Conference Preview: MVC Mississippi

<h4>The Teams</h4> [caption id="attachment_1177345" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Dallas-Bear.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1177345 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Dallas-Bear-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a> Bear[/caption] Cedar Falls (20-1): The Tigers were dominant last year, winning games by an average of 26 points a game before stubbing their toes against Johnston in the state semifinals. Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="682265" first="Trey" last="Campbell"] (13.9, 5.0 assists) recently signed to play at Northern Iowa and will be the leader of this group. A lightning-quick guard with excellent court vision, he uses his speed to length to impact the game on both ends of the floor and has really improved as a shooter, knocking down nearly 39% of his 3-point attempts last year. Junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="956870" first="Dallas" last="Bear"] (5.1, 41.7 3P%) is a knockdown shooter at 6-8 who is ready to step into a much larger role this year following the graduations of four starters. Bear holds Division I offers from Bryant and Augustana (SD). Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1158423" first="Hunter" last="Jacobson"] (5.0, 41.2 3P%), son of UNI coach Ben Jacobson, is another good shooter with a high basketball IQ. The addition of sophomore wing [player_tooltip player_id="1171693" first="Cade" last="Courbat"] will be a boost as well. The younger brother of UNI big Chase Courbat, Cade is an explosive athlete who can fill it up from all three levels. The Tigers have averaged 21.7 wins a year over the last six seasons, and the talent pipeline isn’t drying up anytime soon. [caption id="attachment_1115610" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/117-Traijen-Sain-crop-2004x1316-1610572845.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1115610 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/117-Traijen-Sain-crop-2004x1316-1610572845-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> Sain[/caption] Cedar Rapids Washington (14-8): The Warriors finished above .500 for the first time since the 2014-15 season last year, and return three starters from that group. They’ll be headlined by the junior trio of [player_tooltip player_id="956880" first="Traijan" last="Sain"] (11.8), [player_tooltip player_id="1167702" first="Jesse" last="Sellers"] (9.7), and [player_tooltip player_id="1167699" first="Jaden" last="Harris"] (8.2), while sophomore lead guard [player_tooltip player_id="1171663" first="Willie" last="Hodges"] (4.2) looks primed to emerge as a major contributor for them this season. Sain, a 6-6 wing, is one of the best players in the 2023 class, a versatile and long wing who impacts the game on both ends of the floor. Sellers and Harris were knockdown shooters last year, burying 40.4 and 48.4% of their 3-point attempts, respectively, and Hodges is a lightning-quick lead guard who can break down a defender and get into the paint. Depth may be an issue, but their talented quartet to build around will win plenty of games for the Warriors, and they should have a real chance at breaking through and making it to the state tournament for the first time since 2011. City High (4-7): The Little Hawks played just one game between January 6 and February 12 last season, as Iowa City schools were probably the most impacted by COVID last year. There were never able to get into a rhythm, and as a result, had an up-and-down year. Leading scorer Byron Benton graduated, but they return a pair of solid guards in [player_tooltip player_id="784977" first="Jamari" last="Newson"] (10.8) and [player_tooltip player_id="682287" first="Darren" last="Richardson"] (6.9), who will give the Little Hawks an experienced backcourt to build around. Newson is a long and athletic lead guard who led the team in rebounding last season, while Richardson is a compact, physical guard who does a good job attacking and getting to the rim. Look for increased production out of junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1240089" first="Shamar" last="Benton"] (2.1) this season. He’s another athletic and quick guard who can attack the rim, and you can expect to see sophomore guard TaeVon Stevens make an impact this year as well. He’s coming off a huge summer as a scoring guard with Waterloo Salvation. The Little Hawks won’t have much size, but they’ll have plenty of quickness and could sneak up on some teams this year. [caption id="attachment_1290556" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/145-Da_Shon-Fisher.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1290556 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/09/145-Da_Shon-Fisher-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> Fisher[/caption] Liberty (7-6): The Lightning got off to a 5-0 start last season that included a pair of solid wins over Prairie before going on a five-game losing streak near the end of the regular season. They’re the team that is the most hard-hit by graduations in the division, losing their top five scorers from last year’s team. Griffin Kraft (4.5) is the top returning scorer, but it will be junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="1288867" first="Da’Shon" last="Fisher"] (2.7) who will be the team’s go-to threat this season. Fisher is a springy 6-3 wing who handles it and is a fantastic finisher above the rim. He’s worked to improve his jumper, and while it’s still not a strong suit, it’s good enough that the defense has to respect it. He could have a big year for coach Ryan Kelly. Depth could be a concern, especially early on, but there is enough athleticism at Liberty to fill in some of the gaps. Linn-Mar (8-11): Four of the Lions’ losses last season came by one or two points, so they were extremely close to having an inverse record and some positive momentum heading into the season. They bring back two starters from that group, including leading scorer [player_tooltip player_id="962642" first="Jaxson" last="Young"] (11.2). Young is an athletic wing who can score from all three levels and looks primed to have a big senior year. Cam Guenther (5.5) is the other key returnee on the perimeter, a solid shooter who can stretch the floor and open things up for Young and his dribble penetration skills. Jayden Hill (4.7), [player_tooltip player_id="1167731" first="Jackson" last="Severson"] (4.2), and [player_tooltip player_id="1240071" first="Ian" last="Mindrup"] (3.7) all saw significant playing time last year and should be improved with the experience. [caption id="attachment_1166763" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Jake-Walter1.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1166763 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/04/Jake-Walter1-300x200.