Previewing the Independents

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>While there are only three schools in the state operating as Independents this season, two of them are among the top programs in the state, so we're going to preview them here. </em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Waverly-Shell Rock (22-4 last season, 32.0% of scoring returning):</strong> The Go-Hawks finished runner-up in Class 3A last season and will operate as an Independent this winter after spending decades in the Northeast Iowa Conference. Their next destination is still up for debate, with conferences like the WaMaC and MVC making the most sense. In the meantime, the Go-Hawks will enter the 2024-25 season needing to replace four starters, but bringing back one of the state's elite shooters in senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1759905' first='Luke' last='Frazell'] (18.7). Frazell, a 6-6 wing, shot nearly 55% from behind the arc and with his size, he can get his shot off whenever he wants to. He'll be asked to do more with the ball in his hands as a senior following the significant personnel losses, but if his play at the Winterset Shootout in June was any indication, he looks more than capable of doing so. Three other players who saw a good amount of playing time - seniors Gavin Stockdale (2.1), [player_tooltip player_id='2511478' first='Tyler' last='Gade'] (2.1), and Hudson Kroymann (2.0) - return to give them some more experience, while newcomers [player_tooltip player_id='2511473' first='Nathan' last='Miller'], [player_tooltip player_id='2886803' first='Brady' last='Bodensteiner'], and promising freshman [player_tooltip player_id='2523910' first='Jayden' last='Stephens'] all figure to be key pieces of the rotation. We have the Go-Hawks ranked #8 in Class 3A to open the season, largely because of the return of Frazell. If the newcomers adjust to their roles well, this is a team that could find themselves back in Des Moines come March.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Western Christian (22-3, 68.7%): </strong>Western Christian added another state title to their record haul last season, taking home the Class 2A title for a record 11th time. The Wolfpack were dominant throughout their state championship run again, winning their three state tournament games by an average of 26.7 points per game. With their top two scorers returning from that team, they'll open the season as our top-ranked team in 2A again. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1436462' first='Kaden' last='Van Regenmorter'] (19.1, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists) is a highly skilled wing who can do a little bit of everything on both ends of the floor. He's the type of player who can dominate games even when he isn't scoring, but he's an elite scorer as well, with the ability to do so from all three levels. Classmate [player_tooltip player_id='1484412' first='Karsten' last='Moret'] (13.5, 41.6 3P%) is an athletic scorer on the wing who can create off the dribble or knock down shots off the catch in bunches. Those two are the only returning starters, but six other players who saw action in at least 20 games last season return, most notably junior [player_tooltip player_id='2413626' first='Landon' last='De Stigter'] (6.2). He looks like he's ready to step in as a reliable third scoring option alongside Van Regenmorter and Moret, and if he does so, this group is going to be extremely difficult to beat. Western is always good, and this year's team has a chance to be legitimately great. The Class 2A state title goes through Hull again this year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Whiting (1-18, 89.7%):</strong> The Warriors play against a mixture of schools from Nebraska and schools from Iowa. They bring back the top two scorers from last year's team, so they'll have some more experience with the returns of Cole Bethune (9.5) and Caleb Glynn (6.1), which may lead to them picking up a few more wins this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->