T-R FILE PHOTO - Meskwaki guard Taurice Grant (3) goes up for the shot against Baxter during their Dec. 8 game at Meskwaki Settlement School. Grant leads the Warriors with an 18.7 points-per-game average at the holiday break.

Mercifully, 2020 is coming to an end. But as the year winds down, let’s take a look at the state of high school basketball in the area.

The nine teams in the Times-Republican’s coverage area have had mixed success, with a couple performing above expectations and some struggling for health and consistency. In a year like no other, the winter break has come at an important time for some of the area’s best squads. From top to bottom — here’s the rundown.

MESKWAKI — 5-2 (4-0 IOWA STAR SOUTH)

The Warriors have spent the first seven games without Victor Balderas and senior transfer Kallan White Eyes, who coach Garrett Bear said will be eligible to play for the Warriors in January as per IHSAA transfer rules.

Still, the Warriors are off to a 5-2 start thanks in part to the offensive performances of Taurice Grant and Osceola Tyon. The senior Grant, who was a third-team all-state player last season, is averaging 18.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. Tyon is averaging 15 points per game and has hit a team-high 15 3-pointers.

The Warriors return from winter break against Janesville January 5, in another in a season of strong tests for a team with state tournament aspirations.

GMG — 5-2 (4-0 IOWA STAR SOUTH)

One of the biggest early surprises of the season has been the GMG Wolverines. After going through a 5-17 season in 2019-20 after years of roughly .500 basketball, the Wolverines have found an early groove and sit tied atop the Iowa Star with conference favorites Meskwaki.

The Wolverines are led in scoring by Avery Bryant at 12 points per game, with junior Kooper Gill and freshman Jabari Woodbury not far behind with 10.4 and 10.3 points per game, respectively.

Bryant leads the team with 6.7 rebounds per game and Gill is dishing out 4.3 assists per contest.

GMG returns to action Jan. 5 on the road at Waterloo Christian.

GLADBROOK-REINBECK — 4-1 (2-0 NICL WEST)

The Rebels were late in starting the season due to COVID concerns and online-only learning. Once they kicked off the year, though, it’s been an impressive start. Beginning with a win over conference contenders East Marshall, G-R has racked up wins against BCLUW on the road, Lynnville-Sully and Hudson before the winter break.

Led by sophomore William Kiburis’s 19.8 points, 5.8 assists and 4.2 steals per game, the Rebels have gotten contributions from junior big man Tristan Sanford-Anders (9.6 points, eight rebounds per game) and senior Dylan Riffey (11.2 points per game, 12/26 on 3-pointers).

The Rebels return Jan. 5 at home against South Hardin.

NORTH TAMA 4-4 (3-2 IOWA STAR SOUTH)

The Redhawks also were subject to a brief online-only period, but they’ve played eight games already and have entered the winter break with a 3-2 mark in the Iowa Star, good enough for third place behind GMG and Meskwaki.

Leading the way for North Tama has been junior Gabe Kopriva, who is scoring 14.8 points per game and has already taken 72 3-pointers in eight games, hitting 27 of them (37.5 percent). He’s one of three North Tama guards to have taken 50 threes early in the season, alongside fellow juniors Adam Greiner and Devin McKinley (61 and 54 attempts, respectively). Sophomore Michael Schrier has been the team’s leading rebounder at 9.4 rebounds per contest.

The Redhawks start 2021 with a road trip to Don Bosco Jan. 5.

BCLUW 3-4 (2-2 NICL WEST)

Everything at BCLUW on offense runs through the team’s senior guards Noah Gallentine (10.9 points per game) and Jesse Moore (12.6 points per game). The duo has been key to supplementing the Comets’ defensive solidity with a scoring punch in their wins, particularly a win over East Marshall right before the winter break.

BCLUW sits in fourth place in the NICL West behind G-R, Grundy Center and South Hardin. The Comets go on a two-game road trip after the winter break, starting Jan. 5 with a trip to play Jesup.

EAST MARSHALL 3-4 (1-3 NICL WEST)

Projected to contend for the NICL West title after a strong second half to the 2019-20 season, East Marshall has been set back by an ankle injury to Logan Bowie and COVID contact tracing for two other starters. Sophomores Bo Lee and Junior Brown have missed the last two games for the Mustangs — losses to BCLUW and PCM — and the Mustangs will be as happy as any team for the week-long break.

Drew Runner leads the scoring for the Mustangs at 14.6 per game, adding 8.1 rebounds per contest. Ethan Espenscheid is scoring 12 points a game and Logan Bowie is slowly getting back up to game speed.

The Mustangs start the second half of the season against rivals West Marshall Jan. 5 at home.

WEST MARSHALL 2-5 (1-3 HEART OF IOWA)

West Marshall is in a new conference this season with new challengers, and at times the height-challenged Trojans have been given troubles by post players against South Hamilton and PCM.

Joey Tollefson has led the way offensively for the Trojans, averaging 11.1 points per contest. Brayden Evertsen is averaging 9.2 points and seven rebounds a contest, leading the Trojans in rebounding. Coach Paul DeNeui has said that West Marshall’s biggest issue right now is playing four good quarters in a row, something he hoped to fix with the winter break.

The Trojans play rivals East Marshall Jan. 5.

MARSHALLTOWN 0-5 (0-1 CIML IOWA)

Marshalltown doesn’t have any wins through five games against difficult opposition, but the Bobcats have shown signs of growth from last year’s team to this year. Without center Aidan DeVolder, the Bobcats have attempted to run a more up-tempo offense predicated on dribble drives and 3-pointers. Armonniey Thomas, the reigning T-R Player of the Year, is averaging 16.6 points, eight rebounds and three assists per game for the Bobcats. Sophomore Drake Kapayou has found his shot from distance, hitting 10 of 20 3-pointers and making the needed step as a second scorer for the team. Fellow sophomore Prince Jallah has stepped in as an undersized center and is grabbing 8.6 rebounds per game. The Bobcats still have a long way to go, but the first five games of the season have shown there’s potential.

Marshalltown comes back from break for a home game against Mason City Jan. 5.

SOUTH TAMA 0-2 (0-1 WaMaC WEST)

South Tama has only played two games this year due to COVID-19 complications. The leading scorer for the Trojans early on is Eli Keahna with 17 points in the two contests, both conference losses to Center Point-Urbana and Maquoketa Valley, respectively.

The first game back for the Trojans is a road game Jan. 5 against conference foe Independence.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The T-R’s high school girls’ basketball check-in will be coming out early next week.