CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . Luther College, which is coming off its first Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) men’s basketball title since 1984, is the clear favorite of the league’s coaches to capture the 2011-2012 Iowa Conference title. The Norse received seven of eight possible first-place votes (coaches cannot vote for their own teams), totaling 71 points in the IIAC Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll.
Buena Vista University picked up one of the two remaining first-place votes and sits second with 58 points, just ahead of Loras College (55 points), Coe College (53 points) and Simpson College (48 points). The Beavers were picked second on three ballots and third on two others. The Duhawks received two second-place votes and were picked no worse than fourth on any ballot. The Kohawks picked up the final first-place vote as well as two second-place votes. The complete 2011-2012 IIAC Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Poll follows.
| Rank |
School (1st place votes) |
Points |
2010-11 Record |
|
1
|
Luther (7)
|
71
|
19-9, 13-3 IIAC
|
|
2
|
Buena Vista (1)
|
58
|
11-15, 8-8 IIAC
|
|
3
|
Loras
|
55
|
11-14, 8-8 IIAC
|
|
4
|
Coe (1)
|
53
|
17-9, 10-6 IIAC
|
|
5
|
Simpson
|
48
|
12-15, 8-8 IIAC
|
|
6
|
Wartburg
|
35
|
10-14, 5-11 IIAC
|
|
7
|
Dubuque
|
30
|
17-11, 9-7 IIAC
|
|
8
|
Central
|
29
|
12-13, 8-8 IIAC
|
|
9
|
Cornell
|
17
|
8-17, 3-13 IIAC
|
Opening Weekend: The 2011-2012 Iowa Conference men’s basketball season begins Tuesday, November 15 with all nine schools taking to the hardwood.
Gustavus Adolphus at Buena Vista, 7:30 p.m.
Central at Monmouth (Ill.), 7:30 p.m.
Faith Baptist Bible College at Coe, 7 p.m.
Mount Mercy at Cornell, 8 p.m.
Elmhurst at Dubuque, 7 p.m.
Wheaton (Ill.) at Loras, 8 p.m.
Luther at Wis.-Platteville, 7 p.m.
Simpson at AIB College of Business, 8 p.m.
Wartburg at Carleton, 7 p.m.
The 18-date Iowa Conference schedule begins Wednesday, November 30, with a full slate of four league games.
Team-By-Team Preview: A brief preview for each Iowa Conference team follows.
Buena Vista returns four starters and 11 letterwinners from last season’s 11-15 team that tied for fourth in the league with an 8-8 record. The Beavers will be led by senior forward Doug Bissen and junior center Wes Nordquist. The duo helped BVU lead all IIAC schools in scoring in 2010-11 with 75.2 points per game. Nordquist, a first team all-conference pick last year, averaged a team-high 15.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, leading all IIAC players in rebounding and ranking sixth in scoring. In league play, Nordquist ranked third in rebounding (7.5 rpg), tied for seventh in scoring (15.5 ppg) and was ninth in field goal percentage (50.7 percent).
Bissen, a two-time all-league pick who was named to the second team last year, averaged 12.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. He ranked fifth among IIAC players in rebounding and 13th in scoring. In league play, Bissen ranked fourth in field goal percentage (55.6 percent), sixth in rebounding (6.7 rpg), and 17th in scoring (10.9 ppg).
Missing from the mix this season will be guard Troy Ticknor, a second team all-league pick in 2009-10, who suffered a season-ending knee injury during the preseason. Ticknor started 23 games a year ago, averaging 12.0 points. He was the league’s top free-throw shooter (88.0 percent overall; 92.3 percent in league play) and ranked among the league leaders in 3-point shooting.
Buena Vista head coach Brian Van Haaften says, “We look forward to having a solid season. We have seven seniors that are excellent leaders and examples to the rest of our program. We expect to play well this year, and see what we can accomplish. This will be a year in our conference where everyone has a chance to be in the hunt for a conference championship and it will make every game very competitive and make for a lot fun this winter."
Central returns four starters and 11 letterwinners from last season’s 12-13 team that tied for fourth place with an 8-8 league mark. The Dutch will be led by senior guard Demarco Turner, a first team all-conference pick last year. Turner was one of the league’s top scorers a year ago averaging 16.3 points per game overall and 17.6 points per game in league play. He led the league in 3-point shooting, averaging 2.76 treys per game overall and ranked second in free-throw percentage (85.3 percent overall, 89.4 percent in league play).
Also back is senior post player Jack Bruns, an honorable mention all-IIAC pick last season. Bruns averaged 12.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season, ranking 11th among all league players in scoring and 13th in rebounding. In IIAC games, Bruns ranked 14th in scoring (11.4 ppg) and rebounding (5.5 rpg).
Central head coach Mike Boschee says, “[We are] looking forward to a very competitive year in the Iowa Conference. More teams have a chance to win the title than ever before. It should be an exciting year as always.”