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="200" /></a> Walter[/caption] Prairie (4-9): The Hawks were greatly impacted by COVID last season, playing just one game between January 16 and February 12. Four of their losses came by either one or two points. They bring back a pair of double-figure scorers and add a big piece back into the lineup, so expect to see Prairie get back to being a formidable foe in the MVC. The senior backcourt of [player_tooltip player_id="962635" first="Jake" last="Walter"] (16.0) and [player_tooltip player_id="784979" first="Elijah" last="Ward"] (12.9) lead the way. Both are good scoring threats who can fill it up from all three levels, and both do a great job attacking and playing downhill. The Hawks will add senior big [player_tooltip player_id="682264" first="Gabe" last="Burkle"] back into the lineup after missing last year with an injury. Also a dominant football player, Burkle has good footwork, great hands, and is a big, physical presence in the paint on both ends. Look for increased production out of junior wing [player_tooltip player_id="1240063" first="Jack" last="Wagemester"] (0.4), and for junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="1240079" first="Makelle" last="Taylor"] to emerge as a solid player for this group off the bench. With more consistent practice and gameplay, and the addition of Burkle back into the lineup, Prairie should be back to being a solid contender in the league. Wahlert Catholic (8-10): The Golden Eagles got off to a strong 5-1 start that included quality wins over Senior, Washington, and Central DeWitt, but hit a swoon in the middle of January that they never quite recovered from, dropping eight of their final 10 games to close out last season. Three players who started at least half of last year’s games return, led by senior wing Ben Freed (10.9), a solid scoring wing who buried 38.5% of his 3-point attempts last season. Junior big [player_tooltip player_id="1167700" first="Duke" last="Faley"] (9.5, 6.0 rebounds) and senior wing Carson Cummer (9.4) also return with starting experience, giving Wahlert a solid trio to build around. This group struggled a bit with turnovers last year (nearly 15 a game compared to just nine assists), and that will need to clean up if they want to be considered a serious contender in 3A and within this division. [caption id="attachment_1188315" align="alignright" width="300"]<a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/Nick-Bryant-e1620497468947.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1188315 size-medium" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2021/05/Nick-Bryant-e1620497468947-300x243.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="243" /></a> Bryant[/caption] Western Dubuque (18-5): The Bobcats qualified for the 3A state tournament last season and lost a heartbreaker to Sergeant Bluff-Luton by a point in the quarterfinals. They lose a significant chunk of production off of that group, including their top two scorers, who combined to average 31.1 points a game. Nonetheless, the cupboard isn’t bare in Epworth. Senior lead guard [player_tooltip player_id="784989" first="Nick" last="Bryant"] (11.0, 39.0 3P%) was really good last season and will be relied upon to be the primary scoring threat this year. He’s a quick guard who can really shoot it. [player_tooltip player_id="1234971" first="Andrew" last="Oltmanns"] (6.0) is a long wing who was a solid role player for them last season, and Carson Schute (5.8) showed some scoring capability off the bench. The ’Cats will definitely be missing Dylan Johnson and Garrett Baumhover, but they should still be a solid team in this division and a contender in 3A again.   <h4>Projected Order of Finish</h4> 1. Cedar Falls 2. Cedar Rapids Washington 3. Prairie 4. Linn-Mar 5. Wahlert Catholic 6. City 7. Western Dubuque 8. Liberty Analysis: The top three appear to us to be pretty set in stone. Cedar Falls is the class of the division, Washington will be strong again, and Prairie should be much improved. After that, Linn-Mar, Wahlert, and City should all be competitive, while Western Dubuque and Liberty suffered so many personnel losses that we don't quite know what to expect. As with any year in the MVC, any team will be able to win on a given night. There is talent galore.   <h4>Preseason Player of the Year</h4> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="682265" first="Trey" last="Campbell"], Cedar Falls: The Northern Iowa signee is one of the fastest players in the state with the ball in his hands, an excellent decision-maker, and a menace on the defensive end with his combination of size, length, and quickness. A 6-4 lead guard who has turned into a dangerous shooter as well, Campbell impacts the game on both ends of the floor for one of 4A’s best teams.   <h4>Players to Watch</h4> 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="682265" first="Trey" last="Campbell"], Cedar Falls 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="956870" first="Dallas" last="Bear"], Cedar Falls 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="1158423" first="Hunter" last="Jacobson"], Cedar Falls 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1171693" first="Cade" last="Courbat"], Cedar Falls 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962635" first="Jake" last="Walter"], Prairie 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="784979" first="Elijah" last="Ward"], Prairie 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="682264" first="Gabe" last="Burkle"], Prairie 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="956880" first="Traijan" last="Sain"], Cedar Rapids Washington 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167699" first="Jaden" last="Harris"], Cedar Rapids Washington 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167702" first="Jesse" last="Sellers"], Cedar Rapids Washington 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1171663" first="Willie" last="Hodges"], Cedar Rapids Washington 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="962642" first="Jaxson" last="Young"], Linn-Mar 2022 Jayden Hill, Linn-Mar 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="784989" first="Nick" last="Bryant"], Western Dubuque 2022 Ben Freed, Wahlert Catholic 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167700" first="Duke" last="Faley"], Wahlert Catholic 2022 Carson Cummer, Wahlert Catholic 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="784977" first="Jamari" last="Newson"], City 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="682287" first="Darren" last="Richardson"], City 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1288867" first="Da’Shon" last="Fisher"], Liberty