2020-21 Previews: Colo-Nesco, Columbus, Waterloo Columbus

<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Colo-Nesco Royals</strong> 18-6 last year 53.4 points scored, 39.6 points against 5 returning players</p> Colo-Nesco used a suffocating defense to record an 18-6 mark last year. That included an 11-1 Iowa Star Conference South division run, leading to a league crown. Just five players return from a year ago, though, as the Royals must replace the likes of [player_tooltip player_id="135114" first="Rylee" last="Purvis"], [player_tooltip player_id="135077" first="Lauryn" last="Hill"] and Emma Stalzer. Senior Ayvarie Bappe is the most experienced player back after making 17 starts and seeing action in all 24 games. Bappe scored 169 points with 67 rebounds, 30 steals and 22 assists, making 43 three-pointers. Colo-Nesco knocked down 113 triples in all a season ago and also recorded 331 steals. <p style="text-align: left;">Notable returners:</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Ayvarie Bappe - 7.0 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.3 SPG Jenna Banks - 1.5 PPG, 1.3 APG McKenzie Niemeyer - 2.1 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 1.5 SPG</p> &nbsp; <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Columbus Wildcats</strong> 1-20 last year 22.4 points scored, 55.6 points against 12 returning players</p> It was a difficult season for Columbus on the basketball court in 2019-20, as they scored just one lone victory in early January. The positive from that is the return of leading scorer Lizbeth Paz and top rebounder Olivia Carrier. Paz recorded 78 points with Carrier grabbing 127 rebounds. Paz also led the team in assists. A total of 12 players are back including Emma Milder and Michelle Diaz, who started 17 and 18 games. Carrier also had a team-high 23 blocks. <p style="text-align: left;">Notable returners:</p> <p style="text-align: left;">Olivia Carrier - 3.6 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 1.1 BPG Lizbeth Paz - 3.9 PPG, 1.9 RPG Jobie Lekwa - 3.5 PPG, 3.1 RPG</p> &nbsp; <hr /> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Waterloo Columbus Sailors</strong> 9-15 last year 38.1 points scored, 46.0 points against 10 returning players</p> Towards the tail end of last season, Waterloo Columbus found some momentum. That included a postseason victory to get to nine wins on the year. The Sailors will look to senior [player_tooltip player_id="165071" first="Ali" last="Vesely"] to lead them to bigger heights now. Vesley led the team with 327 points, shooting over 45 percent from the field. She also grabbed 204 rebounds, with classmate Reagan Lindsay back following a 106-assist campaign. They are just two of 10 returning players with fellow starter Eva Christensen also back. Maddy Knipp and Chloe Butler, juniors, saw time in the starting lineup last year. Lindsay also recorded a team-high 92 steals as Columbus had 221 steals as a team. <p style="text-align: left;">Notable returners:</p> <p style="text-align: left;">[player_tooltip player_id="165071" first="Ali" last="Vesely"] - 13.6 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 1.5 SPG Reagan Lindsay - 7.0 PPG, 4.4 APG, 3.8 SPG Eva Christensen - 3.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG</p> &nbsp; <hr /> <p style="text-align: left;"></p>