Conference Preview: Western Iowa

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>AHSTW (11-11 last season, 50.3% of scoring returning): </strong>The Vikings have to replace two of their top three scorers, a pair that combined to average 28.9 points and 11.4 rebounds per game. They do bring back a double-figure scorer in [player_tooltip player_id='2833545' first='Collin' last='Harder'] (14.4), who was second on the team in both scoring and assists last season. He'll be the focal point of the attack this season. Of course losing a pair of big scorers is a significant blow, but the good news is that everyone else on last year's roster returns. Evan Harder (3.7) headlines a solid 2028 group that should be ready to step into some bigger roles alongside the elder Harder this winter. The Vikings don't have the star power to contend with Treynor or Tri-Center at the top of the league, but they could push for a top-3 finish if a few things break their way.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Audubon (11-12, 55.5%): </strong>The Wheelers bring back two of their top three scorers in seniors Brody Schultes (11.3) and Carson Wessel (7.8), giving them a good tandem to start building this year's roster around. Schultes is the team's top perimeter shooting threat and should have the ball in his hands quite a bit this winter, while Wessel figures to be the man in the middle, controlling the glass and serving as an athletic, physical forward. Look for sophomore guard Jorgen Nowatzke (4.2) to emerge as a reliable tertiary scoring threat after putting together a nice freshman year as a shooter and three-level scorer. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>IKM-Manning (12-12, 95.7%): </strong>If you're looking for a team that could potentially make a semi-surprising leap up the league standings this winter, take a look at IKM. The Wolverines bring back their top five scorers, including one of the top returning scorers in the state in senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1765538' first='Ben' last='Ramsey'] (22.4, 4.8 assists). He'll be one of the top 3-5 players in the league this winter, with his ability to score from all three levels as well as facilitate for his teammates set to be on full display. Wings Wyatt Denner (8.8) and Isaac Blankman (8.1, 41.4 3P%) provide some additional scoring punch alongside Ramsey on the perimeter, while Brock Kusel (7.6, 5.4 rebounds) and Ashton Ahrenholtz (3.0, 6.2 rebounds) give them some size and rebounding. IKM posted a win over Tri-Center last season, showing what they can be capable of, and with all the continuity they have back this season, they could be a team to watch. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Logan-Magnolia (13-10, 71.9%):</strong> Another team that could become a threat to Treynor or Tri-Center this winter is Logan-Magnolia, who have to replace their leading scorer but bring back every other player from last year's roster. Wes Vana put up 18.3 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last season, but five players who averaged between 5.9 and 10.5 points per game last season return, giving them a balanced core of players to build with. Brodie Davis (10.5, 4.4 assists) is a good lead guard who can set his teammates up, while Jason Kastner (10.4, 5.8 rebounds), Adam Roden (8.5, 7.6 rebounds), and Cale Cunard (6.9, 6.8 rebounds) are all versatile, athletic forwards who can control the glass. Expect the Panthers to be a bit more balanced this season, which could be to their benefit. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Missouri Valley (5-18, 71.7%): </strong>The Big Reds won just five games last season, but bring back their top two, and three of their top four, scorers, so there could be some improvement this winter. Senior guard Layton Maasen (16.2, 4.9 assists) is the headliner of the group, leading the team in scoring and assists last season. Ryder O'Dowd (9.9, 5.9 rebounds) and Brayden Neill (7.8) each gained valuable experience last season and should be leaned upon this year alongside Maasen. This group should be improved but wins are still going to be tough to come by in a league that brings back a lot of talent. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Riverside (8-14, 100%): </strong>Everyone returns to a team that lost six games by single digits last season, so don't be surprised if the Bulldogs are able to reverse their record this winter. Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2853953' first='Peyton' last='Amdor'] (14.0) and [player_tooltip player_id='2854701' first='Owen' last='Fenner'] (11.8) lead a balanced attack that saw five players averaging at least 6.0 points per game last season. Size is an issue for the 'Dogs, averaging just 20.6 rebounds per game last season, so some focus will need to be put on rebounding and limiting second chance opportunities for teams.