Conference Preview: Iowa Star North

<h4>The Teams</h4> Clarksville (0-20): The Indians were winless last season, but bring back seven of their top eight scorers, so while they probably won’t add many "W"s to that column, they should be a bit more competitive this season. Junior forward Jacob Stauffer (9.2) and sophomore guard Eli Schmidt (9.2) are the leading returning scorers. Stauffer blocked 2.4 shots a game, so he provides some rim protection, and Schmidt will pair with senior Alek Kellogg (4.0) to give them an experienced backcourt. Clarksville turned the ball over 25 times a game last season, and that number needs to drastically improve. Don Bosco (4-16): With a largely new roster taking the court last season, the Dons predictably struggled, but they should be improved this season. Junior guard Ty Purdy (10.0) was the team’s second-leading scorer last season and is the top returnee. He’ll pair with Ryan Naughton (7.0) to give them a solid backcourt that dished out 6.9 assists a game last season. Senior forwards Jack Purdy (7.9) and Ryan McFadden (5.1) combined to average 11.2 rebounds a game and return to anchor the painted area. If the Dons can cut down on the turnovers a bit (18.3 a game last year), and they should with more varsity experience, they will be much more competitive this year. [caption id="attachment_1290371" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/1-Casey-Gardner.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1290371 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/1-Casey-Gardner-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> Gardner[/caption] Dunkerton (17-6): After a down year in 2019-20, we had a feeling that the Raiders would turn it around last year, and they didn’t disappoint, getting off to a strong 8-2 start with their losses coming to bigger schools (Oelwein, Denver). They were upset in the postseason by Maquoketa Valley, and will be looking to advance further this year. The top three scorers, and five of the top six, return. They’ll be headlined by power forward [player_tooltip player_id="1158505" first="Kaden" last="Behrens"] (13.4) and point guard [player_tooltip player_id="1167715" first="Casey" last="Gardner"] (11.8, 7.4 assists). Behrens is a super-efficient forward who scores at will around the rim, while Gardner was among the state leaders in assists last season. Junior wing Preston Gillespie (9.9), a long and athletic wing who defends and gets to the rim, looks primed to have a breakout year, and senior wing Kyler Rich (6.3) and junior Braiden Van Lengen (3.6) are also experienced pieces who provide depth and versatility. The Raiders swept Janesville last year and have to be considered the favorites to win this division. [caption id="attachment_1166884" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Wiley-Sherburne.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1166884 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Wiley-Sherburne-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> Sherburne[/caption] Janesville (19-5): Two of the Wildcats five losses last year came at the hands of Dunkerton, which will keep Janesville below the Raiders in our projection. But make no mistake, this group will be dangerous again this year with the returning production that they have. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id="962655" first="Wiley" last="Sherburne"] (22.6) is one of the top returning scorers in the state, an active and efficient big man who can score at will around the bucket. He’ll be joined by senior lead guard [player_tooltip player_id="1158458" first="Leo" last="Dodd"] (7.8, 8.7 assists), who led the state in helpers last year. Dodd does a good job getting others involved and protecting the ball, but he may be asked to become a bigger scoring threat this season. Jared Hoodjer (6.8), Jaden Appleby (5.6), and Keegan Eastman (4.1) all return with significant experience and each provides a little something different. The Sherburne-Dodd combination is excellent and will lead to plenty of wins again this year in Janesville. Riceville (7-15): Five players who averaged between 4.8 and 8.5 points a game last season return for the Wildcats, giving them an experienced and balanced core to build around. Seniors Sean Grimm (8.5) and Isaac Kuhn (8.3) are the top returnees, while Theo Klaes (5.6, 7.0 rebounds) is the top returning rebounder. This team was excellent on the glass last year, pulling down 37.5 rebounds a game, including 13.2 offensive. If they can turn a few more of those offensive boards into points, they'll be more competitive this season. Tripoli (13-9): The Panthers lose a pair of double-figure scorers from last year's roster, but do bring one back in junior forward Oakley Semelroth (10.7), who shot 51.5% from the floor last year and pulled down 5.6 rebounds a game. Senior guard Jase Hereid (5.8) will be the team's lead ball-handler after finishing second in assists last season, while juniors Deshaun Wilder (3.5) and Rowan Carlson (2.8) gained some valuable experience last year. They should take a step back this year after losing the scoring threats that they did. Waterloo Christian (11-12): The Regents lost leading scorer Dominick Jones, but bring back Drew Wagner (13.5, 8.4 rebounds), who is coming off one of the most productive freshmen seasons of any player in the state. Wagner, an athletic 6-4 forward, is an efficient scorer and strong rebounder who is a great piece for this group to build around. Senior Carson Rowenhorst (4.4) is back to assume primary ball-handling duties after leading the team in assists last season, but the Regents will need to improve their ball movement as a whole after averaging just 6.7 assists a game last year. In all, six of the top seven scorers return, so expect to see this group contending for an above .500 finish and in a battle for third behind Dunkerton and Janesville.   <h4>Projected Order of Finish</h4> 1. Dunkerton 2. Janesville 3. Waterloo Christian 4. Tripoli 5. Don Bosco 6. Riceville 7. Clarksville Analysis: This should be a battle between Dunkerton and Janesville all year, and the division will come down to their head-to-head battles, as it's unlikely that either will lose another divisional game. After sweeping the Wildcats last season, the edge goes to the Raiders.   <h4><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Wiley-Sherburne.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1166884" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Wiley-Sherburne-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a>Preseason Player of the Year</h4> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962655" first="Wiley" last="Sherburne"], Janesville: Sherburne is an easy choice here. He’s the league’s leading returning scorer and one of the best rebounders in the division. A highly efficient forward who paces a Janesville team that will battle it out with Dunkerton all year long. His activity levels on both ends of the floor make him a difficult matchup.   <h4>Players to Watch</h4> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962655" first="Wiley" last="Sherburne"], Janesville 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158458" first="Leo" last="Dodd"], Janesville 2022 Jared Hoodjer, Janesville 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167715" first="Casey" last="Gardner"], Dunkerton 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158505" first="Kaden" last="Behrens"], Dunkerton 2023 Preston Gillespie, Dunkerton 2022 Kyler Rich, Dunkerton 2024 Drew Wagner, Waterloo Christian 2023 Oakley Semelroth, Tripoli 2023 Ty Purdy, Don Bosco 2022 Jack Purdy, Don Bosco 2022 Ryan Naughton, Don Bosco 2024 Eli Schmidt, Clarksville 2023 Jacob Stauffer, Clarksville 2022 Sean Grimm, Riceville 2022 Isaac Kuhn, Riceville