Conference Preview: West Central

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>ACGC (22-3 last season, 27.4% of scoring returning): </strong>Lance Kading has done a great job building this program up, and despite losing a trio of double-figure scorers, they should remain competitive. Senior guard Joe Crawford (11.9) was the team's fourth leading scorer last season and will step into the starring role this season. Tommy Skram (4.9) was a good role player for them last season and will be asked to step into a secondary scoring role, while juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2381212' first='Jonny' last='Kading'] (1.8) and Preston Kent (0.8), both talented but relatively inexperienced guards, will step into bigger roles as well. The Chargers probably aren't going to win 20+ games this year having lost a trio of extremely experienced and impactful players, but they should push for a top 3-5 finish.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Des Moines Christian (18-6, 48.3%): </strong>The Lions have a lot of pieces to replace from last year's rotation, losing five of their top seven scorers to graduation. That said, second-leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id='1978133' first='Max' last='Town'] (15.7) is back to lead the charge, and he'll be one of the top players in the conference. He's a 6-4/6-5 wing who can score from anywhere on the floor, and he looks primed for a big senior year. Junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2530654' first='Davis' last='Tokheim'] (6.7, 3.5 assists) is a cat-quick guard who puts constant pressure on opposing guards on both ends of the floor, and a ew notable role players from last year's team return in Brody Farver (2.8), [player_tooltip player_id='2204865' first='Connor' last='Doohen'] (2.2), and Ajay Baake (1.0). Look for freshman guard Jimmie Binnie to make an early impact for this group as well, a skilled guard who handles it well and can shoot it off the dribble. This is a program that has averaged more than 20 wins a year over the last 19 seasons; they're going to be in contention. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Earlham (14-9, 25.9%): </strong>The Cardinals will have a new look this season under former Iowa guard Austin Ash, who takes over as their head coach. Ash will have a new-look roster at Earlham, with both double-figure scorers from last year's team graduating, leaving a trio of returnees - [player_tooltip player_id='2479688' first='Griffin' last='Messer'] (5.7), Brady Reynolds (5.0), and Blaine Tiedemann (4.6) - as the notable returnees. All three of them shot over 36% from the 3-point line last season, and with Ash leading the charge, I would expect this to be an up-tempo group that looks to fire a bunch of 3s.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Interstate 35 (10-13, 70.5%): </strong>The Roadrunners stumbled a bit down the stretch last season, going 2-7 in their last nine games. They lost their leading scorer from last year's group, but this was a really balanced team that saw nobody average more than 9 points per game. Six players return who averaged between 3.5 and 8.4 points per game, giving them plenty of experience and some depth. Ben McCuddin (8.4, 3.8 assists) was second on the team in scoring and led the team in rebounding and assists last season; he'll be the headliner of the group. Porter Cannoy (7.7) and Jack Glenn (6.3) figure to be the team's other top scoring threats. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Madrid (28-0, 34.0%):</strong> Coming off an undefeated, state championship season, the Tigers have a lot of production to replace, losing three of the top four scorers. That said, the cupboard is far from bare, with a pair of dominant forwards returning in sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2439640' first='Jevyn' last='Severson'] (15.4, 8.0 rebounds) and [player_tooltip player_id='2420789' first='Emerson' last='Bridgewater'] (8.6, 6.9 rebounds), who will give the Tigers the best one-two punch in the league. Severson was fantastic as a freshman, is one of the most highly sought after tight end prospects in the 2028 class nationally, and should be dominant this season. Bridgewater may play a bit of a point-forward role for a Tigers team that will have a lot of new guards taking the floor, using his 6-5 frame and athleticism to see over the defense and create quality looks. These are the only two with significant experience returning, but there is some talent in their young backcourt that we'll learn more about this winter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Ogden (8-14, 76.3%): </strong>The Bulldogs bring back their top two scorers from last year's team in junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2906489' first='Brayden' last='Miller'] (13.7) and senior Jase Coleman (11.7). Those two, plus Jordan Benjamin, give them a ton of perimeter shooting, as this group shot nearly 40% from the 3-point line last season. The issue for the 'Dogs was on the defensive end, allowing 65.9 points per game, and if they are going to win more games, improvement will need to come on the defensive end.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Panorama (3-19, 65.1%):</strong> The Panthers lost their leading scorer but bring back the next four, giving them a strong quartet of options to build around. Juniors Cruz Crandall (8.6) and [player_tooltip player_id='2529620' first='Jaxson' last='Stauffer'] (8.5), and seniors Brayden Galvan (7.0) and Latyn Ashworth (6.3), give them some experience and a balanced group of scorers. Junior forward Reed Draper (5.4, 5.0 rebounds) also returns in the paint after finishing second on the team in rebounding last winter. This is a group that struggled to score last season, averaging just 45.5 points on 34-27-63 shooting splits last season, so hopefully with some continuity they can improve a bit in that regard.