Colman-Egan Hawks: In-depth Intro

The Colman-Egan Hawks enter the new season with a refreshed identity and renewed confidence under head coach Nick Theroux, as they prepare to navigate the always-competitive landscape of Class B's Region 3. After finishing 11–11 a year ago, the Hawks walked off the court each night knowing they battled—bringing athleticism, toughness, and a relentless transition game that kept them in every matchup. Despite graduating a strong senior group, Theroux believes the pieces are in place to keep the program moving forward. A productive offseason, strong team chemistry, and a returning core led by athletes who defend, shoot, and compete with high energy have positioned Colman-Egan to take another step.   This group embraces a clear identity: defend with pride, play with speed, and bring energy to every drill, possession, and game. With promising young talent emerging, versatile defenders ready to guard multiple positions, and a collection of guards and posts stepping into expanded roles, the Hawks expect to remain a tough out in Region 3. Theroux sees a team capable of flying under the radar early—one that intends to climb steadily, compete every night, and make a push toward the Region's top tier as the season unfolds.   See below for Player Comments and an In-Depth Q&A session.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/TeamIntroduction.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/12/TeamIntroduction.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2693098" style="width:268px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/image_e8978b.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/image_e8978b.png?w=995" alt="" class="wp-image-3067787" style="width:284px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   Player Comments from Coach Theroux   [player_tooltip player_id='2356721' first='Julian' last='Allen'] 6'2 Senior: "Julian is stepping into a much larger role this season for us. He is a very strong ball handler and facilitator for us on the court. He has really expanded his range over the summer and is always a threat from 3-point territory. He is a fantastic on and off-ball defender and will be our biggest communicator on both sides of the ball. I fully expect Julian to be one of our leading scorers by the end of the season. He averaged 4 ppg, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists off the bench last year and I expect all of those numbers to increase with the minutes he will get this season. Keep your eyes on him this year as he leads us through his senior season."   [player_tooltip player_id='2430303' first='Caden' last='Zwart'] 6'3 Junior: "Caden is a returning starter from last season. Caden is able to play multiple positions really well on the floor. He is a 3-level scorer and can hurt you from any spot on the court. He is a fantastic post player with his great footwork, but is also hard to stop once he gets downhill off the dribble. He has become a better 3-point shooter over the offseason and his ball-handling, has gotten much better. He is one of our better transition players and is going to have a few highlight dunks this season! Last year he averaged 8.9 ppg, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. I expect him to be in double digits in points and rebounds by the end of the season with the larger role he is in! He is one of the more underrated juniors in the state and should be someone to watch this winter."   [player_tooltip player_id='3067979' first='Logan' last='Claflin'] 6'2 Junior: "Logan is going to be stepping into a starting role this year, coming from a heavy JV role last season. He is going to be very important from 3-point range this year, as well as slashing through the paint. He is a scrappy on-ball defender, with his length, he is always able to give guards a hard time to possess the ball cleanly. He is a very good post player and will be put into that low block spot at times this season. He will also be one of our key transition players as he has a lot of speed and athleticism to get to the rim at a fast rate. We are excited for him to step into this larger role and play a big part in our success this winter."   [player_tooltip player_id='3068029' first='Mikano' last='Lee'] 5'10 Junior, [player_tooltip player_id='3068032' first='Rowdy' last='Bowen'] 5'10 Freshman, [player_tooltip player_id='3068039' first='Landen' last='McManus'] 5'10 Freshman: "Mikano and Rowdy are both coming off of seasons where they played heavy JV minutes. Mikano is an excellent catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter and a terrific on-ball defender. Rowdy is a very scrappy defender and pushes the ball in transition very well. Landen is a transfer from Chester and will be playing a role on our varsity squad this season.    [player_tooltip player_id='3068040' first='Westyn' last='Pearson'] 6'3 Sophomore, and Mason Wright 6'0 Sophomore: "Both Mason and Westyn played JV for us last season. Westyn will be playing a ton in the post this season where he shows a lot of strength and good footwork around the rim to score. He will be guarding any big guys we go up against this season. Mason will also be playing out of the post for us this year. He has the ability to score down low and knock down the mid-range or 3 point jumper as well. Both guys will get after every loose ball and be very important on the offensive glass for us."   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/QA.jpg"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2024/07/QA.jpg?w=865" alt="" class="wp-image-2508303" style="width:182px;height:auto" /></a></figure>   With Nick Theroux   PHD: How would you sum up last season?   "Last season we finished 11-11. We did not finish exactly where we wanted to, but we never backed down to any opponent and gave everybody we played 32 minutes of war. We were a very athletic team that was fantastic in transition and we are hoping to bring a lot of that back into this season. We graduated 5 players: Jase and Jack Mousel, Jackson Zwart, Taylor Kriech, and Carson Voelker. We have some big shoes to fill and I think we have the right guys to fill them."   PHD: Does your program/team have any non-negotiables?   "One of our biggest non-negotiables is to always bring energy into everything we do. Whether we are going through an extremely basic warmup drill or prepping for a team and going through our sets, we want to constantly have high energy and take everything seriously, and make everything competitive."   PHD: What will your defense "hang its hat on"?   "We are very particular about not being beat off the dribble. We are always talking about positioning and having guys in the gaps and being in help side, but if you don't get beat off the dribble, you don't need to worry about a lot of that stuff. One thing we do pride ourselves on is taking charges. We have always said if we take a charge in a game you celebrate it the same as if we had a fast break dunk."   