Conference Preview: SICL East

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Belle Plaine (16-7 last season, 32.6% of scoring returning): </strong>The Plainsmen have won double-digit games every year since the 2012-13 season, so despite losing a significant chunk of last year's roster, there is no reason to expect them not to be near the top of the division again this season. Senior forward Sam DeMeulenaere (16.3) led the team in scoring last year and returns to lead the charge, but he'll have a lot of new faces around him. Lane Vokoun is the next leading returning scorer and he averaged just 1.6 points a game last season. Belle Plaine is always among the best rebounding teams in the class, and that will keep them in games as they do a great job of limiting second chances and getting a ton of their own. Expect the Plainsmen to challenge Keota, Sigourney, and Iowa Valley at the top of the SICL East.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>English Valleys (3-21, 47.7%): </strong>The Bears lost two of their top three scorers from last year's team but bring back a group of sophomores that they should be excited about, led by Everett Bender (7.0) and Tyler Lortz (5.3). This is going to be a really, really young team, but they should see this as a building year for 2025-26 and 2026-27.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Iowa Valley (9-14, 100.0%):</strong> The Tigers have the most dominant player in the league on their side in senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1951796' first='Caleb' last='Haack'] (21.1, 13.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 4.2 blocks), an athletic 6-7/6-8 big man with good footwork, soft hands, vision, and rim protection. [player_tooltip player_id='2906474' first='Cole' last='Long'] (11.4, 36.0 3P%) was a solid secondary scorer and shooter as a freshman and will help provide some floor spacing, while Layne Peska (4.9, 3.9 assists) can be a perimeter playmaker. They bring back everyone from a team that was extremely young last season and they should be much improved.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Keota (23-1, 21.7%): </strong>The Eagles put together a pretty special year last season, winning their first 23 games, all but two by double-digits, before falling to Gladbrook-Reinbeck in the district final. They lost five of their top six scorers from that group, with only senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2511617' first='Billie' last='Kindred'] (11.8, 10.7 rebounds) returning from that top group. Kindred is a physical forward who pounds the glass on both ends of the floor, and he's a pretty good passer out of the post as well. Despite losing a ton of talent, however, Keota is proven over the last few decades that they're a winning program. They've posted 10 20-win seasons since 2007-08, and while that number may be tough to reach this season, they'll be a factor in the division race.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sigourney (13-9, 100.0%): </strong>The Savages bring everyone back from a 13-win team, so they should be considered a real contender in the division. Senior forward Isaac Bruns (14.0) is the headliner, a versatile forward who can create plays, score inside and out, and pound the glass. [player_tooltip player_id='2886798' first='John' last='Berg'] (7.6, 8.4 rebounds) provides more toughness and rebounding, while Solon Yates (13.0) and Ike Molyneux (9.3, 4.0 assists) give them some playmaking in the backcourt. With perennial powers Keota and Belle Plaine getting hit hard by graduation, things could open up for Sigourney at the top of the division.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Tri-County (1-22, 74.5%): </strong>The Trojans bring back their top two scorers from last year's team in Levi Molyneux (11.1) and Sean McCulloch (10.0). They really struggled with turnovers last season, giving it away over 23 times a game, and that number will need to drastically drop if they are going to be more competitive on a nightly basis.</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. Sigourney<br>2. Keota<br>3. Iowa Valley<br>4. Belle Plaine<br>5. English Valleys<br>6. Tri-County</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis: </strong>With top contenders Keota and Belle Plaine getting hit hard by graduation, teams like Sigourney and Iowa Valley, who bring everyone back, could make a leap up the division standings this year. Sigourney swept Iowa Valley in a pair of blowouts, setting them up as the team to beat, but it wouldn't surprise to see any of the top four here win the division.</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>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1951796' first='Caleb' last='Haack'] (Iowa Valley):</strong> Haack is a dominant two-way player who puts up ridiculous numbers on a nightly basis. At 6-7/6-8 and with the ability to score inside and out, dominate the glass, and protect the paint, he's one of the most intriguing college prospects in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1951796' first='Caleb' last='Haack'] (Iowa Valley)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2906474' first='Cole' last='Long'] (Iowa Valley)<br>2026 Owen Ary (Iowa Valley)<br>2027 Layne Peska (Iowa Valley)<br>2025 Sam DeMeulenaere (Belle Plaine)<br>2026 Solon Yates (Sigourney)<br>2027 Ike Molyneux (Sigourney)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2886798' first='John' last='Berg'] (Sigourney)<br>2026 Brayden Wood (Sigourney)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2511617' first='Billie' last='Kindred'] (Keota)<br>2025 Levi Molyneux (Tri-County)<br>2027 Sean McCullouch (Tri-County)<br>2027 Everett Bender (English Valleys)<br>2027 Tyler Lortz (English Valleys)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->