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Pleasantville (11-11, 75.0%): </strong>The Trojans have one of the best players in small-school basketball returning in junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2419699' first='Braylon' last='Bingham'] (28.1, 8.6 rebounds), a versatile, athletic wing who can score from anywhere on the floor as well as control the glass on both ends of the floor. Trindon Phipps (6.0, 38.8 3P%) and Cash Klootwyk (4.5, 36.8 3P%) give them a bit of shooting alongside Bingham. This group is going to need to become more balanced this winter if they want to win more games. Bingham averaged 28.1 points per game last season, no other player averaged more than 6.8.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Van Meter (14-9, 67.5%): </strong>The Bulldogs went on a nice streak in January, winning eight straight games after getting off to a slower 3-4 start. They bring back the top two, and four of the top five, scorers from that group, so expectations should be pretty high heading into this winter. Senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2381239' first='Andon' last='Watson'] (13.0, 38.1 3P%) and guard [player_tooltip player_id='2381204' first='Brody' last='Notz'] (10.7) are the top returning scorers, both capable of taking over a game offensively. [player_tooltip player_id='2780740' first='Garrison' last='Thummel'] (7.3, 4.8 rebounds) is coming off a good freshman season, and Luke Steinfeldt (6.6, 41.8 3P%) gives them some more shooting. Senior wing Jack Fiedler (3.7) had some nice showings last season as well and will give them a bit more shooting and depth. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>West Central Valley (5-18, 100%):</strong> Every player who scored last season for the Wildcats returns, led by junior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2906470' first='Colton' last='Lindsay'] (13.2). He averaged nearly twice as many points as any other player on the roster last season and will once again be the focal point. Kade Wilson (6.7), Roman Hammond (6.3), Garrett Wolfe (5.8), and Kason Bender (5.3) were all key contributors last season and will round out the notable returnees. This group should be more competitive than they were last season, but still probably lack the high-level talent to compete at the top of the league.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Woodward-Granger (8-15, 63.7%):</strong> The Hawks lost seven games by single digits last season and bring back two of their top three scorers. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2887868' first='Vinny' last='Sebastian'] (11.5, 38.0 3P%) is a good shooter who will probably have the ball in his hands more often this winter following the graduations of their top two in assists per game. Jack Shindelar (8.0, 53.5 FG%) is an efficient interior scorer, while sophomores Cooper Finestead (4.6) and Jackson Bowlsby (4.1) should step into much bigger roles after playing well as freshmen. </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. Madrid<br>2. Des Moines Christian<br>3. Van Meter<br>4. ACGC<br>5. Pleasantville<br>6. Earlham<br>7. Interstate 35<br>8. Ogden<br>9. Woodward-Granger<br>10. West Central Valley<br>11. Panorama</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis:</strong> Madrid is probably still the favorite in the league, despite losing a ton of production in the backcourt because of their one-two punch with Severson and Bridgewater, but this race is much more open than it was last year.</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='2419699' first='Braylon' last='Bingham'] (Pleasantville): </strong>Bingham has put up massive numbers in his first two years for the Trojans, and he'll be even better as a junior. </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='2419699' first='Braylon' last='Bingham'] (Pleasantville)<br>2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2439640' first='Jevyn' last='Severson'] (Madrid)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2420789' first='Emerson' last='Bridgewater'] (Madrid)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1978133' first='Max' last='Town'] (Des Moines Christian)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2530654' first='Davis' last='Tokheim'] (Des Moines Christian)<br>2029 Jimmie Binnie (Des Moines Christian)<br>2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2523885' first='Ajay' last='Bakke'] (Des Moines Christian)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2906489' first='Brayden' last='Miller'] (Ogden)<br>2026 Jase Coleman (Ogden)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2906470' first='Colton' last='Lindsay'] (West Central Valley)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2381239' first='Andon' last='Watson'] (Van Meter)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2381204' first='Brody' last='Notz'] (Van Meter)<br>2026 Joe Crawford (ACGC)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2887868' first='Vinny' last='Sebastian'] (Woodward-Granger)<br>2026 Jack Shinedlar (Woodward-Granger)<br>2027 Cruz Crandall (Panorama)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2529620' first='Jaxson' last='Stauffer'] (Panorama)<br>2026 Ben McCuddin (Interstate 35)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->