Five Class 2A Teams Who Could Take a Leap in 2024-25

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Emmetsburg (18-6 last year)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This will be one of the most experienced teams in the state, regardless of class. [player_tooltip player_id='1874771' first='Byron' last='Maina'] will be a four-year varsity starter. [player_tooltip player_id='2520001' first='Carson' last='Baak'], [player_tooltip player_id='2519988' first='Gavin' last='Swanson'], and Carter Hudson will be three-year starters, and [player_tooltip player_id='1587312' first='Kale' last='Fank'] (pictured) will be in his second year in the starting five. In all, 98.7% of last year's scoring returns, led by Maina, who put up 14.3 a night, pacing a trio of double-figure scorers. Swanson (11.2) and Hudson (10.7), and Fank (9.5) and Baak (9.2) give them a very balanced starting five who can beat you in a number of different ways, and they do a great job sharing the wealth. With a number of reliable ball-handlers, a pair of really good shooters, and some dynamic athletes on the defensive end, the E-Hawks are certainly a team capable of breaking through and getting to Des Moines for the first time since 2005.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Manson-Northwest Webster (16-8)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Manson-Northwest Webster has never qualified for the boys basketball state tournament, but they've got a chance to make history this season, with 97% of their scoring output returning to a 16-win team. In senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2398114' first='Logan' last='Moline'], they have one of the most prolific scorers in the state. He averaged 25 points a game as a junior while shooting over 51% from the floor, and he'll pair with athletic guard [player_tooltip player_id='1587314' first='Kelan' last='Koval'] (15.3 points a game) to give the Cougars a dynamic one-two punch in the backcourt. This is a group that will be led by four seniors and a few talented sophomores, and they should be among the deepest teams in 2A. They'll need to clean up the turnover issues and take better care of the ball (14.3 turnovers per game, 0.81 assist-to-turnover ratio), but if they're able to do so, they could be one of the most explosive offensive teams in the class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hinton (15-8)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Hinton really improved after the holiday break last season, going 10-4 after the hiatus, including an eight-game winning streak that spanned nearly a month. The Blackhawks bring back everyone from that team, a group that was very heavy on sophomores. [player_tooltip player_id='2413648' first='Logan' last='Kempema'] (15.7) led the team in scoring and rebounding last season and will be one of the better offensive players in the class, while fellow juniors-to-be [player_tooltip player_id='2731835' first='Karver' last='DeGroot'] (8.8), Will Hagestrom (6.2), Logan Coffee (3.7), and Cole Friessen (2.7) will all be major contributors as well. With everyone returning to a team that played really well down the stretch after getting their footing, Hinton could be a 20-win team in 2024-25.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Albia (13-9)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Five of the Blue Demons' nine losses last season came by single digits, and with 90% of their scoring returning, they should be able to turn several of those narrow losses into wins this season. The top five scorers return, led by senior guard Cael Schofield (11.9), but the biggest reason for optimism heading into 2024-25 is the projected improvement of sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2297904' first='Gage' last='Chance'], who averaged 9.8 points and 4.2 rebounds a game as a freshman. He has been fantastic throughout the spring and summer with a highly successful [program_tooltip program_id='2246861' first='Iowa' last='Barnstormers'] team, and with his combination of size, athleticism, and length at 6-4/6-5, he's a prime candidate to have a breakout sophomore year as an all-around offensive weapon. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Anamosa (9-11)</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Blue Raiders struggled against the better teams on the schedule last season defensively, allowing 77.3 points a game in their 11 losses, so if they want to truly improve, they'll need to tighten up on the defensive end of the floor against the better competition. The good news, however, is that they bring a lot of experience back from what was a pretty young team in 2023-24. The tandem of senior [player_tooltip player_id='2398131' first='Vince' last='Diers'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1765552' first='Tristan' last='Faille'] will be among the best one-two scoring punches in 2A after combining to average 33.1 points a game last season. Both are versatile offensive weapons who can really shoot it from deep, and Diers is a skilled playmaker off the dribble. There are some solid pieces around that tandem in seniors like Jacob King and Nate Fischer, and while they may be a little small, they should be able to play fast and put up points in bunches.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->