Iowa & Nebraska: Basketball teams and players to watch

Ames: The defending 4A champions are nationally ranked in every major prep basketball poll. They won twice last week to extend their unbeaten streak to 28 games. North Carolina-bound wing Harrison Barnes and 6-foot-7 Northern Iowa recruit Doug McDermott make the Little Cyclones a heavy favorite to win it all again this season.

Marshalltown: Led by Division I athlete Chanse Creekmur, the Bobcats stunned the state by reaching the football 4A championship game. Who’s to say they can’t do the same this winter on the hardwood? Creekmur, a 6-7 wing, averaged 18 points per game last season as Marshalltown went 16-6 before losing to eventual state tournament qualifier Cedar Falls in the substate.

Rock Valley: The defending 1A champion Rockets and reigning 4A champ Ames are the only teams in the state with two returning players who signed with Division I basketball programs. Forwards Jordan Dykstra (6-8) and Marcus Heemstra (6-9) are both headed to South Dakota State.

Sioux City Heelan: Led by 6-7 Iowa recruit Zach McCabe, the Crusaders should offer a strong defense of their Class 3A state title. McCabe averaged 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists per game as Heelan closed last season with 17 consecutive wins.

Solon: Sure, the Spartans graduated all five starters from last season’s 2A championship team. But, with a win last week, this team still owns the state’s longest winning streak (30). Combine that total with Solon’s current win streak in football and it's 71 straight victories.

Cedar Rapids Kennedy: Led by Iowa-bound forward Jade Rogers, the Cougars are a top contender in Class 4A. Rogers, a 5-11 senior, averaged 22 points and 13 rebounds per game as a sophomore and was first-team all-state her junior season despite missing eight games with a knee injury.

Mason City Newman: No team in Iowa heaved more 3-pointers last season than the Knights, who made only 155-of-646 attempts (24 percent) but were effective enough to end up in the 1A state tournament. Senior guard Lauren Hedrick, who shot 39.6 percent from beyond the arc, is the top returning player.

Manson-Northwest Webster: The Cougars opened the season with a six-point loss to top-ranked Odebolt-Arthur/Battle Creek-Ida Grove but still should be a major force in Class 2A. Three starters are back – led by senior forward Mika Rodewald – from a team that defeated opponents by an average margin of 35 points last season.

Newell-Fonda: This may not be the best team in the state but it might be the most entertaining to watch. Last season the Mustangs led the state in both points (75.9) and steals (22.2) per game but missed the 1A state tournament after being upset by Mason City Newman in the regional finals. The team’s four leading scorers – including multi-sport all-state performer Susan Kies – all return.

Sioux City Heelan: The Crusaders return their top three scorers and are a strong favorite to win their second Class 3A title in three seasons. Senior guard Carli Tritz – a Creighton recruit – averaged 19 points per game and was named overall MVP of last season’s state tournament.

Chadron: The Cardinals have the state’s best player in 6-11 Minnesota recruit Elliott Eliason but are still in search of their first state championship with him on the floor. Three-point marksman Zac Bargen, a 6-5 senior, is also back from a team that won 26 consecutive games before losing a 61-58 heartbreaker to St. Cecilia in last year’s Class C-1 final.

Creighton Prep: With all-state performers Cole Martin and Caleb Steffensmeier returning, the Junior Jays begin the season favored to repeat as Class A state champions. An outstanding point guard, Steffensmeier has signed to play at Division II Nebraska-Omaha.

Omaha Bryan: The Bears lack size but are very talented in the backcourt, where senior Ben Imig and junior Galen Gullie return from last season’s Class A semifinalist team.

Omaha Central: Three starters return for the Eagles, who were 16-6 last season after ruling the state with three straight Class A titles from 2006 to 2008. First-team all-state guard Deverrell Biggs averaged 17 points per game last year.

South Sioux City: Guard Mike Gesell was named all-state last season as a freshman and is Nebraska's top recruit for the Class of 2012. Depending on the development of 7-footer Jose Bonilla, the Cardinals could make serious noise in Class B this season.

Alliance: The Bulldogs have three consecutive top-three finishes in the Class B state tournament, including a championship in 2007. An all-state performer on each of those teams was 6-2 forward Jordan Hooper, now a senior. The Nebraska recruit tallied 34 points, 18 rebounds and 13 blocked shots in last year’s 67-62 state consolation game victory over Holdredge.

Bellevue West: The Thunderbirds have a target on their backs after capturing the Class A state championship last season. Fortunately, they return one of the top juniors in the state in all-state post Alexis Akin-Otiko.

Bishop Neumann: Creighton-bound guard McKenzie Fujan has led the Lady Cavaliers to two straight Class C1 state tournaments including a championship last season. As a junior, the 5-11 guard averaged 13 points and made 47 percent of her shots from beyond the arc.

Omaha Marian: The Crusaders hope to follow this fall’s state volleyball championship with their first basketball title since 2001. The biggest reason for optimism is the return of 6-6 senior center Vicky McIntyre, an Oklahoma State recruit who averaged 13 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots last season.

Seward: The defending Class B champions won two games last week to extend their winning streak to 27 games. The Lady Bluejays are loaded with talent and return three starters, including 6-4 Creighton recruit Alyssa Kamphaus, who averaged 13 points per game, and blue chip prospect Emily Cady, a 6-2 junior.