Conference Preview: Top of Iowa East

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Central Springs (6-15 last season, 20.3% of scoring returning): </strong>With just 20% of their scoring returning to a team that won six games last season, it figures to be a long winter in Manly. Braydin Crum (6.0), Adler Rowe (3.2), and Jaden Schulte (1.3) are the only ones who saw significant playing time last season and all three will be asked to step into much larger roles than they played last season. Winning six games again this season would be a pretty significant accomplishment given the production that a number of other schools in the league have back.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Nashua-Plainfield (8-14, 58.2%):</strong> The Huskies lost a pair of double-figure scorers from last year's team, the top two scorers on the roster, but bring back a talented group of 2026 players who will be the headliners for the next two years. Guard [player_tooltip player_id='2235353' first='Matthew' last='Malven'] (10.6, 4.4 assists) is the team's best player, a versatile three-level scorer and playmaker who is capable of having some big games, as he did in an upset win over Osage last season. [player_tooltip player_id='2731860' first='Jase' last='Hansen'] (9.8, 34.9 3P%) gives them some more perimeter scoring, and Landon Foelske (5.4), Jake Smith (4.3), and Trent Rodruck (4.1) were all solid contributors last season as sophomores. Getting above .500 this season should be the goal, with sights on the division title in the 2025-26 season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Newman Catholic (14-10, 71.9%): </strong>The Knights won 14 games last season and bring back nearly three-quarters of their production, so expect this to be a team that pushes for a division crown this season. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2420788' first='Westley' last='Cole'] (13.4, 36.7 3P%) led the team in scoring as a freshman and should emerge as one of the division's top players this season. He can score from all three levels and should be improved as a playmaker this winter. [player_tooltip player_id='2420772' first='Thomas' last='McGuire'] (9.5) is another talented sophomore alongside Cole, giving them not only one of the best one-two punches in the division, but one of the better ones in the state in the 2027 class. Cal McGuire (8.2), Colin Bleile (7.9), and Isaiah Kesten (5.6) provide additional scoring and some depth. Newman had no issues scoring last season, ranking 27th in 1A in scoring offense, but improvement will need to come on the defensive end (108th, 61.8 points per game) if they want to truly challenge in the TOI and in Class 1A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>North Butler (7-15, 44.1%):</strong> The Bearcats lost three of their top four scorers from last year's team, leaving junior forward Ryan Austin (8.1, 7.3 rebounds) as the top returnee. He's a force on the glass on both ends of the floor and will be the focal point of the gameplan on most nights. Senior guard Kamdon Boos (5.2, 2.6 assists) will be the team's top ball-handler again this season after leading the team in helpers, and junior Brody Wangsness (3.2) will be asked to step into a bigger scoring role on the perimeter. Like Central Springs, replicating last year's success of seven wins should be seen as a win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Northwood-Kensett (10-13, 100%): </strong>After getting off to a 3-8 start, the Vikings went 7-5 down the stretch, including quality wins over Osage and Saint Ansgar. They bring back everyone from last year's roster, including the best two-way player in the division in senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1436503' first='Colby' last='Eskildsen'] (20.6, 12.3 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.4 steals, 2.3 blocks). A big, physical, and athletic 6-7 combo forward who can score inside and out, he provides a ton of versatility on both ends of the floor and will be a dominant force again this year. He's joined by classmates [player_tooltip player_id='1587315' first='Kooper' last='Julseth'] (15.1), Carter Anderson (11.3), and Evan Lorenzen (9.7) to give this group four viable scoring threats. Improvement from behind the arc (26.8%) and with ball security (16.1 turnovers a game) will be paramount for this group and their improvement. With everyone back from a team that started to play well late, they should be considered one of the top three teams in the division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Osage (17-5, 77.7%): </strong>The Green Devils bring back two big-time scorers in [player_tooltip player_id='1765543' first='Quinn' last='Street'] (16.7, 3.8 assists) and [player_tooltip player_id='1759935' first='Madden' last='Uhlenhopp'] (16.4, 