Conference Preview: South Central

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Albia (19-4 last season, 7.4% of scoring returning): </strong>The Blue Demons were dealt a devastating blow with the loss of star junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2297904' first='Gage' last='Chance'] to an ACL injury, taking their South Central league title hopes with them. Chance averaged 19.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game as a sophomore and looked primed to emerge as one of the state's elite players as a junior. With him sidelined, and the losses to graduation, the top six scorers, and nine of the top 10, are gone. That leaves senior Jaxon Strickler (2.9) as the lone returnee with notable experience. This is a program that has won double-figure wins in 12 of the last 13 years, and the one time they didn't, they won nine. The bottom isn't going to fall out on them, but they probably won't be contending for the league crown.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cardinal (2-20, 70.6%): </strong>The Comets lost two of their top three scorers to graduation, but bring back everyone else from last year's team. Senior Alijah Frase (10.0) is the top returnee, and he'll be joined by a bevy of players who gained valuable experience last year in seniors Cayden Courtney (5.0), Tyler Trueblood (5.0), Paiden Rupe (3.9), and Treyton Hafele (2.0), and sophomore Bode Ferrell (5.0). Turnovers were an absolute killer last year, giving it away 25 times a game, so if they want to improve this year that will be the first area to focus on.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Centerville (12-10, 61.5%): </strong>Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2731635' first='Malachi' last='Rice'] (21.6, 3.4 assists, 4.4 steals) is one of the top returning scorers in the state, giving the Big Reds a dynamic player to build around. He's a quick guard who loves to play downhill and get to the bucket or the free-throw line, and he's a pest on the defensive end. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2772325' first='Abram' last='Decena'] (10.4) had a really nice freshman year and should be a really nice secondary scorer and shooter alongside Rice. He's the headliner of a good 2028 class at Centerville, of which several other players should help fill out the rotation this year. With Rice leading the way, and Decena emerging as a secondary scoring threat, the Big Reds could be a contender in the league this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Chariton (13-10, 32.9%): </strong>All three double-figure scorers graduated for the Chargers, and in all, they lost four of their top five scorers. They do bring back junior guard Connor Shore (9.0), who could emerge as a go-to scorer this season after playing a complementary role last season. Brody Krutsinger (3.5, 3.4 rebounds) and Jake Goben (3.0, 4.0 rebounds) will control the painted area and the glass, and this is a school that generally is able to find more talent than many of the other schools in the league. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Clarke (5-17, 44.3%): </strong>The Indians lost last year's leading scorer and three of the top five scorers from that group, but bring back [player_tooltip player_id='2772138' first='Ryan' last='Diehl'] (9.4) and [player_tooltip player_id='2772063' first='Peyton' last='Lynn'] (8.2), giving them a pair of good scoring threats who should emerge as the one-two punch this winter. Diehl was really good last season as a defensive weapon, averaging 1.2 steals and 1.6 blocks per game in addition to being a solid scoring threat, and his versatility on both ends of the floor will be big for them. They'll need to clean up the turnovers (17.3) this season if they want to make a real improvement, but there are some pieces here to at least be excited about.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Davis County (13-10, 20.5%):</strong> There will be a lot of new faces taking the floor this winter for the Mustangs following the graduations of their top two, and six of their top seven, scorers. Senior guard Cason Young (8.9, 2.7 assists) led the team in assists last season and is the top returnee. He'll be asked to do a ton for this group on both ends of the floor. The players around him will be largely new names, but they'll have one of the best lead guards in the conference headlining the group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (1-22, 99.8%): </strong>The Rockets bring back all but two total points from last year's one-win team, so there's nowhere for them to go but up. Senior Gavin Spaur (10.7) is the top returnee, while juniors Emmett Holohan (7.6) and Austin Langstraat (6.1) each had good moments last season. They turned it over 22.5 times per game last season, a number that needs to improve, of course, but the biggest improvement has to come on the defensive end after giving up 73.0 points per game, 95th of 96 2A teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Knoxville (24-1, 48.8%): </strong>The Panthers blasted through this league last season, winning their 14 games against league opponents by an average of 36.1 points per game. They lost their leading scorer and rebounder from that group, and three of the top five, but bring back two starters in junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2231637' first='Lincoln' last='Norris'] (16.9, 42.0 3P%) and senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='2731843' first='Drake' last='Larson'] (7.8, 5.1 assists), giving them the best one-two punch in the league. Norris is an elite shooting threat who buried 103 3-pointers last season, and he'll have the ultimate green light this year, while Larson is a skilled playmaker and passer who will set his teammates up. Look for bigger roles for juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2906421' first='TaShawn' last='Conner'] (3.5) and Tristan Stevenson (3.4) this season, stepping into the starting lineup alongside Norris and Larson, along with a mystery fifth. They won't be as dominant as they were last season, but this is still without a doubt the team to beat.</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. Knoxville<br>2. Centerville<br>3. Chariton<br>4. Albia<br>5. Davis County<br>6. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont<br>7. Clarke<br>8. Cardinal</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis: </strong>Despite losing quite a bit of production from last year's dominant team, Knoxville still brings back the most top-end talent and is the team to beat. Centerville could be a threat, but the league probably comes down to those two this season.</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='2231637' first='Lincoln' last='Norris'] (Knoxville): </strong>The league looks much more open this year following the Panthers' losses to graduation and the injury to [player_tooltip player_id='2297904' first='Gage' last='Chance']. Norris' shooting and playmaking pace a Knoxville team that should still be considered the team to beat, making him the pick here.</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='2231637' first='Lincoln' last='Norris'] (Knoxville)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731843' first='Drake' last='Larson'] (Knoxville)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2906421' first='TaShawn' last='Conner'] (Knoxville)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731635' first='Malachi' last='Rice'] (Centerville)<br>2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2772325' first='Abram' last='Decena'] (Centerville)<br>2028 Kayden Rice (Centerville)<br>2026 Gavin Spaur (Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont)<br>2027 Emmett Holohan (Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont)<br>2027 Austin Langstraat (Eddvyille-Blakesburg-Fremont)<br>2026 Alijah Frase (Cardinal)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2772138' first='Ryan' last='Diehl'] (Clarke)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2772063' first='Peyton' last='Lynn'] (Clarke)<br>2027 Connor Shore (Chariton)<br>2026 Cason Young (Davis County)<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->