Conference Preview: MVC Valley

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cedar Falls (20-4 last season, 54.9% of scoring returning):</strong> The Tigers bring back the top two scorers to a state-qualifying team and have a lot of young talent ready to step into bigger roles, making this the clear favorite in the weaker of the two MVC divisions. Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1765553' first='William' last='Gerdes'] (11.7, 70.3 FG%) is a highly efficient forward who can score inside and out as well as protect the rim defensively. He'll pair with senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1199979' first='Anthony' last='Galvin'] (11.4) to give them the best tandem in the division. Senior guards [player_tooltip player_id='1759953' first='Keegan' last='Steege'] (5.6, 2.4 steals) and [player_tooltip player_id='1381423' first='Jordan' last='Townsend'] (4.7, 43.9 3P%) were quality contributors last season and give them some versatility on both ends of the floor, and the Tigers should get much more production out of juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2617517' first='Jaydon' last='Kimbrough'] (3.8) and [player_tooltip player_id='1765549' first='Leyton' last='Wolf'] (3.0) this season. Wolf is a potential Division I wing with great size and the ability to shoot it from 3-point range. There is a lot of high-level talent on the roster, and if they can find some depth, the Tigers will be a real threat in 4A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cedar Rapids Jefferson (4-18, 52.6%):</strong> Both double-figure scorers from last year's team graduated, leaving Jamie Kaiser (6.9) and Dayten Guy (6.9) as the top returnees. A lot of players saw time last season and return as well, giving them some more depth and experience, but the talent just isn't at the same level at Jefferson right now as it is at a number of other schools in the MVC. They'll need to tighten up the ball security (15.9 turnovers a game) if they want to make serious improvement.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cedar Rapids Washington (7-16, 18.1%):</strong> New coach Nate Garner doesn't have a lot of experience returning, but he does have a lot of talent on his first roster. The Warriors will be starting three freshmen - [player_tooltip player_id='2523925' first='Trae' last='Fields'], [player_tooltip player_id='2523901' first='Halbert' last='Jackson'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2772342' first='Brian' last='Robertson'] - and figure to play two or three others throughout the season. Jackson may be the top freshman in the state, an athletic freak at 6-4 who makes everything on the floor look easy, while Fields is a lightning-quick guard with a great feel for the game and tremendous vision. [player_tooltip player_id='2396064' first='William' last='Rahe'] saw some time last season as a freshman and is a reliable ball-handler and playmaker who, despite being just a sophomore, will be a leader for this group. There will most certainly be some growing pains with a team this young, but this is a really talented roster that will win a lot of games over the next four years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>City High (6-16, 17.0%): </strong>The Little Hawks lost their top five scorers from last year's team, leaving a lot of new faces for new head coach Bill McTaggart. McTaggart, a long-time City High girls coach, takes over an inexperienced roster that figures to be led by Parker Sutherland (4.3), [player_tooltip player_id='1978117' first='Davion' last='Luckett'] (2.6), and newcomers [player_tooltip player_id='2731768' first='Christopher' last='Watkins'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2721435' first='Jaxton' last='Schroeder']. With so many new faces taking the floor, it's hard to see the Little Hawks competing with the top teams in the league, but they should grab a handful of wins with such a good coach leading the way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hempstead (7-15, 32.9%):</strong> In senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1759932' first='Reed' last='Strohmeyer'] (16.5), the Mustangs will have one of the most dynamic scorers in the division leading the way. Unfortunately for Hempstead, he's the only returnee who averaged more than 1.2 points per game last season, meaning there will be a lot of new faces taking the floor alongside him. Look for [player_tooltip player_id='2617542' first='Sir' last='Harris'], a talented senior wing, to step into a secondary scoring role alongside Strohmeyer. He was solid throughout the summer, using his strength and athleticism to play downhill and attack the rim as well as knock down shots from distance.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prairie (11-12, 42.2%): </strong>Prairie put together a respectable year last season in Todd Kuntz's first year, and they should be improved in year two. A pair of starters return in senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2397337' first='Jace' last='McDermott'] (11.8, 37.7 3P%) and sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2419791' first='Austin' last='Joens'] (6.9), giving them a pair of experienced players to build around. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2617550' first='Will' last='Wehr'] (3.3) and senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1951800' first='Devin' last='Ikeda'] (3.3) each saw a lot of time last season and will be big players for them this season, and newcomers [player_tooltip player_id='2731874' first='David' last='Fason'], [player_tooltip player_id='2617485' first='Cayden' last='Larson'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2419754' first='Quantae' last='Alexander'] should round out the primary rotation for the Hawks. Fason is a junior guard who can score from all three levels, and Larson and Alexander are pieces of a very talented 2027 class at Prairie. This group has the talent to battle it out for a top-2 finish in the division. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wahlert (10-13, 72.0%): </strong>Seven of the top nine scorers return to a team that was pretty close to putting together a really good year last season. All seven of those notable returnees are seniors, so this is going to be a very experienced team. [player_tooltip player_id='2721792' first='Owen' last='McCleary'] (11.8) and [player_tooltip player_id='1288882' first='Ethan' last='Meyer'] (10.0) are the top returning scorers, a pair of long, athletic wings who can score and create off the dribble. [player_tooltip player_id='2511484' first='Luke' last='Welbes'] (8.7) is a high IQ guard who does a nice job initiating the offense, and [player_tooltip player_id='1288887' first='Will' last='Richardson'] (4.8) is a really athletic and long combo forward who can provide some serious versatility on both ends of the floor. He'll be the key to the ceiling for this group. Wahlert and Prairie are probably the second and third best teams in the league, and their head-to-head meetings will determine a lot.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Waterloo West (6-17, 87.1%): </strong>The Wahawks bring back their top four scorers to a roster that improved as the year progressed last season, and they could be a darkhorse team to make some noise in the division this year as a result. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2617512' first='Jahlil' last='Manago'] (19.2) and [player_tooltip player_id='1440839' first='Joseph' last='Hudson'] (11.0) are the top returnees. Manago is a highly athletic guard who can rebound at a high level, create plays off the dribble, and defend multiple positions, while Hudson is an interior player who controls the glass well. [player_tooltip player_id='1765505' first='Parker' last='Berns'] (9.1), [player_tooltip player_id='2511607' first='Bryce' last='Westemeier'] (7.6), and [player_tooltip player_id='2420800' first='Zion' last='Cook-Berns'] (3.0) all saw a good amount of time last season in the backcourt, and sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2617493' first='Derrick' last='Akines'] is one of the top 2027 guards in the state. In Manago, they have a star, and they have a good amount of young talent to put around him.</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. Cedar Falls<br>2. Prairie<br>3. Wahlert <br>4. Cedar Rapids Washington<br>5. Waterloo West<br>6. Hempstead<br>7. City High<br>8. Cedar Rapids Jefferson</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis: </strong>Cedar Falls is a pretty overwhelming favorite in the division with everything they have coming back and the amount of talent that the rest of the schools lost. Prairie and Wahlert should both be competitive, and Washington and Waterloo West will both be really young but really talented.</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 {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->