For the first time in two decades, the Washington Demon boys’ basketball team is under the direction of someone other than Bryce Smeins. Colin Stark, a volunteer assistant under Smeins last season, makes his Washington coaching debut tonight versus the Muscatine Muskies (1-1). The Demons lost to Muscatine, 68-43, last year in Washington.

Washington returns four of their top five scorers from last year’s 7-16 campaign. However, the squad did lose leading scorer Derek Anding to graduation. Anding, a first team all-conference performer, scored 439 points last season. Guard Dalton Myers returns as Washington’s leading scorer, accounting for 254 points as a sophomore. Forward Bryce Sinn returns as the only Demon player to record 100 points and 100 rebounds. He brought down 135 rebounds, second most on the team, and his 146 points were the fourth most. The team’s top rebounder and shot blocker is back for his senior season. Forward John Dillon grabbed 151 rebounds and blocked 18 shots.

A 2018 basketball commit of the University of Iowa highlights the returners for Muscatine. Forward Joe Wieskamp made a verbal pledge to the Hawkeye basketball team in June 2015. He ranked second in Class 4A last season with 229 rebounds, while his 496 points scored and 60 blocks were the fourth most. Wieskamp recorded 19 points and six blocks in last year’s victory over Washington.

KCII Sports will have live play-by-play coverage of the game from Muscatine High School, beginning with the Washington Hy-Vee Pregame show at 7:30 p.m. and tip-off set for 8 p.m. on FM 106.1. The game will also stream live on KCIIRadio.com and on the KCII mobile app.