ADVERTISEMENT

NCC 2012-13 basketball

W

Wordel

Varsity
Gold Member
Oct 4, 2006
1,569
0
36
Maybe a little early to get started, but was wondering peoples thoughts on this coming North Central Conference girls basketball. Who are the favorites, up and comers, who lost a lot from last year, etc. etc.

Excited to get the basketball season going.
 
Don't know much about the overall depth of the league but I would have to think St. Edmonds is your favorite, despite losing some very quality players last year. I do not see teams like Eagle Grove, Webster City, Humbodlt, Garrigan challenging them, but I also don't know a lot about Hampton/Iowa Falls, etc.
St. Ed's should be solid for the next few years.
 
I think it will be a little tougher to predict the finish this year as some teams lost some of their best players. I stole this from Dark Thunder on last seasons thread but I think it has some good insight.

A quick look at what teams lose and return next year in
the conference (based on quikstats rosters); returnees (seniors
departing):

St. Edmond- 7 return (7); 4 of top 7 scorers (Jr, So, 2 Fr), Huss /So, (11.9 ppg)

Algona- 12 return (3); 5 of top 7 scorers (3 Jrs, 2 Sos), Wiseman /So, (9.4 ppg)

Clear Lake- 14 return (2); 6 of top 7 scorers (3 Jrs, 3 Sos), Anderson /So, (9.3 ppg)

Bishop Garrigan- 11 return (4); 4 of top 7 scorers (3 Jrs, So), Lanus /Jr, (7.4 ppg)

Clarion-Goldfield- 10 return (4); 4 of top 7 scorers (3 Jrs, So), Steiner /Jr, (8.2 ppg)

Hampton-Dumont- 10 return (5); 5 of top 7 scorers (3 Jrs, 2 Sos), Barz /Jr, (16 ppg)

Humboldt- 7 return (7); 4 of top 7 scorers (2 Jrs, 2 Sos), Friesth /So, (10.8 ppg)

Iowa Falls-Alden- 12 return (3); 5 of top 7 scorers (4 Jrs, So), Peterson /Jr, (14.8 ppg)

Webster City- 9 return (2); 5 of top 7 scorers (4 Jrs, So), Hoffman /Jr, (6.4 ppg)

Eagle Grove- 11 return (1); 6 of top 7 scorers (3 Jrs, 2 Sos, Fr), Miller /Jr, (9.1 ppg)


Tier 1
St. Edmond - Although they lost a lot of players to graduation they had a great JV and Freshman group. I think Huss is probably the best all around player this year but they have a lot of other pieces that fit well together. Stumpf is a very good point guard and really drives hard and that helps other score easy baskets. I think if another team beats them, it will be early in the conference season.

Clear Lake - I really enjoy watching their up tempo style, which shows the athleticism of their guards. If I remember right, they were short overall last year and struggled shooting the 3 early in the season. If they worked on their shots this summer, I expect them to give the Gaels a good run. Again, I think they improve throughout the year as Monson was a good, long, athletic guard on their press.

Algona - The Bulldogs have a good mix of size and speed which I think allows them to hang with the other teams in the top tier, and it also allows them to be better than the other teams. Wiseman and Yi are very quick and long perimeter players but I think they need a 3rd guard who can bury shots to allow them to penetrate. I actually think they match up well with St. Edmond but not so much with Clear Lake.

Tier 2
Hampton-Dumont - These Bulldogs were a little bit down last year because they didn't have a lot of team speed to go with Barz. I know they had a great 8th grade group last year and I wouldn't be surprised if those youngsters don't play a lot of varsity this year. Barz is hands down the best post in the league and I think her stats may take a hit but they will win more games.

Humboldt - The Wildcats graduated some seniors but I don't think they lost a lot of their top players. Friesth is a good perimeter player and Lane is a solid down low player so if they get some help from the other players, they may surprise some teams.

Iowa Falls-Alden - Jamie Peterson is terrible, said no one, EVER! Aside
from Huss, I think she is the 2nd best player in the conference. It
was hard on her not having a lot of help to go with her last year and I
feel it will be much of the same. IFA didn't have a very good JV and
think those players moving to varsity will struggle with that.

Clarion-Goldfield - Losing Haupt will really hurt the Cowgirls this year because they had to rely on her so much. By the end of the year, she was the point, and their top scorer. I do think their defense will be the key to them this year because they do have some athletic size in the post. If they stop teams from scoring easy baskets, they will always be close enough to make it a game coming down the stretch.

