On Tuesday, October 8 at the Holiday Inn in Dubuque Gary Dolphin emceed the annual Bank and Builders high school basketball preview before a packed house. Dolphin previewed U. of Iowa basketball and the five area coaches gave their predictions for their teams and conferences.
East Dubuque went 31-2 last year and was ranked #1 in Illinois Class A for awhile. They are rebuilding.
The other schools whose coaches previewed their teams are all in the Mississippi Valley Conference.
Western Dubuque's second-year coach hopes for a first division finish in the MVC this year, with a host of returnees. His main hope is that his multi-sport athletes will survive the football season and playoffs without serious injuries.
Curt Deutsch at Dubuque Hempstead saw the graduation of four starters, but they do return Michael Duax, a 6-5 junior, who may be the best of the long string of Duax boys. Several young players will have to step up off a good JV and soph teams.
Tom English of Dubuque Wahlert returns the most veterans of the city's teams, with four seasoned players, two of whom are three-year starters. Two are getting serious looks and offers from mid-size and small colleges-- Cael Schmitt and Jacob Schockemoehl. Isaac Ripley was a regular forward-guard last year and Lucas Topping at 6-5 was a starter at year's end. Nick Bandy, an undersized leaper rounds out their top five, at this point. Wahlert beat Hempstead twice, split with Western Dubuque and played Senior to a two-point game at Wahlert with a minute to go, so there is optimism in the Eagles camp for a chance to return to state.
At Dubuque Senior, which played Cedar Falls for the 4A state title last year, four veteran players graduated, topped by Noah Carter (UNI), but Coach Wendell Eimers has several seasoned returnees including the starting point guard Medinger, 6-5 Bonifas, some cat-quick guards like Dequan Lewis, plus considerable talent off a 17-1 sophomore team that was first in the MVC. Coach Eimers, along with the other local coaches says that the teams to beat in the powerful 16-team MVC are Iowa City West and Cedar Falls, with a strong contingent of other teams nipping at their heels.
East Dubuque went 31-2 last year and was ranked #1 in Illinois Class A for awhile. They are rebuilding.
The other schools whose coaches previewed their teams are all in the Mississippi Valley Conference.
Western Dubuque's second-year coach hopes for a first division finish in the MVC this year, with a host of returnees. His main hope is that his multi-sport athletes will survive the football season and playoffs without serious injuries.
Curt Deutsch at Dubuque Hempstead saw the graduation of four starters, but they do return Michael Duax, a 6-5 junior, who may be the best of the long string of Duax boys. Several young players will have to step up off a good JV and soph teams.
Tom English of Dubuque Wahlert returns the most veterans of the city's teams, with four seasoned players, two of whom are three-year starters. Two are getting serious looks and offers from mid-size and small colleges-- Cael Schmitt and Jacob Schockemoehl. Isaac Ripley was a regular forward-guard last year and Lucas Topping at 6-5 was a starter at year's end. Nick Bandy, an undersized leaper rounds out their top five, at this point. Wahlert beat Hempstead twice, split with Western Dubuque and played Senior to a two-point game at Wahlert with a minute to go, so there is optimism in the Eagles camp for a chance to return to state.
At Dubuque Senior, which played Cedar Falls for the 4A state title last year, four veteran players graduated, topped by Noah Carter (UNI), but Coach Wendell Eimers has several seasoned returnees including the starting point guard Medinger, 6-5 Bonifas, some cat-quick guards like Dequan Lewis, plus considerable talent off a 17-1 sophomore team that was first in the MVC. Coach Eimers, along with the other local coaches says that the teams to beat in the powerful 16-team MVC are Iowa City West and Cedar Falls, with a strong contingent of other teams nipping at their heels.
Last edited:
