Conference Preview: Bluegrass

The Teams   Ankeny Christian (19-4 last year, 14.5% of scoring returning): The Eagles haven't finished below .500 in the QuikStats/Bound era, dating back to 2006-07 when they finished 11-11, so despite not returning much from last year's team, there is not much reason to expect a significant drop-off here. Seniors Hayden Davis (5.7) and Austin Lundberg (4.6) are the top returnees, and Aidan Beck (2.3) is the only other returnee with significant experience, so that trio will be leaned upon heavily, especially early in the season. ACA is always a team that has better athletes and generally better talent than the rest of the teams in the Bluegrass, so while the faces will be new, the results should largely remain the same.   Lamoni (5-12, 58.9%): After losing the first 10 games of the season, Lamoni finished the year well, going 5-2 down the stretch which included a solid win over Moulton-Udell. Senior forward Ambrose Savage (11.6, 6.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists) should be one of the best players in the league. Kelan Stevenson (5.3), Peyton Davis (2.8), and Brock Binkley (2.0) also return after seeing significant playing time last season, giving them a solid quartet of experienced players to build around. The Demons will need to improve their ball security (18.6 turnovers a game) if they want to make a major jump up the league standings, but they should be more competitive on a nightly basis and win a few more games than last season.   Melcher-Dallas (1-19, 86.9%): The Saints won just one game last season but bring back their top four scorers as well as a pair of sophomores who saw a good amount of playing time as freshmen. Senior Drew Heaberlin (10.8) and junior Gavyn Thordarson (8.3, 7.2 rebounds) are the headliners of the group, a pair of active forwards who can rebound well on both ends of the floor.   Moravia (16-5, 25.5%): The Mohawks have been one of the best teams in the conference for the last several years and have done a nice job building the program up. They lost all three double-figure scorers from last year's team, but bring back junior forward Declan DeJong (9.0, 6.5 rebounds), who will be among the best players in the league. He's a versatile player who can defend multiple positions and score inside and out. Blake Helmick (3.1) will provide some size, and Logan Smith (2.8), Chase Hanes (1.9), and Lincoln Albertson (1.9) give them some experience. Moravia doesn't have quite the tradition that ACA does, but they've shown in recent years they should be considered a contender until proven otherwise.   Mormon Trail (8-12, 37.0%): Another team that got hit pretty hard by graduation is Mormon Trail, losing their top two scorers from last year's team. [player_tooltip player_id='2721729' first='Owen' last='Anderson'] (9.1) is the top returnee and figures to be their most impactful player as a senior as the team's top returnee in scoring, rebounding, and assists. Lane Flesher (5.5), Levi Evans (4.2), and Caden Crawford (2.4) round out the group of other notable returnees, giving them a decent base to build off of this season. This is a group that probably finishes middle of the pack again this season, but if a few things break their way and they find some shooting, they could push for a top-2 or 3 finish.   Moulton-Udell (8-10, 40.7%): Cameron Swarts (15.6) is the top returning scorer in the league, a skilled scoring guard who can fill it up from all three levels as well as create for his teammates off the dribble. He'll be asked to carry a heavy load as a junior following the graduations of the next three scorers from last year's team, leaving Allen Pace (3.9) as the only other returning player who averaged more than 0.4 points per game last season. With Swarts leading the charge, they'll have arguably the best player in the conference on their side, but the ceiling for the Eagles will depend on how the rest of the newcomers step into their roles.   Murray (15-7, 60.8%): A mainstay near the top of the league for a while now, Murray has some big (literally) shoes to fill with the graduation of Titus Barber, who averaged 18.9 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game last season. The good news for the Mustangs is that the next two, and five of the next six, return from last year's group. They'll be led by senior guard Caden Page (12.0, 5.6 assists) and forward Austin Peterson (10.1, 9.0 rebounds), the top one-two punch in the conference. Senior guard Nathaniel Rowe (5.8, 4.6 assists) pairs with Page to give them a strong backcourt that can create plays off the dribble as well as provide some quality on-ball defense. This is the team to beat in the league this season.   Seymour (2-17, 97.9%): Seymour won just two games last season, but they were extremely young with four sophomores and three freshmen making up their top seven scorers. The Warriors turned it over more than 20 times a game last season, a number that will obviously need to improve if they want to be more competitive, but with so much youth last season there should be some reason for optimism for improvement. Gavyn Jellison (9.2) and Jarrett Moody (8.0) are the top two for this group.   Twin Cedars (6-12, 90.2%): If you're looking for a team to make a significant jump up the league standings this season, check out the Sabers. They bring back their top four scorers, and seven of the top eight, from last year's team. They're led by a quartet of juniors - [player_tooltip player_id='1765540' first='Holden' last='Roberts'] (11.8, 8.4 rebounds), Kaden Kloster (9.3), Wyatt Patty (6.7), and Gavin Clark (6.3). Roberts is a do-it-all forward who can control the painted area on either end of the floor, Clark is great on the glass, and Kloster and Patty are the playmakers in the backcourt. This group is experienced and they went through their growing pains last season. They should be more competitive and it wouldn't be a shock to see their record flip.   Projected Order of Finish   1. Murray 2. Ankeny Christian Academy 3. Moravia 4. Twin Cedars 5. Mormon Trail 6. Moulton-Udell 7. Lamoni 8. Seymour 9. Melcher-Dallas   Analysis: Among the usual contenders, Murray far-and-away returns the most talent, making them a pretty significant favorite heading into the season. ACA and Moravia will have talent, but lack experience, and Twin Cedars should be improved and could battle for a top-3 finish.   Preseason Player of the Year   2025 Caden Page (Murray): The best player on the team that we expect to control the league this season, Page is a dynamic playmaker in the Mustangs backcourt who will pace the team on both ends of the floor.   Players to Watch   2026 Cameron Swarts (Moulton-Udell) 2025 Caden Page (Murray) 2025 Austin Peterson (Murray) 2025 Jacob Keller (Murray) 2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765540' first='Holden' last='Roberts'] (Twin Cedars) 2026 Kaden Kloster (Twin Cedars) 2026 Wyatt Patty (Twin Cedars) 2026 Gavin Clark (Twin Cedars) 2025 Ambrose Savage (Lamoni) 2025 Drew Heaberlin (Melcher-Dallas) 2026 Gavyn Thordarson (Melcher-Dallas) 2025 Brody Johnson (Melcher-Dallas) 2026 Reece Chiabotta (Melcher-Dallas) 2026 Declan DeJong (Moravia) 2025 Gavyn Jellison (Seymour) 2026 Jarrett Moody (Seymour) 2026 Callon Spurgeon (Seymour) 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2721729' first='Owen' last='Anderson'] (Mormon Trail) 2025 Hayden Davis (Ankeny Christian) 2025 Austin Lundberg (Ankeny Christian)

The Teams