Tier 3
Eagle Grove - I think this will be the best Eagle team in quite some time. They only lost one senior and by the end of the year, they really started to score. They will also have some depth this year with some younger players that will very capable playing varsity. I may be biased, but I think they will be much improved.

Webster City - They will have a new coach so I will be anxious to see what she does with the team. I don't really see them having enough speed to press or enough size to sag back and play a 2-3 zone. They could be one of the more interesting teams to watch though to see what changes occur and what style they try to dictate.

Bishop-Garrigan - Graduation will probably hurt them the worst of all the other teams. I know that Lanus is a very good player but unless she can get the rebound, dribble it down the floor, and then pass it to herself for the basket, they will struggle. I didn't see any players from their JV that will make an immediate impact this year.

Well there is my thoughts on how the rankings will end up next year. Feel free to critic or make your own preseason rankings. Getting amped for basketball season so hopefully there will be some good games to watch along with some good story lines.
 
Some good analysis so far. There are several teams I could see battle it out near the top. This has to be the first time in a long time when there isn't a clear cut favorite going into the season. Should make for a fun and competitive season. It will be interesting to see which teams step up and play consistently well night in and night out.

These teams aren't necessarily in order, other than the "tier" I expect them to be in.

Tier 1:
Algona: Some scrappy, aggressive guards who return a lot of experience. They certainly won't be the Algona of old, but they could make a strong run at a conference title. They do have a good mix of size and speed.

Hampton-Dumont: I have heard that they looked good in some summer leagues. Needless to say, Barz is the most physical post player in the conference. I was told they had some younger guards that looked fairly impressive over the summer. If that is true and they make the best use of the weapons they have, they could have a solid season.

Clear Lake: The loss of Monson will hurt, their press will give a lot of teams fits and they could easily be a contender.

St. Edmond: I look for them to reload. Coach Messerly has a great program in place that always has players ready to step up and replace their graduating seniors. They will be as scrappy as anyone.

Tier 2:
Iowa Falls-Alden: I think this team has the potential to sneak into the top tear. Peterson is a great player but needs some help. They return virtually their entire team. I heard the younger Janes girl looked like she had improved a lot in volleyball. If this translates to her being more of an inside threat in basketball they could have something.

Clarion-Goldfield: Haupt is a huge loss. She did it all. Sann is a good athlete. They have some decent size. Steiner is the only guard who is back with any experience. C-G's defense looked really good in their regional win over West Fork last year. If they can play solid defense like that, which I think they are capable of doing, and get into their offense against pressure they could battle for a spot in the top half of the conference.

Humboldt: Once again, they return a lot of key players. They should see some more improvement and will probably knock off some teams above them.

Tier 3:
Eagle Grove: I agree that they will be one of the best Eagle Grove teams they have had in years. They return experience and have a new coach (which could be good or bad). I did hear that they went to some leagues and team camps summer. This has been lacking for them in the past and will only help them. I don't think teams can look past them because I expect them to come to play.

Bishop Garrigan: Their new coach did a nice job of using what he had last year, at least from what I saw. I just don't see them winning very much with what the players they lost.

Webster City: They have been down for a long time. I really don't know what to expect from them with a new coach. They won't have the advantage of playing in Jefferson Gym anymore.
 
I agree that the top 3 will probably be Clear Lake, St. Eds and Algona.

I think what Algona missed last year was one of those dominant, score-at-will kind of players that they had so many of when they were winning conference 5(?) years in a row. They may find that this year, but I think that's gonna be the difference in whether or not they reclaim the throne or if someone else is on top. They should be competitive in every game though.

I would nominate the Lions as the favorite right now, based on how many scorers and depth they return. They're quick and aggressive, and if they can continue to develop their chemistry then they'll be a very tough team to beat, especially at home. Their only home losses were to H-D and SE.

For the Gaels, they'll still have some younger girls at different positions, but a lot of those faces got plenty of playing time. Jackie Stumpf took over the point after they lost Doyle. Yung also saw a lot of time as a freshman. Huss is a versatile player that they'll probably work at the wing a bit more, although she has the ability to post up as well with her size. And Lentcsh should be one of the top posts in the conference. Based just on last year's roster, my guess is they'll probably have Annie Kersten work in at the post opposite Lentcsh to round out the starters. But they also like to push the ball and trap on defense so they have a few smaller, quicker girls they will probably sub in often off the bench, and may even start depending on what their game plan is and how they match up.
 
