Conference Preview: SEISC South

The Teams   Central Lee (11-12, 74.1% of scoring returning): The Hawks lost leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id='1951787' first='Brayden' last='Wyrick'] to graduation but bring back the next three from last season, all of whom averaged at least 9.7 points a game, giving them a great trio to start building around this season. Forward [player_tooltip player_id='1978138' first='Will' last='Hayes'] (10.1, 57.3 FG%, 43.2 3P%) is a matchup problem with his ability to score inside and out. [player_tooltip player_id='2429227' first='Carson' last='Morrison'] (9.8) appeared in just four games as a freshman but looked like a real player, knocking down 47.6% of his 3-point attempts, and junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1710386' first='Owen' last='Swan'] (9.7, 4.5 assists) was really good as a sophomore, protecting the ball (2.89 assist-to-turnover) and getting his teammates involved. The rest of the rotation will be filled with some new faces, but that trio figures to be one of the best in the division and they could push for a top-3 finish this season.   Danville (15-8, 32.4%): Danville has finished below .500 just once (11-12 in 2019-20), so despite losing four of their top five to graduation, there is no reason to expect the bottom to fall out on this group. Senior forward Jaden Bauer (13.8, 6.6 rebounds) is the lone returnee among the top five, but he'll be one of the better players in the division this season. He's an efficient, athletic forward who shot nearly 52% from the floor last season, and he can create some chaos on the defensive end. They'll lean heavily on players like Landon Seibert (2.5), Leighton Rice (2.3), and Dillan Mason (1.6), players who saw some time last season and will be asked to step into bigger roles. It's hard to see the Bears competing with the top teams in the division, but they should finish above .500 again and could be a dangerous team come postseason play.   Holy Trinity Catholic (19-6, 66.2%): The Crusaders are led by one of the best-kept secrets in the state, senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1622174' first='Luke' last='Hellige'] (23.9, 8.2 rebounds), an elite three-level scorer with great size at 6-5. He posted 54-43-77 shooting splits last season and can create plays off the dribble for his teammates in addition to scoring in bunches. [player_tooltip player_id='2887884' first='Layne' last='Rung'] (10.9) provides some additional perimeter scoring, while guard [player_tooltip player_id='2397192' first='Adam' last='Sobczak'] (5.3, 8.6 assists) isn't a big-time scoring threat, but he's a tremendous playmaker who gets his teammates involved and protects the ball well. This is a school that has never made the state tournament, but they have a real chance to do so this year if the new rotation pieces alongside this dynamic trio can play at a high level. The Crusaders are probably still a step behind West Burlington in the division, but they'll be a real threat in Class 1A.   Mediapolis (13-9, 64.3%): The Bulldogs bring back their top two, and three of the top four, scorers from last year's team and should be a team that takes another step forward this winter. [player_tooltip player_id='1596452' first='Max' last='Griffin'] (16.8) is a quick, talented guard who can score from all three levels and will be the headliner of the group as a junior. He'll be joined in the backcourt by senior Lance Ludens (10.7, 41.2 3P%), the team's best shooting threat and a nice complement to Griffin's downhill attacking style of play. [player_tooltip player_id='2731857' first='Will' last='Luttenegger'] (7.3) is the other notable returnee, having led the team in assists (4.6) as a sophomore. The Griffin-Ludens-Luttenegger trio in the backcourt will give Mepo one of the best backcourts in the conference, and they should battle it out with Central Lee and Notre Dame for a top-3 finish in the divison.   New London (5-17, 75.5%): The Tigers lost their leading scorer from last year's team, but bring back everyone else from the roster, led by junior forward London Franklin (10.9, 6.8 rebounds) and junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1765537' first='Brigham' last='Porter'] (9.2). New London has a strong group of 2026s on the roster, headlined by those two, so while they won't challenge for the division crown this year, this can be seen as a building year towards what could be a special 2025-26 season.   Notre Dame (16-7, 22.0%): The Nikes are a program that is almost always going to be good, no matter how much production they have lost. So, despite losing more than three-quarters of their production from last year's team, we don't anticipate the bottom falling out here. