Say hello to the MVC-CIML Showdown, a new 16-team boys’ basketball event

CEDAR RAPIDS — Jon McKowen and many of his fellow Iowa high school boys’ basketball coaches spend a lot of time trying to create schedules for their programs.

Four years ago, the Cedar Rapids Kennedy head man and his cohorts at Linn-Mar, West Des Moines Valley and West Des Moines Dowling put together a deal where the two schools from Eastern Iowa would travel to Central Iowa for games on a particular date.

It was vice versa the following year.

“I always thought that was a good start, wanted it to be bigger,” McKowen said.

Now it is. McKowen announced 16 schools have committed to play this coming season in what is being called the MVC-CIML Showdown.

Six of the Showdown participants are from the Mississippi Valley Conference: Kennedy, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids Prairie, Iowa City Liberty, Iowa City West and Linn-Mar. Seven are from the Central Iowa Metro League: Valley, Dowling, Ankeny, Johnston, Southeast Polk, Waukee and Waukee Northwest.

Bettendorf, Pleasant Valley and Ames also will participate in the inaugural event, which will be on two dates: January 6 at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids and January 27 at a site to be determined in Central Iowa.

Pairings for the Showdown will be put together by the three-person committee responsible for the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s Class 4A state rankings, with the goal being the most compelling matchups. ServPro is the event’s official sponsor.

“I was surprised I was able to get so many schools. A lot of them had just one opening who said they’d love to do it in the (PowerHouse),” McKowen said. “It hasn’t been just me, it’s been all 16 of the coaches involved who have worked hard to make it work for themselves.”

McKowen gave specific props to Valley head coach B.J. Windhorst for talking to the coaches in Central Iowa about the Showdown. All MVC schools were contacted about the event, with some not interested or unable to make it work this coming season.

That’s when invites to PV, Bettendorf and Ames were extended. Pleasant Valley and Ames were to play each other but decided to scrap that game in order to participate in the Showdown.

Likewise, Valley and Kennedy have canceled their planned game this coming season at Kennedy. McKowen said only six schools will be able to make the late January trip to Central Iowa this coming season.

“In the future, what I’d like is for it to be at the Powerhouse and at either Wells Fargo Arena or Knapp Center, so both locations are neutral sites,” he said. “Let’s just have a great day of basketball.

“I was surprised we were able to get 16 high-quality teams.”

The event has the blessing of the IHSAA. Though it is called the MVC-CIML Showdown, McKowen said he is open to having other schools participate in the future as well.

“I foresee it being just MVC-CIML, but I’m open to anything ... I do think that will be the main core every year,” he said “There’s not many cross-over games. The CIML had a full 21-game conference schedule before, so there wasn’t that opportunity. When the Alliance Conference came about (this school year), now they are trying to fill five non-conference games, I think.

“With Waterloo East going out, we’re filling four non-conference games. I thought this was just the perfect time to do something like this.”

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