PHD: Who will be a couple of your lead guards?   "One of our biggest lead guards is [player_tooltip player_id='2356721' first='Julian' last='Allen']. He does a lot of things well on the court, including 3-point shooting, pushing the ball up the floor in transition, and he is a great on and off-ball defender. He is one of our captains this year and will be a big voice in the locker room."   "Another couple of lead guards will be [player_tooltip player_id='3067979' first='Logan' last='Claflin'], and [player_tooltip player_id='3068029' first='Mikano' last='Lee']. Both guys are great three-point shooters and have a ton of athleticism. They are very scrappy on ball defenders and both slash through the lane well on the offensive side of the ball."   PHD: How did the offseason go for your team/program?   "Our offseason went great. Our varsity group played in the Pentagon Summer League where we played some really good basketball. We graduated a lot of guys last season and needed to gain chemistry with a whole new group and our guys did that really well. You could definitely see a difference in our team from the beginning of summer to the end. We had team skill workouts 2-3 days a week throughout the summer for our 7th-12th graders. We had terrific numbers at each session and everybody got better each day."   PHD: Who are a few of your top defensive players?   "We have a few key guys on the defensive side of the ball. One of them is [player_tooltip player_id='2356721' first='Julian' last='Allen']. He is a great on and off-ball defender and is always talking the most on the defensive side of the ball."   "[player_tooltip player_id='3067979' first='Logan' last='Claflin'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3068029' first='Mikano' last='Lee'] are two fantastic on-ball defenders as well. They will be guarding a few top guards from each team we play this season. Both guys break their feet down well on the perimeter and make it tough for guards to get by them."   "[player_tooltip player_id='2430303' first='Caden' last='Zwart'] will be a big post defender for us this year. He has the unique ability to guard 1-5 on the floor, but he will have a big impact with guarding post players this year. He has long arms and quick feet to be able to keep up with people from each position."   "[player_tooltip player_id='3068032' first='Rowdy' last='Bowen'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3068039' first='Landen' last='McManus'] are new to our varsity program this season, but both guys will be extremely important when it comes to defending guards on the perimeter. Both guys have quick lateral movements and quick hands to give offensive players a hard time handling the ball."   PHD: Who are a couple of up-and-comers to look out for?   "We only have one senior in [player_tooltip player_id='2356721' first='Julian' last='Allen'] this year, so we have a very young team. Some up-and-comers to keep an eye on include Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2430303' first='Caden' last='Zwart'], [player_tooltip player_id='3067979' first='Logan' last='Claflin'], and [player_tooltip player_id='3068029' first='Mikano' last='Lee']. A few Sophomores in [player_tooltip player_id='3068040' first='Westyn' last='Pearson'], Mason Wright, Levi Williams, and Holdyn Rentschler. Freshmen [player_tooltip player_id='3068032' first='Rowdy' last='Bowen'] and [player_tooltip player_id='3068039' first='Landen' last='McManus'] will be guys to keep an eye on over the next couple of years."   PHD: Who do you think will be your best rebounder?   "We have a couple of guys that will be our key rebounders this season. [player_tooltip player_id='2430303' first='Caden' last='Zwart'] who started every game last season averaged 4.9 rebounds per game. This year he is playing a much bigger role for us so I expect that number to be doubled. He has great athleticism and long arms to get after every rebound."   "[player_tooltip player_id='3068040' first='Westyn' last='Pearson'] will be a big rebounder this year as well. He played JV last year and is stepping into a big role on varsity this season. He is a 6'3 post player with a lot of size and athleticism as well. He gets after the offensive glass and is going to create a lot of second-chance opportunities for us this year. He will be guarding a lot of post players, so he will be in a good position to grab a lot of boards this year."   PHD: What are your team goals this year?   "Obviously, our main goal is to get to the State Tournament, but we are setting a goal to be one of the top teams in our Region and fight our way to the SoDak 16. We just keep looking to improve each year. One goal we always set for ourselves is to be competitive in every single game we play no matter what!"   PHD: Who are some of the top teams & players in your Region?   "In my opinion, we have some of the better players in class B in our Region specifically. Some of the to teams in our region include Dell Rapids St. Mary, Bridgewater-Emery, Sandborn-Central Woonsocket, and this year Sioux Falls Lutheran will be a really good team. In terms of top players that would include guys like: [player_tooltip player_id='1559131' first='Trimmier' last='Hanson'] (DRSM), [player_tooltip player_id='1642569' first='Lincoln' last='LeBrun'] (DRSM), [player_tooltip player_id='1808755' first='Ben' last='Weber'] (B-E), [player_tooltip player_id='2318434' first='Holden' last='Wollmann'] (B-E), [player_tooltip player_id='2694509' first='Rowen' last='Becker'] (SFL), [player_tooltip player_id='2461048' first='Kolt' last='Becker'] (Howard), McCoy Schulz (SCW), and there's a bunch more I could name."   PHD: Any last comments about the upcoming season?   "I believe we are a team that will definitely fly under the radar. Even with the loss of some very good seniors, we will still be super competitive and do everything in our power to get us through our tough Region!"   BEST OF LUCK TO THE HAWKS!!   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/image_e8978b.png"><img src="https://prephoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/11/image_e8978b.png?w=995" alt="" class="wp-image-3067787" /></a></figure>

The Colman-Egan Hawks enter the new season with a refreshed identity and renewed confidence under head coach Nick Theroux, as they prepare to navigate the always-competitive landscape of Class B's Region 3. After finishing 11–11 a year ago, the Hawks walked off the court each night knowing they battled—bringing athleticism, toughness, and a relentless transition game that kept them in every matchup. Despite graduating a strong senior group, Theroux believes the pieces are in place to keep the program moving forward. A productive offseason, strong team chemistry, and a returning core led by athletes who defend, shoot, and compete with high energy have positioned Colman-Egan to take another step.