“The big, bad Ironmen are back.”

Those were the words Ironmen basketball head coach Mr. Dave Witzig heard as his team took the court at the Shirk Center for the 2024 State Farm Bloomington-Normal Intercity Tournament.

And when the final buzzer sounded on Dec. 2, the remark rang true.

The Iron captured their second consecutive Intercity championship Monday night with a 59-31 rout of the Bloomington Raiders, opening the season 4-0 against  their crosstown rivals.

Community cruised to double-digit victories in three of their four games, winning by an average margin of 18 points, success, Witzig said, that speaks to the Ironmen’s experience.

“Even though we had a new starting five,” Witzig said, with  “we were still more experienced than the [other] Intercity rosters.”

Despite graduating all five starters from last season’s team, a squad that finished as the IHSA Class 4A State-runners-up, the Ironmen returned eight varsity players, including their entire current starting lineup.

Among them is 6-foot-9 center Kobe Walker, who stepped into the spotlight after two seasons coming off the bench.

“He’s come a long way, and he’s played his role,” Witzig said. “And now it’s time for him to put up numbers.”

Walker delivered with a 25-point, 17-rebound performance in a decisive win over U-High, part of a tournament run where the the Central Michigan commit averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks a contest.

The senior attributes some of his dominance to former teammate Jaheem Webber.

After matching up against Webber at practice for two seasons, Walker said, he “learned a lot” from the current Southern Illinois Saluki.

Those lessons have helped shape Walker into a versatile force on the court.

But Walker is his own player, Witzig said, bringing a unique skill set, “a little different feel” to the center spot.

“He’s not your traditional [big man],” Witzig said; he’s fast, someone able to fly down the floor.

Some of the center’s early-season success came courtesy of his teammate’s perimeter shooting.

The Ironmen shot 41% from beyond the arc during the tournament, with three-pointers accounting for just shy of a third of their total points.

Connor Smith, a sharpshooter last season, leads the team with six three-pointers, four of which came during a 12-triple outburst against the Central Catholic Saints.

The trio of Owen Osborn, Jarrel Brown and Chase Kasten added to the barrage, each shooting 44% or better from long range on the season.

the freshman Kasten made a splash in his Intercity debut, averaging 14 points, five rebounds, and three assists over the tournament’s final two games—all while playing just 15 minutes per contest.

In 26 years of coaching, Witzig said, “this is the most minutes I’ve ever given a freshman.”

The forward is earning that time on the floor with his ability to score, pass and defend.

Another integral piece in Community’s title run was Trey Birditt, the junior guard directed the offense with averages of just under seven points, six assists and three steals per game.

“He just does a great job of finding guys,” Witzig said. “He’s going to be a big part of our offense.”

Birditt and his teammates thrived in the electric atmosphere of the Intercity Tournament, an environment Witzig said, is unlike any other tip-off tournament in Illinois.

“A lot of these tournaments are sparsely populated, and then you come out to our games, and people are cheering and yelling,” Witzig said. “We get thrown in the fire… right off the bat.”

That early competition, Witzig said, allows the Ironmen to quickly identify the team’s areas of improvement.

“It’s a good start to the year to see what we need to [work on],” he said.

With a strong foundation in place, the Ironmen look to carry their momentum into Thursday’s home opener when they host the 2-1 Peoria Notre Dame Irish in Big 12 Conference action.

Catch the 7:30 p.m. tip-off at NCHSinkspot.com/live.