Coe returns two starters and seven letterwinners from last season’s 17-9 team that finished second in league play with a 10-6 mark. The Kohawks, who were the league’s top 3-point shooting team in 2010-11, will be led by guards David Mataloni and Andrew Wirth. Mataloni, a junior who was a first-team all-league pick last season, ranked ninth among all IIAC players in scoring with a 13.4 point-per-game average. He also ranked second among all players in 3-point field-goal percentage (43.5 percent), sixth in free-throw percentage (79.2 percent), seventh in 3-pointers made (2.08 per game), and 15th in steals (0.96 per game) and assists (2.08 per game).
Wirth played in all 26 games, averaging 7.6 points per game. He ranked third among all IIAC players in 3-point field-goal percentage (43.4 percent) and 3-pointers made (1.65 per game).
Junior forward Seth Light played in all 26 games last year, starting six, averaging 7.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. He ranked third in the league in blocked shots (1.19 bpg overall / 1.38 bpg in league play) and eighth in rebounding (5.7 rpg overall / 5.9 rpg in league play).
Coe head coach Pat Juckem says, “This year's IIAC race has a chance to be special. I believe our conference is a deep and balanced as I have seen it in the past several years. We have an opportunity to be in the mix provided we stay healthy and make incremental progress daily.”
Cornell returns three starters and 11 letterwinners from last season’s 8-17 team that finished ninth in the Conference with a 3-13 record. The Rams will be led in their final Iowa Conference campaign by guards Alex Miller and Reggie Greenwood and forward Rory Cotter.
Miller, a junior, is Cornell’s top returning scorer from a year ago, averaging 11.1 points per game in 25 games to rank 16th among all IIAC players. He also ranked eighth in 3-point field goal percentage (40.5 percent), 11th in 3-pointers made (1.36 per game) and 13th in field goal percentage (48.4 percent). In league play, Miller ranked 15th in scoring (11.2 ppg), 11th in field-goal percentage (49.6 percent), 13th in 3-point field-goal percentage (40.0 percent), and 15th in 3-pointers made (1.25 per game).
Greenwood, a sophomore who was named to the all-Iowa Conference second team last season, averaged 10.2 points, 3.92 assists and 1.48 steals, and had a plus-1.44 assist-to-turnover ratio in 25 games. Among all league players, he tied for the lead in assists, ranked third in assist-to-turnover ratio, was fourth in steals and 20th in scoring. In 16 IIAC games, he ranked among the league leaders in scoring (11th; 11.8 ppg), assists (second; 3.81 apg), steals (fifth; 1.44 spg), assist-to-turnover ratio (fourth; +1.36), 3-point field goals made (t-11th; 25), and 3-point field goal percentage (third; 47.2 percent).
Cotter played in 24 games, starting 12, averaging 9.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. He ranked 25th among all IIAC players in scoring and ninth in rebounding. Cotter also hit 47.3 percent (88-of-186) of his shots from the field. In 15 IIAC games, he averaged 9.2 points and 1.07 steals to rank 29th and 15th, resepectively.
Cornell head coach Chad Murray says, “With no seniors on our roster, we will again be a very young team. I’m excited to see how well we will compete in a very strong IIAC.”
Dubuque returns three starters and eight letterwinners from last season’s 17-11 team that finished third in the league with a 9-7 record. The Spartans will be led by forward David Kushnir and guards Lee Piccinelli and Mitch Michaelis. Michaelis, a sophomore, is the squad’s top returning scorer and from 2010-2011. He averaged 11.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 28 games, ranking 17th among all IIAC players in both categories. Michaelis also ranked eighth in free-throw percentage (75.3 percent), 13th in steals (0.96 spg) and 15th in 3-point field goals made (1.14 per game).
Piccinelli, a senior, averaged 3.18 assists, 1.39 steals, and 9.3 points per game over 28 games last season. He ranked fifth among all IIAC players in steals, sixth in assists, and 27th in scoring, and was also fourth with a +1.44 assist-to-turnover ratio. In 16 IIAC games, Piccinelli averaged 10.1 points, 3.13 assists, and 1.75 steals, while also posting a +1.43 assist-to-turnover ratio and hitting 41.5 percent (17-of-41) of his shots from 3-point range.
Kushnir, another senior, ranked fifth among all IIAC players last season in field-goal percentage (55.1 percent) and third in steals (1.50 spg)
Dubuque head coach Robbie Sieverding says, “We are looking forward to what should be a very tough and competitive Iowa Conference season. The Iowa Conference returns some very good players which should lead to a tight conference race. We will once again count on our seniors to lead our team and we must stay healthy in order to compete at a high level."
Loras returns four starters and 12 letterwinners from last season’s 11-14 team that tied for fourth in the Conference with an 8-8 record. The Duhawks will be led in 2011-2012 by a trio of former second time all-conference picks – seniors Tim Kelly (2010) and Dan Pawelski (2011) and junior Connor Mooney (2010).
