Conference Preview: MRAC

The Teams Bishop Heelan (7-15): The Crusaders will be moving into the 2020-2021 season graduating 8 seniors from the squad. Look for Juniors Levi Meis (.8 PPG) and Nick Miller (3.6 PPG 2.8 RPG) to help guide the Crusaders this upcoming season. Heelan will need their underclassmen to step up in the tough MRAC. It will be a tall order, but Coach Foster will have his squad ready to play this season. Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln (21-2): The reigning MRAC champions are this year’s favorite to repeat conference champions. The Lynx had two losses last year to Nebraska’s Class A Champion Bellevue West (Ne) and the substate game to Des Moines Dowling. Lead by Preseason Player of the Year [player_tooltip player_id="682266" first="Josh" last="Dix"], Abraham Lincoln is returning 65% of their scoring from last year, with a number of key returning players. Look for the Lynx to try and expand their tournament run to Des Moines this year. Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson (5-17): The Yellow Jackets are looking to improve on last year’s record with returning Senior Amer Ibar who averaged 7.9 PPG. Thomas Jefferson had only two wins in the MRAC last season, both of which were to Sioux City North. It will be hard to climb into the middle tier of the MRAC this season, but if they want to they will have to take care of the ball (18.1 turnovers per game). Le Mars (15-9): The Bulldogs bring a talented group into the 2020-2021 basketball season. Led by seniors [player_tooltip player_id="964800" first="Alec" last="Dreckman"] (Morningside commit) and [player_tooltip player_id="796129" first="Spencer" last="Mackey"] (Dordt commit), look for LeMars to be tough to beat this season. The Bulldogs are bringing back 68% of their scoring from last season (60.2 PPG). Coach Irwin always has a scrappy hard-nosed team that will cause fits for MRAC teams on both ends of the floor. Sergeant Bluff-Luton (16-11): Sergeant Bluff-Luton was last years 3A State Runner-up and are ready to step up to the plate to make another deep tournament run this season. The Warriors graduated 48% of their total scoring last season led by Wisconsin football commit [player_tooltip player_id="801838" first="Daniel" last="Wright"]. Sergeant Bluff-Luton will be looking to Southwest Minnesota State Commits [player_tooltip player_id="796115" first="Jake" last="Layman"] and [player_tooltip player_id="964797" first="Majok" last="Majouk"] this upcoming season to fill the void from last season’s solid senior class. Sioux City East (17-5): Sioux City East is in a bit of a new place with a number of graduates last year. They return 22% of their 68.7 PPG in 2019-2020. It should help with two new transfers and last year’s role players stepping up into new roles for the Black Raiders this upcoming season. One of the big question marks is the depth from their bench and what type of inside presence will the Black Raiders have this season. Should be exciting to see this team progress throughout the year. There is no doubt that Coach Vanderloo will have his squad ready night in and night out for a potential trip to Wells. Sioux City North (1-21): It was a tough campaign for the North Stars last season. Two of their games were decided by two possessions or less. Sioux City North brings Dante Hansen back from last season averaging 7.1 PPG and 3.4 RPG. The Stars will look to improve in a loaded conference in 2020-2021. Sioux City West (11-12): The Wolverines had a solid winter season in 2019-2020. Look for last year’s role players to set up this season due to West graduating 62% of last season’s scoring. One to look for is [player_tooltip player_id="962663" first="Keeon" last="Hutton"] who averaged 7.7 PPG and 2.8 RPG. Last season 6 of their 12 losses came with 5 pts or less, meaning West can be a dangerous squad if you give them room to stay in games. Projected Order of Finish 1. Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln 2. Sioux City East 3. LeMars 4. Sergeant Bluff-Luton 5. Sioux City West 6. Bishop Heelan 7. Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson 8. Sioux City North Analysis: It should be a great year in the MRAC with a shootout between LeMars, Abraham Lincoln, East, and Sergeant Bluff-Luton. The Lynx went undefeated last year and return a majority of last year’s team. In addition, they return 65% of total team scoring from last year and behind [player_tooltip player_id="682266" first="Josh" last="Dix"] they are the preseason favorite to win the conference. Preseason Player of the Year [player_tooltip player_id="682266" first="Josh" last="Dix"], 6’4 CB Abraham Lincoln (2022) - 17.5 PPG and 5.1 RPG MRAC has the number 2 ranked player in 2022 this season. Josh has the ability to go inside out offensively and can guard multiple positions on defense. He will try to help lead the Lynx to the Conference title and to Wells this season. Players to watch [player_tooltip player_id="1056594" first="DaVares" last="Whitaker"], 6’0 SC East (2022) [player_tooltip player_id="1070426" first="Dominic" last="Drent"], 6’3 SC East (2021) [player_tooltip player_id="964800" first="Alec" last="Dreckman"], 6’0 LeMars (2021) [player_tooltip player_id="796129" first="Spencer" last="Mackey"], 6’1 LeMars (2021) [player_tooltip player_id="964797" first="Majok" last="Majouk"], 6’7 Sergeant Bluff-Luton (2021) [player_tooltip player_id="796115" first="Jake" last="Layman"], 6’7 Sergeant Bluff-Luton (2021) Noah Sandbothe, 6’5 Abraham Lincoln (2021) [player_tooltip player_id="964930" first="Christian" last="Tidiane"], 6’4 Abraham Lincoln (2021) [player_tooltip player_id="784974" first="Jamison" last="Gruber"], 6’1 Abraham Lincoln (2022) [player_tooltip player_id="962663" first="Keeon" last="Hutton"], 6’3 Sioux City West (2022)