Conference Preview: Top of Iowa West

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Belmond-Klemme (2-20 last season, 87.8% of scoring returning):</strong> The Broncos won just two games last season and had just two other games decided by single digits, so just about anything will be an improvement. The good news is that this was a really young group who took their lumps and should be improved as a result. They were led in scoring by a sophomore and two freshmen - [player_tooltip player_id='2754716' first='Brody' last='Heifner'] (15.1), [player_tooltip player_id='2754720' first='Kysen' last='Lamb'] (10.1), and Coewhan Kelley (8.1) - and any time you have that much youth leading the charge, it's going to be tough to compete. They will have learned from that experience and should be ready to compete at a higher level this year. Doubling or tripling their win total is certainly within the realm of possibilities, and any improvement as they work towards the 2025-26 season will be nice to see. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bishop Garrigan (15-10, 80.3%): </strong>A young Golden Bears team posted a few impressive wins over North Union and Newman Catholic last season, showing what the potential for this group could be. They were led in scoring by a freshman, [player_tooltip player_id='2243086' first='Michael' last='Joyce'] (14.8, 3.8 assists), and a sophomore, [player_tooltip player_id='1781875' first='Carter' last='Schwab'] (13.7, 4.2 assists, pictured), who will be the headliners of the group again this season. Joyce is one of the top 2027 prospects in the state, a long and athletic wing who can do a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor, while Schwab was great as a sophomore, using his size and physicality to get wherever he wants to. In total, five of the top six scorers return, which is probably enough to make Garrigan the team to beat in the division this season, especially considered the unexpected loss of a Lake Mills star. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Eagle Grove (11-11, 34.2%):</strong> The Eagles lost a pair of 17-point scorers from last year's 11-win team, but do bring back a big scorer in [player_tooltip player_id='2238293' first='Jaxon' last='Morris'] (13.7, 3.2 assists), an athletic guard who can score from all three levels. He'll be the focal point of the attack on both ends of the floor after also chipping in 2.4 steals a game last season. Josh Miller (6.7) is the only other returnee who saw much time last season, so there will be a lot of new faces on the floor for Eagle Grove this year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Forest City (15-9, 69.8%): </strong>The Indians rebounded nicely from a down 2022-23 season in which they won just seven games, more than doubling that in 2023-24 and taking some positive momentum into this year as a result. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2397233' first='Carsen' last='Hall'] (12.8) led a balanced scoring effort last season and returns to headline the backcourt alongside junior [player_tooltip player_id='2413541' first='Ty' last='Sopko'] (11.5) and senior forward Ty Dillavou (8.4). Hall is at his best when he's attacking the rim, using his speed and handles to get to the bucket, while Sopko is probably the team's top shooting threat and Dillavou the interior presence. Forest City is a pretty consistent winning program that plays good defense, shares the ball, and is generally pretty balanced. That should be the case again this season, and they'll be a factor in the division race.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Garner-Hayfield-Ventura (7-16, 54.4%): </strong>Last season was the first losing season for GHV in the Bound era, which dates back to 2006-07, so they'll be looking to turn things back around this year. The Cardinals will be led by [player_tooltip player_id='2204887' first='Nicholas' last='Zrostlik'] (8.9) and [player_tooltip player_id='2389723' first='Lane' last='Gayken'] (8.3), the team's top two scorers last season. The next four scorers graduated, leaving some holds to fill in the rotation, but role players Zach Flatebo (4.5), Zane Hawe (3.2), and Raider Bell (1.4) return to step into bigger roles. It's hard to see this group competing with Garrigan or Lake Mills, but they should be improved and will push to get back up above .500.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Lake Mills (25-2, 19.6%): </strong>Lake Mills has been tremendous over the last handful of years, and they were slated be great again this season before being dealt a significant blow as standout forward [player_tooltip player_id='1288890' first='Aiden' last='Stensrud'] suffered a season-ending injury during the football season and will miss his senior year as a result. That means that the top three scorers from last year's team won't be suiting up this year for the Bulldogs, leaving guard [player_tooltip player_id='1641849' first='Jackson' last='Gaul'] (11.4, 8.1 assists) to be the star. The good news is that Gaul is tremendous, a gifted passer and three-level scorer who can dominate games in either aspect. [player_tooltip player_id='2731844' first='Nash' last='Delger'] (4.1) saw some time last year and will need to step into a bigger role, and look for sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id='2406102' first='Asher' last='Stensrud'], Aiden's younger brother, to become a key contributor this season. They lost a lot, but Kyle Menke has done a great job building this program up and they'll still compete for the division crown.