A lot of scrimmages this weekend at NIACC between several N Iowa teams. May shed some light on who has what for the upcoming season. If any one is there and can comment that would be appreciated.
 
Anyone know the schedule for the ICCC jamboree on Friday? I plan to go and see what the conference has from several teams that usually play in that.
 
5:30 - North Union vs South Hamilton
6:10 - Pocahontas Area vs Eagle Grove
6:50 - Manson NW Webster vs Algona
7:30 - SE Webster Grand vs Webster City
8:10 - Saint Edmond vs Prairie Valley

Should be interesting.
 
Any scores from Iowa Hall of Pride Scrimmages over the weekend? Did Algona play West Hancock? I did hear that Webster City beat Northeast Hamilton by one point.
 
Monday:
Iowa Falls-Alden 49, South Hardin 35

Tuesday:
Bishop Garrigan 44, Clarion-Goldfield 36
West Marshall 50, Iowa Falls-Alden 33
 
Algona 52 Forrest City 30. Not sure what Forrest City has this year for girls team. Looks like a good start for Algona.

Iowa Falls split opening 2 games. Lost to West Marshall (who I believe will be very good) 50-33 after winning Monday night vs. South Hardin 49-35. Pretty tough opening stretch for the Cadets to have back to back games and a late start getting started after going to the state volleyball team.

Any reports from Bishop Garrigan win over Clarion Goldfield? Also curious on thoughts from anyone who saw the other games from above?
 
I too am curious about the C-G vs. B-G game so if anyone has details please let us know. Good win for Bishop out of the gates.

Humboldt/Pocahontas had the looks of a good game from what I saw from the Maidens last week but they were never really in the game. Humboldt looked well rounded from what I saw. I know of at least a couple girls that made 3's.

St. Ed's beat Eagle Grove by about 30 also. I don't really know a lot of details though.
 
SE won 59-27. Pretty balanced scoring for the Gaels. Forced 31 EG turnovers. Gaels were up 53-17 going to into the 4th and cleared their bench early into the qtr.

The Eagles are getting better. It's gonna be a process, but I noticed their entire JV roster was made of freshmen (they aren't gonna have a 9th grade team though). So they're gonna get plenty of experience as the years go by.
 
I heard Clarion had a lot of turnovers from making bad passes. Haven't heard much else about it though.
 
Iowa Falls is going to have to find a way to score if they want any success. (No crap, right?) They have some size but Peterson is really their only offensive threat and if she is off, they will struggle. They played decent defense much of the night when I saw them and that is what they have to hope for night in and night out to have a chance. A lot of things can be overcome if they can play solid D.

Peterson is REALLY streaky so that's hard to deal with and they probably rely on her too much to carry the load. If she can play under control she is much better. She's very athletic and can go around her defender just about when ever she wants because of this but tends to go a little too fast or far sometimes and gets her self in a bad spot.

They have a couple players that look like they could contribute. A really aggressive freshman that has some promise. She should probably play more but she is kind of a bull in a china shop and needs to stay out of foul trouble.
 
Eagle Grove down 28-29 at half against Britt West Hancock. 3 starters for EG sat most of the 1st half with 2 fouls. Sounds like the youngsters are doing pretty well so far.
 
St. Edmond 52
Bishop Garrigan 29


Congrats to the Eagles on the win over the Cowgirls. That's gotta be a huge confidence booster to pick up an early conference win like that. After that first loss to SE, they have been playing surprisingly well. Taking a ranked West Hancock team to the wire and then beating a rival in C-G for their first conference win since a 42-41 victory over Humboldt on Jan. 20th of 2011.
 
It was a pretty ugly game but EG did pull it out and they were led by alot of the younger players. Two freshman played significant roles in the 4th quarter to preserve the win and a sophomore was the leading scorer so the future seems bright. I think this is the year they will climb out of the cellar.

In their 3 games they have had 3 different leading scorers and there are several other girls who could lead the team in scoring as well. The test will be to see if all of them can have good games together and knock off someone at that next level.
 
Big win for Hampton-Dumont over Ft Dodge St Ed's tonight in Hampton. Bulldogs won 57-44 behind strong inside play from Taryn Barz (22 pts) and the duo of freshmen gaurds Jessica Speake and Jordan Prantner. Bulldogs also got the usual strong rebounding out of junior Paige Wragge.

The two freshman have been impressive handling the ball and feeding Barz and making shots for each other. Their defense at the top of the zone really hampered the gaurds from St. Eds, and brings great energy to the team.

