Despite another round of talented graduations from the boys basketball teams of the Little Hawkeye Conference, the head coaches at Pella and Pella Christian expect the league will remain among the best in the state.

Derek Schulte of the Dutch believes even with the losses of Mr. Iowa Basketball Bowen Born of Norwalk and Iowa State Freshman Xavier Foster of Oskaloosa, as well as 13 of the 16 All-Conference selections from last winter, there will be plenty of new names that will likely fill the shoes of those stars and keep the Little Hawkeye highly competitive.

“It’s going to be different — since I’ve coached here, Bowen and Xavier and guys like that have been on the floor,” he says. “You think of the run of Division I caliber players — it’s been off the charts in terms of the league. I think the league will surprise us with how good it is — I think there’s good players behind a number of these guys.”

Schulte named DCG’s returning All-State combo of Luke Rankin and Cole Glasgow as two of the top stars in the conference to watch take that next step, which he thinks makes the Mustangs a team to watch at the top of the standings. But he also feels like the group returning for the Dutch can make a run at them and other top teams in the league.

J.D. Boer of Pella Christian, in his first season on Eagle Lane, knows the conference well after recruiting many of the schools while assisting the Dordt Men’s Basketball staff, and there are no easy outs again this winter.

“I love the Little Hawkeye Conference, I think every single night you have to compete, and then every once in a while, you’re going to play a state tournament or championship caliber team,” he says. “It’s so fun — it creates big atmospheres, big games on a weekly basis.”

Pella likely factors into the mix in the top half of the conference with what might be the best potential to lead the league in scoring, with multiple scoring threats expected on a guard-heavy roster. Pella Christian is hoping to lean on its size advantage in multiple matchups and some of the explosiveness of their athletes on the perimeter to drive to the rim, but may be slowed by inexperience early in the conference season.

Hear all Little Hawkeye Conference games with Pella and Pella Christian on 92.1 KRLS and the KRLS2 stream, and from Indianola and Norwalk on 94.3 KNIA and KNIA3 respectively. Those games against each other will be simulcast on multiple stations.