.4 blocks) should be one of the division's top players this season. He'll be asked to do a ton for this group after losing three of their top four scorers to graduation. A versatile forward who finishes well around the rim, controls the glass, and protects the paint, he'll need to be excellent on both ends of the floor on a nightly basis for the Falcons if they are going to compete with the top teams in the division. Mason Whitcomb (3.1) and Xavier Wheeler (2.3) are the only other returnees with significant experience, so there will be a ton of new faces taking the floor for L-M this winter.   Pekin (10-11, 56.3%): Despite losing their top two scorers from last year's team, there should be some reason for optimism in Pekin given how hard-hit several of the top teams in the division were by graduation. Seniors Will Adam (9.2), Kasey Davis (6.2), and Isaac Sylvester (3.2), junior [player_tooltip player_id='2887859' first='Cole' last='Millikin'] (4.7), and sophomore Henry Adam (4.5) are the top returnees, giving them a solid quintet of players to build around. This is a team that generally shares the ball pretty well, and they should be a difficult team to defend given how balanced they'll be.   WACO (18-6, 28.9%): The Warriors lost three double-figure scorers and four of their top five from last year's 18-win team, so expect to see a significant drop this year. Isaac Rich (6.1) and Clayton Miller (4.5) are the top two returnees, each having seen a lot of playing time last season but they'll be asked to step into much larger roles this year. Sophomores Isaac Egli (3.0), Hayden Shelman (2.5), and Holden Hughes (1.2) could be the key to just how successful this group will be. If they're ready to step up and become big contributors after seeing some time as freshmen, WACO could remain an above .500 team.   Wapello (7-16, 27.6%): Wapello was hit hard by graduation, losing their top two scorers in Jackson Lanz and Carson Belzer, a pair that combined to average 35.4 points and 16.6 rebounds a game last season. That obviously leaves a pretty gaping hole on the roster. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2886826' first='Justyn' last='Faulkner'] (8.7, 3.9 assists, 2.8 steals) figures to be the team's top player this winter, a quick guard who can play downhill and create shots off the dribble. Lanz, Belzer, and Faulkner accounted for so much of the scoring last season that no other returnee averaged more than 2.8 points a game last season, so a lot of players will be stepping into much, much larger roles this winter. The talent on the roster is probably still better than at Columbus or Highland, which keeps them out of the basement of the division, but replicating last year's seven wins will be difficult.   Winfield-Mt. Union (21-3, 21.0%): The year that WMU had been building towards for several years happened last year, ending in a 1A semifinal finish. The Wolves lost six of their top seven scorers from that team, leaving senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1381409' first='Jake' last='Edwards'] (10.9, 3.7 assists, 41.3 3P%) as the lone returnee who saw much playing time last season. Edwards was sensational at the state tournament and should be comfortable as the focal point of the attack, but there are going to be a ton of new faces around him. This is a community that generally has pretty good athletes, so they should be able to find some players to fill in the gaps, but it's hard to see them competing with Hillcrest at the top of the division this season given the uncertainty around the rest of the roster.   Projected Order of Finish   1. Hillcrest Academy 2. Pekin 3. Winfield-Mt. Union 4. Louisa-Muscatine 5. WACO 6. Lone Tree 7. Wapello 8. Highland 9. Columbus   Analysis: Given the significant losses to graduation that so many teams had in the division, Hillcrest Academy, with everyone returning to a 15-win team, looks like a pretty easy favorite here. Pekin could challenge them if a few things break their way, and WMU will remain competitive behind Edwards.   Preseason Player of the Year   2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2511490' first='Seth' last='Ours'] (Hillcrest Academy): One of the best pure shooters in the state, Ours buried 49.3% of his 3-point attempts as a junior. If Hillcrest is going to break through and emerge at the top of the division this season, it will be because Ours was great.   Players to Watch   2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2511490' first='Seth' last='Ours'] (Hillcrest Academy) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2519950' first='Rowan' last='Miller'] (Hillcrest Academy) 2025 Mason Bender (Hillcrest Academy) 2025 Bryce Bailey (Hillcrest Academy) 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2906526' first='Kale' last='Bailey'] (Hillcrest Academy) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2721688' first='Finnegan' last='Cline'] (Louisa-Muscatine) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381409' first='Jake' last='Edwards'] (Winfield-Mt. Union) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2103624' first='Emmett' last='Burke'] (Lone Tree) 2026 Reece Holbrook (Lone Tree) 2026 Domonic Garcia (Lone Tree) 2025 Will Adam (Pekin) 2025 Kasey Davis (Pekin) 2026 Justyn Faulker (Wapello) 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2754662' first='Ellis' last='Hills-Carrier'] (Columbus) 2025 Isaac Rich (WACO) 2025 Logan McFarland (Highland) 2026 Bryce Hazelett (Highland)

The Teams