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>North Iowa (2-20, 69.6%): </strong>Two of the top three scorers graduated from a two-win team, but there is some reason for optimism with the Bison after a number of sophomores saw extended time as freshmen last season and should improve as a result. They'll be led by senior Jamison Kramersmeier (10.1, 6.1 rebounds), a forward who led the team in rebounding last season, while Brendan Price (9.0) will provide some more toughness on the glass. The group of 2027s - Carter Koppen (5.5), Kevin Hagen (4.2), and Talan Jacobsen (1.4) - should step into bigger roles this season and will be the faces of the program moving forward. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>North Union (22-4, 20.8%):</strong> Last season was a special one for the Warriors, reaching the state tournament for the first time in school history. They lost the top five scorers off of that group, so there will obviously be a step backwards this year, but the good news is that the next five return, and they were able to practice against that group all year last season and should be ready to step in and contribute. Grady Madden (7.0) is the top returnee and figures to have the ball in his hands a lot this season, while Drew Henderson (3.2) and [player_tooltip player_id='2886896' first='Khael' last='Jones'] (2.6) were the others who saw a fair amount of time last season. This team will obviously not be as good as they were last year, but they could push to finish above .500 if a few things break their way. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West Hancock (4-18, 36.8%): </strong>Last year as the just the second season the Eagles have finished below .500 since the 2007-08 season, so this is a group that will be looking to get back into the win column a bit more frequently this year. The bad news is that four of the top five scorers graduated, leaving senior Gunnar Faust (8.0) as the top returnee. Faust was solid on the glass last season and can finish around the rim, and he'll be asked to do a lot for this group. The other notable returnees are Brady Bixel (3.5) and Ray Gretillat (3.3), who each saw a good amount of time last 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. Bishop Garrigan<br>2. Lake Mills<br>3. Forest City<br>4. North Union<br>5. Eagle Grove<br>6. Garner-Hayfield-Ventura<br>7. Belmond-Klemme<br>8. West Hancock<br>9. North Iowa</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis:</strong> The Stensrud injury really opened things up for Bishop Garrigan and potentially Forest City in the division this year. You can make good arguments for any of the top three here, and it should be a competitive race throughout the year. This one could be determined by whether or not one of the top three slips up against a lower-level team in the division. </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='2243086' first='Michael' last='Joyce'] (Bishop Garrigan):</strong> Following the injury to [player_tooltip player_id='1288890' first='Aiden' last='Stensrud'], things opened up a bit in terms of the POY race for this division. Joyce is one of the most talented players in the 2027 class and should have a huge year for the Golden Bears.</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='2243086' first='Michael' last='Joyce'] (Bishop Garrigan)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1781875' first='Carter' last='Schwab'] (Bishop Garrigan)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1641849' first='Jackson' last='Gaul'] (Lake Mills)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2754716' first='Brody' last='Heifner'] (Belmond-Klemme)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2754720' first='Kysen' last='Lamb'] (Belmond-Klemme)<br>2026 Coewhan Kelley (Belmond-Klemme)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2238293' first='Jaxon' last='Morris'] (Eagle Grove)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2397233' first='Carsen' last='Hall'] (Forest City)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413541' first='Ty' last='Sopko'] (Forest City)<br>2025 Ty Dillavou (Forest City)<br>2025 Jamison Kramersmeier (North Iowa)<br>2025 Brendan Price (North Iowa)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2204887' first='Nicholas' last='Zrostlik'] (Garner-Hayfield-Ventura)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2389723' first='Lane' last='Gayken'] (Garner-Hayfield-Ventura)<br>2025 Gunnar Faust (West Hancock)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->