3.0 assists), giving them a pair of dynamic guards who can score from all three levels and create plays for their teammates. Maddox Cockrum (9.4) had a solid junior year, showing that he can step out and occasionally stretch the floor while also being a highly efficient finisher around the rim, and [player_tooltip player_id='2385549' first='Griffin' last='Uhlenhopp'] (3.2) flashed some bright spots as a freshman in the backcourt. Scoring won't be a problem for Osage with that quartet returning, and they should be pretty solid on the defensive end. Postseason success in Class 2A after playing against a largely 1A schedule may be difficult, but this is probably the team to beat in the division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rockford (5-16, 34.7%): </strong>Another team that struggled last season and then lost a lot of production to graduation, Rockford lost their top two scorers, a pair that accounted for 32.5 points and 10.0 rebounds a game. However, they do bring back a trio of seniors who started more than half the games last season in Charles Bayim (9.8, 6.4 rebounds), Ryker Hoffman (3.8), and Hunter Westby (2.2), giving them a solid base to build upon this season. Unlike many teams, especially at small schools, that struggle to win games, they did a pretty good job protecting the ball last season (13.6 turnovers a game), and if they can keep that up, they may see a few more wins coming their way, despite losing so much production.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Saint Ansgar (15-7, 14.9%): </strong>The Saints lost the top six scorers from last year's 15-win team, so expect a pretty big step back this season. Senior Derek Hemann (3.1) is the only returnee who saw significant playing time last season and will be asked to shoulder a pretty heavy load this year. Saint Ansgar has enjoyed a ton of football success in recent years, and they'll probably find some good athletes from another Dome-qualifying team to help fill in the gaps, but they'll really struggle to finish above .500 this winter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West Fork (20-5, 3.1%):</strong> Few teams in the state, regardless of conference or class, got hit as hard by graduation as West Fork did. The Warhawks bring back just 52 total points from last year's team, so it will be a ton of new faces taking the floor this year in Sheffield. This has been one of the most consistent programs in 1A over the last few decades, and the bottom probably won't fall out on them, but don't expect to see this group challenging for a division title this season.</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. Osage<br>2. Newman Catholic<br>3. Northwood-Kensett<br>4. Nashua-Plainfield<br>5. Saint Ansgar<br>6. West Fork<br>7. North Butler<br>8. Rockford<br>9. Central Springs</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis: </strong>Osage is probably still the team to beat in the division, but this could be a three-horse race between the Green Devils, Knights, and Vikings. Nashua-Plainfield, as they showed late last season, can be a thorn in the side of other teams, and West Fork, despite losing nearly everything, is always strong and will be difficult to project heading into the year.</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>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1436503' first='Colby' last='Eskildsen'] (Northwood-Kensett): Could the Vikings jump up and challenge for a division crown this season? If they do, it's because of Eskildsen, the most dominant two-way player in the division. The big forward who can stuff the stat sheet is a matchup problem who should have a massive senior year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1436503' first='Colby' last='Eskildsen'] (Northwood-Kensett)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1587315' first='Kooper' last='Julseth'] (Northwood-Kensett)<br>2025 Carter Anderson (Northwood-Kensett)<br>2025 Evan Lorenzen (Northwood-Kensett)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765543' first='Quinn' last='Street'] (Osage)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1759935' first='Madden' last='Uhlenhopp'] (Osage)<br>2025 Maddox Cockrum (Osage)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2420788' first='Westley' last='Cole'] (Newman Catholic)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2420772' first='Thomas' last='McGuire'] (Newman Catholic)<br>2025 Cal McGuire (Newman Catholic)<br>2026 Colin Bleile (Newman Catholic)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2235353' first='Matthew' last='Malven'] (Nashua-Plainfield)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731860' first='Jase' last='Hansen'] (Nashua-Plainfield)<br>2026 Ryan Austin (North Butler)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->