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Treynor (22-4, 77.9%): </strong>The Cardinals will be one of the top teams in Class 2A this season, opening the year ranked #3 by us. The top three scorers return from a state tournament team in seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1978103' first='Alec' last='Lovely'] (19.0, 4.2 assists), [player_tooltip player_id='2886836' first='Ethan' last='Hill'] (11.4), and [player_tooltip player_id='2413619' first='Corbin' last='Thien'] (9.2). Lovely is one of the best all-around offensive guards in the state, a three-level scorer, shotmaker, and facilitator. Hill is a quality secondary scorer and playmaker, while Thien gives them some real size and physicality in the painted area. Look for returnees Dane Guttau (4.4), [player_tooltip player_id='2906551' first='Riley' last='Lauver'] (2.8), Jude Mieska (1.7), and [player_tooltip player_id='2523912' first='Kalob' last='Lovely'] (0.5) to step up and play bigger roles this season. This is a program that is averaging 20.6 wins over the last 19 seasons, and there's no reason to expect anything else but winning, winning, and more winning from Scott Rucker's group.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tri-Center (18-6, 92.5%): </strong>After winning 18 games last season, the Trojans should be even better this winter with their top four scorers back. They'll be headlined by the inside-out tandem of junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2420786' first='AJ' last='Harder'] (19.1, 5.0 assists) and senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2628806' first='Tyler' last='Baatz'] (15.3, 7.8 rebounds), arguably the best one-two punch in the league. Harder is an athletic, quick guard who loves to play downhill and attack the rim, putting constant pressure on opposing defenses with his speed and talent. Baatz is a physical, athletic big man with soft touch and great hands who looks primed for a big senior year. Look for senior guard Cael Witt (8.0, 3.3 assists) to have the ball in his hands a bit more, trying to take some of the pressure off of Harder and allowing him to operate off the ball a bit. The Trojans were swept by Treynor last season, and split with Underwood.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Underwood (16-6, 90.0%): </strong>Despite losing a ton of production off of the state-tournament 2023-24 team, the Eagles won another 16 games last season, in large part because of how dominant forward [player_tooltip player_id='2731691' first='Garrett' last='Luett'] (17.8, 13.5 rebounds) was. A fantastic athlete with great hands, soft touch, and a nose for the ball, he was ridiculously good as a junior and will once again be the focal point for the Eagles. The top four, and nine of the top 10, scorers return in all, so Luett is far from alone. Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='2906407' first='Nolan' last='Baker'] (12.9), Tayden Hull (6.9), and [player_tooltip player_id='2854041' first='Landon' last='Wigington'] (6.5) are all solid scoring treats alongside Luett, and Connor Brummett (3.5, 3.2 assists) is a good playmaker. This group was really good defensively last season, allowing just 50.3 points per game, and they should be really good on that end of the floor again. If they can improve a bit from the 3-point line as a team, they could push Treynor and Tri-Center. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Projected Order of Finish</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1. Treynor<br>2. Tri-Center<br>3. Underwood<br>4. IKM-Manning<br>5. Logan-Magnolia<br>6. Riverside<br>7. AHSTW<br>8. Audubon<br>9. Missouri Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis: </strong>A ton of talent returns in this league, with seven of the nine teams bringing back at least 70% of their scoring, and all nine teams bringing over half their scoring back. This is Treynor's league, and it should remain that way, but Tri-Center and Underwood will both be formidable, while IKM and Logan-Magnolia should be improved.</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='1978103' first='Alec' last='Lovely'] (Treynor): </strong>The best player on what is clearly the best team in the conference makes this a pretty easy selection. Lovely dominates games on both ends of the floor with his talent and IQ.</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='1978103' first='Alec' last='Lovely'] (Treynor)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2886836' first='Ethan' last='Hill'] (Treynor)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413619' first='Corbin' last='Thien'] (Treynor)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765538' first='Ben' last='Ramsey'] (IKM-Manning)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2420786' first='AJ' last='Harder'] (Tri-Center)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2628806' first='Tyler' last='Baatz'] (Tri-Center)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731691' first='Garrett' last='Luett'] (Underwood)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2906407' first='Nolan' last='Baker'] (Underwood)<br>2026 Layton Maasen (Missouri Valley)<br>2026 Ryder O'Dowd (Missouri Valley)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2833545' first='Collin' last='Harder'] (AHSTW)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2853953' first='Peyton' last='Amdor'] (Riverside)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2854701' first='Owen' last='Fenner'] (Riverside)<br>2027 Cole Jeppesen (Riverside)<br>2026 Brody Schultes (Audubon)<br>2027 Brodie Davis (Logan-Magnolia)<br>2026 Jason Kastner (Logan-Magnolia)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->