This follows a big win last Friday over Algona and may make them the team to beat in the NCC this year if they can keep getting better each game.
 
Very nice win for H-D. I heard the Freshman were pretty good players and it sounds like they are coming along well. It does help to have those rebounding machines down low too.
 
Clear Lake defeats Hampton Dumont in Hampton tonight. The Lions were lights out behind the 3 pt line tonight and won by 10 or 12 I believe.
 
Clarion-Goldfield 45
Webster City 35

St. Edmond 48
Algona 34

Iowa Falls-Alden 44
Bishop Garrigan 27

Gaels with a big rebound win to keep pace with the early leaders in the conference race. Interesting how the standings look after tonight...

1. IF-A...5-0, 6-1
2. SE...4-1, 4-1
3. CL...3-1, 3-1
4. H-D...3-1, 4-1
5. Alg...2-2, 3-3
 
Four teams with one loss in conference play now.
Hampton-Dumont, Iowa Falls-Alden, Ft Dodge St Edmond, Clear Lake
 
H-D 61 Algona Garrigan 37

St. Ed 53 Clear Lake 34

Now two teams with only one loss in conference play. St. Edmonds and Hampton Dumont.
Iowa Falls Alden and Clear Lake each with two losses.
 
NCC games tonight. Thoughts?

H-D at Eagle Grove
Webster City at St. Edmonds
IF-Alden at Clarion-Goldfield
Algona at Humboldt
Clear Lake at Garrigan
 
Is CG-IFA still on? Heard someone say CG cancelled after school activities today but still may be on.

I honestly don't think 4 of these games will be close. HD, SE, IFA, CL will win easily. Humboldt vs. Algona could be good but only if the Wildcat team from last Friday stays far away from this one. They got very lucky to beat CG and that won't happen against Algona without a much better effort.
 
I was wrong about at least one of the games. EG was up 8 on HD with 5 to go but could not hold on. Sounds like the Eagles were down big at half and made a huge comeback. It was tied with 3 to go but the Bulldogs pulled it out 65-59.

Any other scores? None on the web yet.
Algona 51 Humboldt 31


This post was edited on 12/18 9:04 PM by house54hoops

This post was edited on 12/18 9:28 PM by house54hoops
 
Originally posted by house54hoops:
I was wrong about at least one of the games. EG was up 8 on HD with 5 to go but could not hold on. Sounds like the Eagles were down big at half and made a huge comeback. It was tied with 3 to go but the Bulldogs pulled it out 65-59.

Any other scores? None on the web yet.
Algona 51 Humboldt 31


This post was edited on 12/18 9:04 PM by house54hoops

This post was edited on 12/18 9:28 PM by house54hoops
Click to expand...
Eagles shot the ball well tonight in the second half and H-D had trouble handling their big post in the middle. Pretty lackadaisical effort by the Bulldogs til last 5 minutes of game, finally picked up the defense and got some turnovers and easy baskets.
H-D needs to do some lineup shuffling and get those freshman to start the game and halves. Giving up big leads multiple times at half very frequently, then have to fight to win. Going to bite them one of these nights if they don't get that remedied.

Barz came thru with 16 tonight, and freshman Jordan Prantner was big for the dogs with 16 as well.

Got to give the EAgles some credit. They are getting better. May surprise some people this year. People better come with their shoes tied up tight or they could drop one to these gals. The future is bright for this group.
 
48 IFA
34 Humboldt

Not really close after the first quarter. I thought the post for IFA had some really good moves and scored a lot of inside baskets.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

LukeFeddersen

Q&A with Mt. Ayr linebacker/running back Tyler Martin

Replies
0
Views
221
Off the Record
LukeFeddersen
LukeFeddersen
LukeFeddersen

Iowa Preps High School Sports Talk

Replies
0
Views
52
Off the Record
LukeFeddersen
LukeFeddersen
LukeFeddersen

Q&A with Gladbrook-Reinbeck wide receiver Hudson Clark

Replies
0
Views
238
Off the Record
LukeFeddersen
LukeFeddersen
LukeFeddersen

Iowa Preps High School Sports Talk

Replies
0
Views
183
Off the Record
LukeFeddersen
LukeFeddersen
LukeFeddersen

Iowa Preps High School Sports Talk

Replies
0
Views
254
Off the Record
LukeFeddersen
LukeFeddersen
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT
Top Bottom
Back