Check out the Des Moines Register's Iowa high school boys basketball preseason Super 10 rankings
Last season West Des Moines Valley boys basketball put together an unlikely run in the playoffs and won the Iowa high school Class 5A state championship.
Bondurant-Farrar completed an undefeated season with a state championship of its own, and several more teams combined individual brilliance with teamwork to accomplish the ultimate goal of taking home a state title.
The talent statewide is higher than ever, and there are some teams with stacked rosters in 2023-24.
Here are the top 10 teams in Iowa ahead of the season’s first games on Friday.
1. West Des Moines Valley
2022-23 record: 21-5
It’s easy to see why Valley is the top team on this list. The Tigers — with a starting lineup full of sophomores last season — played their best basketball late in the postseason and put together an unlikely run to the Class 5A state championship. Zay Robinson, who was a major part of that run, will miss a part, or potentially all, of the season while recovering from an injury.
But Curtis Stinson Jr., Kiki Deng, and Trevin Jirak are all back. And the Tigers add Jayden McGregory, who led Des Moines North with 14.9 points, seven rebounds and 2.1 steals per game last season.
2. Cedar Rapids Kennedy
2022-23 record: 22-1
Kennedy was undefeated through the regular season and substate competition, but Pleasant Valley pulled off a massive upset in the state quarterfinals a season ago. And even though the Cougars lost Colby Dolphin and Kenzie Reed, they should still be very good this year.
Micah Schlaak averaged 12.3 points and seven rebounds while shooting 67% from the field. Cyrus Courtney and Trey McKowen are back, as well, and Kennedy brought in superstar football recruit Nick Brooks and Xavier transfer Joe Bean, who averaged 14.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists.
3. Cedar Falls
2022-23 record: 16-6
The Tigers struggled, at times, last season, and they will need to find someone to replace what Dallas Bear brought to the court. Cedar Falls will return Anthony Galvin (13.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists) and Cade Courbat (12.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.6 blocks), which could be enough to help the Tigers back to last season’s success.
More: The 50 best Iowa high school boys basketball players ahead of the 2023-24 season
4. Ankeny Centennial
2022-23 record: 16-8
After losing its final two games of the regular season, it seemed like Centennial would drop out of the postseason early. But Luke Winkel, Nick Vaske, Chase Schutty and Connor Welsch (along with a few successful seniors) helped the Jaguars to the state quarterfinals. Those four players should be back on the court this season, and that makes Centennial an immediate threat.
5. Iowa City West
2022-23 record: 12-11
The Trojans’ five leading scorers last season were all juniors or younger. With guys like Jack McCaffery, Julian Manson and Kareem Earl returning this season, things should click even more now that those players have more experience under their belts.
6. Norwalk
2022-23 record: 20-4
The Warriors put together a solid season before losing to the eventual state champion, Valley, in the quarterfinals. With Redek Born — who could be poised for his best season yet — at the helm and with several contributors returning, Norwalk could be a sleeper team that is ready for its big moment.
7. North Linn
2022-23 record: 26-1
The Lynx didn’t lose at all last season…until the state championship game. There is an obvious redemption narrative for a team that has been one of the top programs for several years. North Linn can be successful, even without Tate Haughenbury, who graduated in the spring. But it will depend on who steps up to support Ty Pflughaupt and Mason Bechen.
More: The Register's Iowa high school girls basketball preseason Super 10 rankings
8. Johnston
2022-23 record: 11-12
Jalen Richardson led the Dragons last season with 11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting nearly 53% from the field. Now a junior, he will need to take on a larger load, but he won’t be alone. Trovary Cavil — who averaged 21.1 points, 6.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 2022-23 — transferred to Johnston from Lincoln in the offseason.
9. Decorah
2022-23 record: 14-8
Ignore the Vikings record from last season because this is a completely different team. Decorah will feature a dynamic duo in Zach Driscoll, who put up 20.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.2 steals at MFL MarMac last season, and Ben Bockman, who averaged 22.4 and 8.9 points per game a season ago. Combine that with the other players that Decorah returns, and the Vikings could be dangerous.
More: The 50 best Iowa high school girls basketball players ahead of the 2023-24 season
10. Clear Lake
2022-23 record: 22-2
With Bondurant-Farrar graduating so many of its stars from its undefeated state championship season, Clear Lake looks like the front-runner in Class 3A. Football recruit Thomas Meyer is poised to lead the team, after shooting 71.4% from the field and averaging 14.6 points and 7.2 assists per game. The Lions were young last season, which should bode well for Clear Lake this year.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa high school boys basketball preseason Super 10 rankings
