Conference Preview: NICL West

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>AGWSR (4-19 last season, 83.1% of scoring returning):</strong> The Cougars won just four games last season and only had one of their 19 losses come by single digits, so there's pretty much nowhere to go but up. They bring back the top three scorers from that group, led by the tandem of senior Bo Starr (13.1, 7.3 rebounds) and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2828851' first='Chayton' last='Smith'] (8.7, 7.8 rebounds), a pair that will keep them competitive on the glass on a nightly basis. Smith had a really impressive freshman year, blocking 1.3 shots per game and shooting 50% from the floor, and he could become the focal point of the team this season. Blake Willems (4.6), Trace Eiten (2.9), William Hofmeister (2.5), and Tristen Dennis (1.5) each saw a good amount of time last season and also return, but this group will go as Starr and Smith go. They aren't going to contend for the division crown, but they could add a few more wins to the W column and be more competitive on a nightly basis.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>East Marshall (12-11, 82.5%):</strong> After getting off to a 2-5 start, the Mustangs played well before the holiday break, going 10-6 post-hiatus. A high-powered offensive team that averaged 69.3 points per game last season, they bring back the four top, and eight of the top nine, scorers from that group. Four double-figure scorers return in seniors Blake Neuroth (12.8, 48.4 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='2809470' first='Jackson' last='Bidwell'] (11.5, 37.0 3P%), and Cody Weaver (11.0, 3.5 assists), and junior [player_tooltip player_id='2906538' first='Cael' last='Curphy'] (11.1, 58.3 FG%). They have a ton of scoring threats with those four, and the quartet of Jaxson Boswell (4.6), Eli Burns (3.5), Christian Little (3.0), and Kaden Good (2.4) are all solid role players as well. With a bevy of scoring threats, and a lot of losses from the top contenders in the division, East Marshall has a real chance to win the division this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Gladbrook-Reinbeck (23-4, 13.3%): </strong>In the Bound era, dating back to 2008-09, the Rebels haven't won fewer than 12 games, compiling a 330-90 record during that stretch. They lost the top four scorers, all who averaged in double-figures, to graduation, leaving Hudson Clark (4.7, 58.0 FG%) and Trevor Mathern (3.8) as the lone returnees who saw much playing time last season. Clark figures to have the ball in his hands quite a bit this year after dishing out 2.6 assists per game last season, while Mathern should be the team's top perimeter scoring threat. There are going to be a lot of new names in the rotation this year, but if there is a program that has garnered enough respect to be given the benefit of the doubt, it's this one. Despite losing 87% of their scoring to graduation, they won't bottom out. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Grundy Center (22-3, 27.8%): </strong>The Spartans lost their top two, and five of their top six, scorers to graduation, leaving senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2413534' first='Judd' last='Jirovsky'] (11.5, 4.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists) as the top returnee. The good news is that despite losing so much production, they bring back arguably the best player in the division and one of the best in the conference in Jirovsky, a dominant all-around scorer and playmaker who is ready to step into a starring role after posting 54-45-67 shooting splits last season and leading the team in assists. Senior guard Brayden Davie (5.7) played quite a bit last season and will step into a starting role alongside Jirovsky in the backcourt. Outside of those two, it will be all new faces taking the floor for the Spartans for new head coach Owen Thomas. But Grundy Center has had a really special run of athletes come through the school over the last decade, and they'll have plenty of athletes to fill in alongside Jirovsky and Davie.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>South Hardin (12-12, 56.2%): </strong>The Tigers lost leading scorer and rebounder Traven Wheeler to graduation, and lose three of their top six scorers from last year's team in all. That said, they bring back a pair of double-figure scorers in seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2617513' first='Jake' last='Balvanz'] (10.3) and Sam Benson (10.2), giving them a pair of reliable scoring threats to build around in 2025-26. Both are capable of playing with or without the ball in their hands and scoring from all three levels, and both are solid on-ball defenders as well. Owen Larson (4.9), Preston Dolash (4.3), and Joshua Spindler (3.2) all saw a good amount of time last season and will be solid rotational pieces as well. The Tigers probably don't have the firepower to contend for a division crown, but they're going to be a team that is capable of beating anyone in the division on any night.</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. Grundy Center<br>2. East Marshall<br>3. Gladbrook-Reinbeck<br>4. South Hardin<br>5. AGWSR</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis: </strong>This division is much more open than it has been in recent years, recently dominated by Grundy Center and Gladbrook-Reinbeck. Despite losing a ton of production to graduation, the Spartans still have the best player in the division and are the favorite to win the division, but East Marshall brings back a TON of production and could make some noise.</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>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413534' first='Judd' last='Jirovsky'] (Grundy Center): </strong>The Spartans have run this division alongside Gladbrook-Reinbeck for a while now, and if that is to continue this year it will in large part be because of Jirovsky, a high-powered all-around offensive threat.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413534' first='Judd' last='Jirovsky'] (Grundy Center)<br>2026 Brayden Davis (Grundy Center)<br>2026 Bo Starr (AGWSR)<br>2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2828851' first='Chayton' last='Smith'] (AGWSR)<br>2026 Blake Williams (AGWSR)<br>2026 Blake Neuroth (East Marshall)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2906538' first='Cael' last='Curphy'] (East Marshall)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2809470' first='Jackson' last='Bidwell'] (East Marshall)<br>2026 Cody Weaver (East Marshall)<br>2027 Jaxson Boswell (East Marshall)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2617513' first='Jake' last='Balvanz'] (South Hardin)<br>2026 Sam Benson (South Hardin)<br>2026 Owen Larson (South Hardin)<br>2026 Preston Dolash (South Hardin)<br>2026 Hudson Clark (Gladbrook-Reinbeck)<br>2026 Trevor Mathern (Gladbrook-Reinbeck)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->