Van Buren girls eying conference three-peat

The Van Buren girls have accomplished about as much as a team can in the past two seasons, from earning 20-plus wins twice to winning back-to-back titles in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference South.

Still, one achievement has eluded head coach Matt Zeitler and his players: a state tournament berth.

Now in Zeitler?s third season, Van Buren aims to take the next step forward and is primed for another winning season thanks to a strong group of returnees and newcomers, alike. While the program loses an all-state point guard in Zeitler?s daughter, Makenzie, they return 6-foot-3 post player Hanna Haynes, three other seniors and one game-changing newcomer.

Haynes, an all-district selection in her own right, looks ready to take the reins of the program and could be the most imposing player in the area this winter. Last season, Haynes averaged a double-double per game, scoring 16.7 with 13.3 rebounds, and was incredibly efficient on offense with 62 percent shooting.

?She?s our go-to person. It?s not going to be a surprise to anybody where the ball is going. She?s going to get a lot of points. I think she can get 20 points and 15 rebounds a night if I leave her in there,? Zeitler said.

The head coach even expects Haynes, who has quite a bit of speed for a post player, to help out at point guard this season.

?She?s getting the ball outside more and she?s emerged as a better ball-handler than a lot of guards. She?ll be a terrible matchup for opposing teams,? said Zeitler. ?She was glad to move out there, and it?s as beneficial to us as it?s beneficial to her.?

And behind Haynes is a deeper team than in years past, starting with the rest of the skilled senior class. Three-point threat Jordan Billups returns after starting as a junior, and Payten Hughes is a solid source of rebounds underneath the basket. A fourth senior, Sarah Wells, might have the most basketball knowledge of any of them, said Zeitler.

At guard, Abby Rider is as consistent as they come and will see her playing time balloon as a junior. Rider will be joined in the starting backcourt by sophomore Kaitlyn Johnson, a talented 5-foot-8 transfer from Mount Pleasant. Johnson suited up for Mount Pleasant?s varsity squad in nine games last winter, and Zeitler calls her the ?first pure shooter at Van Buren in years.?

?She?s a legit shooter. You leave her open from the three-point line and it?s money,? Zeitler said. ?She will be an outstanding player at Van Buren. I think she?ll score 15-16 points per game.?

6-foot sophomore Shayla Filson and freshman guard Libby King give the Warriors depth off the bench, and junior Tayt Waibel returns after a two-year hiatus and should see time in the frontcourt.

Burlington-Notre Dame and Central Lee will be top-tier competition in the SEISC south division once again, but Van Buren is the undeniable favorite after winning the last two titles.

?I look for us to contend for the [conference] title,? said Zeitler. ?If Haynes stays healthy, you?ll be in any ball game. And if you aren?t in every game, you didn?t do a very good job coaching.?

Van Buren also has high hopes for a postseason run, but according to Zeitler, his squad has a long road of improvement between now and then.

?The way the new class system is, we have a better chance to make it farther this year,? said Zeitler, noting they?re still in Class 2A of the five-class system. ?If we don?t make mistakes, we?ll have a good season, but we have three new kids moving into guard spots so it might take a while to get going. I think it?ll take half a season to get gelled, but after that they?ll be pretty solid before it?s all done.?

The Warriors open the season tonight at Harmony.