Pawelski, a center, is the Duhawks’ top returning scorer while also ranking as one of the league’s top rebounders. He averaged team-highs with 11.8 points and 7.5 rebounds in 25 games – figures that ranked 15th and second, respectively, among all IIAC players. Pawelski also averaged 0.68 blocks per game. In league play, Pawelski averaged 10.9 points and 7.8 rebounds to rank 18th and second in the league, respectively. Pawelski also shot 50.0 percent (63-of-126) from the field and ranked seventh in the IIAC in blocked shots (0.81 bpg).
Kelly, a forward, averaged 10.4 points per game in 25 games while shooting 50.0 percent (100-of-200) from the field, ranking 19th among IIAC players in scoring and 10th in field-goal percentage. In league play, Kelly scored 10.2 points per game and shot 49.6 percent (65-of-131) from the field.
Mooney, a point guard, chipped in with 8.6 points, 1.00 steals, and a league-leading 3.92 assists per game along with a +1.72 assist-to-turnover ratio. Mooney’s scoring average rose to 9.2 points per game in league play.
Loras head coach Greg Gorton says, “We have a nice mix of returning experience and talented youth. It should be a great year in the Iowa Conference.”
Luther returns four starters and nine letterwinners from last year’s 19-9 team that went 13-3 in league play to capture the program’s first Iowa Conference title since 1984 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Championship. Leading the Norse will be senior off guard Dane Larson, the 2011 Iowa Conference MVP. Larson started all 28 games last season, averaging a team-high 15.4 points and 2.4 assists per game. Larson ranked eighth among all IIAC players in scoring and 10th in assists while ranking fifth in free throw percentage (80.7 percent). He also ranked among the league’s leaders in 3-point shooting, averaging 1.21 made treys per game and hitting 36.2 percent of his shots from long range.
Junior center Tyler Wedemeier, a second team all-league pick last season, returns a presence in the middle for the Norse. Wedemeier led all IIAC players in blocked shots (2.50 per game) while also ranking fourth in rebounds (7.2 per game) and 22nd in scoring (10.0 points per game). In league play, he averaged 10.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.25 blocks.
Forward John Androus was a key part of last year’s championship team as a freshman last season, starting 24 of 28 games and averaging 7.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. He ranked 12th among IIAC players in rebounding.
Luther head coach Mark Franzen says, “We have a lot of new faces that are learning our system and returning guys adjusting to new roles.
Simpson returns four starters and six letterwinners from last season’s 12-15 team that tied for fourth in the league with an 8-8 record. The Storm, who qualified for their first IIAC tournament since 2007 last season, will be led by a formidable trio that includes post player Cornelius Mosby and guards Zach Barragan and Elijah Knox.
Mosby, a senior, made an immediate impact after transferring in from Division II Minnesota-Crookston at the semester break, earning second team all-conference honors after averaging 11.5 points and league-highs with 9.3 reboounds and 2.46 blocked shots in Simpson’s final 13 league games. He also tied a single-game school record with 24 rebounds in a February game against Central.
Barragan, another senior who received honorable mention from the league’s coaches last year, was the Storm’s leading scorer, averaging 12.5 points per game. Much of his damage was done from behind the 3-point line, where he made an average of 2.44 per game and fired at a 42.4 percent (61-of-144) clip. Barragan ranked 10th among all IIAC players in scoring, sixth in 3-point field goal percentage, and third in 3-pointers made.
Knox, a junior point guard, was also the recipient of honorable mention from the coaches last season. He led all Iowa Conference players in steals (2.08 per game) and ranked third in assists (3.92 per game) and fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.36).
Simpson head coach Charles Zanders says, “I feel this team has all the pieces to achieve some special things. We have a lot of work ahead of us but when the dust settles I expect Simpson College to be standing strong.”
Wartburg returns three starters and 10 letterwinners from last season’s 10-14 team that finished eighth in the league with a 5-11 record. Senior center Jordan Sathoff, a two-time all-league pick who was named to the first team a year ago, was the team’s leading scorer (17.7 ppg) and rebounder (7.2 rpg) in 2010-11. He also ranked among the league leaders after converting 52.7 percent (156-of-296) from the field and 74.2 percent (89-of-120) at the charity stripe. Sathoff’s numbers were even better in league play where he led the conference in scoring (19.4 ppg), ranked third in blocked shots (1.38 bpg) and fourth in rebounding (7.4 rpg).
Senior forward Kirk Sidey averaged more minutes per game (32.4) than any player on the Wartburg roster and ranked fourth among all IIAC players in minutes played. He averaged 8.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 3.57 assists in 23 games last season. Sidey led the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.84), ranked third in assists (3.56 apg) and 12th in rebounding (5.6 rpg).
Junior point guard Mitchell Murphy returns to the squad after missing last season with an injury. He set Wartburg’s single-season mark for assists (147) as a freshman.
Sophomore forward Eddie Diemer was the team’s fourth-leading scorer last year as a freshman averaging 6.7 points per game.
Wartburg head coach Dick Peth says, “I am very excited about the quality of our new recruits. With a solid nucleus returning, and much added depth at all positions, we look forward to competing for the always challenging conference race.”
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