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1978106' first='Shay' last='Stephens'] (10.9, 3.2 assists) is the lone returnee who saw much playing time last season and will be asked to shoulder a heavy load, especially early on. He's a talented guard who can score inside and out as well as get his teammates involved, and he has played against great competition with [program_tooltip program_id='2246861' first='Murray' last='Elite'] over the summer. There will be a ton of new faces around him, but Notre Dame will find new pieces and compete.   Van Buren County (5-17, 80.7%): Senior forward Izaak Loeffler (15.6) returns to lead the Warriors after leading the team in scoring and rebounding last season. All but one contributor returns, with a promising backcourt of sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2906532' first='Will' last='Cocherell'] (7.5) and junior Lincoln Bainbridge (4.6) ready to step into bigger roles alongside Loeffler. Loeffler will lead this team to several wins, but they'll still struggle against the top teams on the schedule.   West Burlington (22-1, 76.5%): Losing Brady Martin to graduation is obviously a significant blow for a Falcons team that reached their first ever state tournament last season, but they bring back every other contributor from last year's roster, giving them a team that is primed to make some serious noise again this winter. This group was unbeaten until reaching the state tournament, rattling off 22 straight wins, with only six of them decided by single digits. In senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1381425' first='Mason' last='Watkins'] (21.9), they have one of the best players not just in the division, the conference, or Class 2A, but in the state as a whole. The North Florida commit is an elite scorer who does so in a remarkably efficient manner, posting 51-42-77 shooting splits last season. He doesn't force anything, taking great shots, and putting his teammates in great positions to score as well. This group is going to be small, but they're extremely fast and hyper-athletic. One of those hyper-athletic players is [player_tooltip player_id='2397997' first='Quincy' last='Collins'] (13.4, 7.9 rebounds), who despite being listed at 5-11 is one of the best rebounders in the class. He has springs in his legs and elevates to grab boards seemingly out of nowhere. [player_tooltip player_id='2397376' first='Kobe' last='Davis'] (7.7, 2.7 assists) is another quick, athletic guard who creates some chaos on the defensive end, and [player_tooltip player_id='2731885' first='Ayden' last='Figuereo'] (5.8) is a wing who does a little bit of everything. The Falcons should roll through the division again, and will be hungry to make some noise in the 2A postseason.   Projected Order of Finish   1. West Burlington 2. Holy Trinity Catholic 3. Mediapolis 4. Notre Dame 5. Central Lee 6. Danville 7. New London 8. Van Buren County   Analysis: It's a testament to how strong the South Division should be this season that a program with the tradition of Danville is picked to finish this low. West Burlington and Holy Trinity Catholic are both state tournament contenders in their respective classes, Mediapolis and Central Lee should both be improved, and Notre Dame and Danville are traditionally strong programs. After going undefeated against league teams last year and bringing back a majority of the roster, this is West Burlington's league to lose.   Preseason Player of the Year   2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381425' first='Mason' last='Watkins'] (West Burlington): This race should be a fun one between Watkins and Holy Trinity's [player_tooltip player_id='1622174' first='Luke' last='Hellige']. We're taking the Falcons to win the division again this year, which gives Watkins a slight edge.   Players to Watch   2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381425' first='Mason' last='Watkins'] (West Burlington) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2397997' first='Quincy' last='Collins'] (West Burlington) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1622174' first='Luke' last='Hellige'] (Holy Trinity Catholic) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2887884' first='Layne' last='Rung'] (Holy Trinity Catholic) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2397192' first='Adam' last='Sobczak'] (Holy Trinity Catholic) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1596452' first='Max' last='Griffin'] (Mediapolis) 2025 Lance Ludens (Mediapolis) 2025 Jaden Bauer (Danville) 2025 Izaak Loeffler (Van Buren County) 2026 London Franklin (New London) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765537' first='Brigham' last='Porter'] (New London) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1978106' first='Shay' last='Stephens'] (Notre Dame) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1978138' first='Will' last='Hayes'] (Central Lee) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1710386' first='Owen' last='Swan']son (Central Lee) 2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2429227' first='Carson' last='Morrison'] (Central Lee)

The Teams