Looking ahead: SEISC boys basketball

December is just around the corner, which means its nearly tipoff of time for Southeast Iowa Super Conference boys basketball. Six Union area sides in the SEISC North division and a pair of SEISC South teams will compete for conference and postseason accolades 2025-26.

Hillcrest Academy pipped WACO for the North division crown last season. Both teams finished 14-2, with the Ravens achieving a 21-4 overall mark while WACO finished 18-6.

Pekin was in contention for first place in the North throughout the season and took third. The Panthers finished just one game behind Hillcrest and WACO.

Winfield-Mt Union took fourth place last season. Columbus finished seventh in the division while Highland finished ninth.

  Buy Photo

There will be plenty of familiar faces returning in the SEISC North. Only three of the top 10 scorers in the division graduated, including top scorer Finnegan Cline (23.3 ppg) from Louisa-Muscatine.

A few Union area teams do have underclassmen who ranked inside the top 10 and can return this season. Columbus’ Ellis Hills-Carrier (15.6 ppg) was sixth in the conference in scoring as a sophomore. Pekin’s Cole Millikin averaged 14.3 points per game as a junior. Highland junior Bryce Hazelett averaged 14 points.

In the South, Van Buren County finished in seventh place while New London took eighth. Both teams will look to improve in a division topped by West Burlington, which finished 21-3 and 13-1 in conference play.

  Buy Photo

Six of the top 10 scorers in the SEISC South graduated. The group includes the division’s top two points per game leaders, Mason Watkins (30.3 ppg) from West Burlington and Holy Trinity Catholic’s Luke Hellige (26.6 ppg). VBC will also have to replace its top scorer, Izaak Loeffler (19.9 ppg) after his prep career came to an end.

VBC and New London do have two of the leagues top 10 scorers eligible to return. Will Cocherell averaged 14.5 points per game as a sophomore for the Warriors. London Franklin averaged 14.4 points per game in his junior season with Tigers.

  Buy Photo

Here are last season’s SEISC standings and each division’s scoring, rebounding and assists leaders.

2024-25 SEISC North boys basketball standings

1. Hillcrest 21-4 (14-2 SEISC North)

2. WACO 18-6 (14-2)

3. Pekin 15-8 (13-3)

4. W-MU 14-10 (11-5)

5. Louisa-Muscatine 11-12 (8-8)

6. Lone Tree 7-14 (5-11)

7. Columbus 6-16 (4-12)

8. Wapello 4-19 (2-14)

9. Highland 2-21 (1-15)

SEISC North scoring leaders 2024-25

1. Finnegan Cline, Louisa-Muscatine, SR - 23.3 ppg

2. Christian Stacy, WACO, JR - 19.3 ppg

3. Jake Edwards, W-MU, SR - 18.3 ppg

4. Justyn Faulkner, Wapello, JR - 16.5 ppg

5. Emmett Burke, Lone Tree, JR - 15.9 ppg

SEISC North rebounding leaders 2024-25

1. Finnegan Cline, Louisa-Muscatine, SR - 12.2 rpg

2. Cooper Buffington, W-MU, SR - 8.3 rpg

3. Oscar Cline, Louisa-Muscatine, SO - 7.5 rpg

4. Mason Bender, Hillcrest, SR - 7.2 rpg

5. Louis Horak, Highland, SR - 7.1 rpg

SEISC North assist leaders 2024-25

1. Rowan Miller, Hillcrest, JR - 6.5 apg

2. Jake Edwards, W-MU, SR - 5.4 apg

3. Henry Adam, Pekin, SO - 5.3 apg

4. Justyn Faulkner, Wapello, JR - 5.0 apg

5. Emmett Burke, Lone Tree, JR - 5.0 apg

2024-25 SEISC South boys basketball standings

1. West Burlington 21-3 (13-1 SEISC South)

2. Burlington Notre Dame 19-5 (11-3)

3. Holy Trinity Catholic 19-5 (10-4)

4. Central Lee 13-10 (8-6)

5. Mediapolis 13-11 (8-6)

6. Danville 9-14 (3-11)

7. VBC 6-16 (3-11)

8. New London 1-22 (0-14)

SEISC South scoring leaders 2024-25

1. Mason Watkins, West Burlington, SR - 30.3 ppg

2. Luke Hellige, Holy Trinity Catholic, SR - 26.6 ppg

3. Shay Stephens, Burlington ND, JR - 20.9 ppg

4. Izaak Loeffler, VBC, SR - 19.9 ppg

5. Quincy Collins, West Burlington, SR - 16.9 ppg

SEISC South rebounding leaders 2024-25

1. Ayden Figuereo, West Burlington, JR - 9.3 rpg

2. Jaden Bauer, Danville, SR - 8.3 rpg

3. Luke Hellige, Holy Trinity Catholic, SR - 8.2 rpg

4. Shay Stephens, Burlington ND, JR - 7.8 rpg

5. Quincy Collins, West Burlington, SR - 7.1 rpg

SEISC South assist leaders 2024-25

1. Adam Sobczak, Holy Trinity Catholic, SR - 8.8 apg

2. Shay Stephens, Burlington ND, JR - 6.5 apg

3. Kobe Davis, West Burlington, SR - 5.5 apg

4. Mason Watkins, West Burlington, SR - 5.5 apg

5. Leighton Rice, Danville, JR - 4.5 apg