Conference Preview: MVC Mississippi

<!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>The Teams</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Iowa City West (19-4 last season, 50.8% of scoring returning):</strong> Butler commit [player_tooltip player_id='1381414' first='Jack' last='McCaffery'] (16.2, 6.7 rebounds, 1.9 blocks) returns to lead the Trojans for one final go-round. A 6-8 wing who can score inside and out, he's also a versatile defender and tremendous passer. He has to be the best player on the floor on a nightly basis if West is going to reach their ceiling. Juniors [player_tooltip player_id='1765527' first='Julian' last='Manson'] (8.8) and [player_tooltip player_id='1792287' first='Mason' last='Goering'] (4.7) are the only other notable returnees. Manson is an athletic combo forward who can create plays off the dribble and get his teammates involved, while Goering is a physical, athletic forward who can do a bit of everything. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2754669' first='KingSton' last='Swayzer'], a City High transfer, figures to play a significant role in the backcourt as well. The Trojans will have a lot of new faces stepping into key roles this season, but with McCaffery back and a legendary coach on the sidelines, they'll be a contender in the league, which also makes them a contender in 4A.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kennedy (25-1, 30.1%):</strong> After starting last season 25-0, the Cougars lost the state championship game against two-time defending champion Valley. Now they have to replace 70% of the scoring from that team, but this has become the preeminent program in the MVC in recent years with the work that Jon McKowen has done. [player_tooltip player_id='1381415' first='Trey' last='McKowen'] (13.3, 4.2 assists, 2.7 steals, 51.4 FG%) returns to lead the way. He's a tough, athletic, quick guard who doesn't back down from anyone, scores from all three levels, and is a gifted playmaker. The future Upper Iowa guard should have a huge senior year at the helm. Rebuen Schlaak (4.2, 40.9 3P%) should step into a much larger role as an off-ball shooter, and [player_tooltip player_id='2617516' first='Jaxson' last='Bean'] (4.0) played well in limited minutes last season as a freshman. [player_tooltip player_id='1381406' first='Landon' last='Deiters'] (3.1) is a physical forward who uses his frame to his advantage, and you can expect players like Leo Koester, [player_tooltip player_id='1951789' first='Pierce' last='McCrary'], [player_tooltip player_id='2399474' first='Sharief' last='Thomas'], [player_tooltip player_id='2617483' first='Carter' last='Cook'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2617524' first='Justin' last='Powell'] to step into significant roles as a part of the rotation. McKowen always figures out how to put players in positions to succeed in their roles, and he'll do so again. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Liberty (11-12, 30.4%): </strong>The Lightning have a lot of bodies to replace following the graduations of seven of their top 10 from last year's team. They bring back two talented guards to lead the way this season in sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2617520' first='Jerimiah' last='Washpun'] (7.6, 2.2 assists) and senior [player_tooltip player_id='1288921' first='Maddoc' last='Coapstick'] (7.0, 2.2 assists), as well as forward [player_tooltip player_id='2397264' first='Collin' last='Decker'] (1.9). Washpun is one of the most talented guards in the state's sophomore class and will be asked to do a lot for Liberty this season, while Coapstick is an experienced guard who has played a lot of minutes for the Lightning over the last few years and will be a senior leader. If the Lightning were in the Valley Division, they may finish a little higher up, but in the loaded Mississippi it's hard to see them competing this year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Linn-Mar (16-7, 67.6%):</strong> [player_tooltip player_id='1381412' first='Davis' last='Kern'] (22.7, 8.9 rebounds, 2.3 blocks) is a dominant two-way player who paces the Lions, a team that may have the best starting five in Class 4A. Kern, a 6-9 forward who can score inside and out, posted 57-45-80 shooting splits last season, and is a matchup nightmare with his ability to score on the block or step out and stretch the floor. Classmates [player_tooltip player_id='1484413' first='Payson' last='Nietert'] (10.1, 37.3 3P%) and [player_tooltip player_id='1514455' first='Mason' last='Matson'] (9.3, 3.3 assists) have great chemistry with Kern having played together for years growing up. Nietert has great size on the wing at 6-6/6-7 and is a high-level shooting threat, while Matson can also knock down shots but is at his best when he's attacking downhill. The Lions gained the services of City High transfer [player_tooltip player_id='1381427' first='Trey' last='Wright'], who averaged 10.2 points and 3.0 assists as a junior, who will help bolster the backcourt alongside Matson. He'll give them another reliable ball-handler and playmaker as well as a solid on-ball defender. The Lions were a very shallow team last season, but [player_tooltip player_id='2204894' first='Tyler' last='Hilton'], [player_tooltip player_id='2617526' first='Karson' last='Rains'], [player_tooltip player_id='2617475' first='Blake' last='Ritze'], and Max Robertson, among others, should be able to play more significant roles off the bench this season, helping give them some depth. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Senior (21-3, 61.7%): </strong>Under Wendell Eimers, the Rams have become a consistently dominant defensive team, and that was the case again last season allowing just 46.1 points per game, good for 3rd in Class 4A. Three starters return from that team, led by junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2617545' first='Tevin' last='Schultz'] (14.5, 60.3 FG%), an efficient inside out scorer who, at 6-7, can be a matchup nightmare. [player_tooltip player_id='1765536' first='Cooper' last='Porter'] (6.8, 50.0 3P%) was one of the deadliest 3-point shooting threats in the state last season and should be great as the headliner of the backcourt, while fellow junior [player_tooltip player_id='1765555' first='Drake' last='Medinger'] (5.1) is a dynamic three-level scorer who should step into the primary perimeter scoring role this season. [player_tooltip player_id='1381411' first='Jalen' last='Johnson'] (4.2), [player_tooltip player_id='1381404' first='Josh' last='Brauer'] (5.2), and [player_tooltip player_id='1587291' first='Ben' last='Potts'] (1.3) all figure to be important parts of the rotation as well this season. Eimers has built Senior into a consistent contender, and that will remain the case this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Western Dubuque (9-13, 29.8%): </strong>The Bobcats lost the top three scorers, and five of the top seven, from last year's group, which could make for a rough winter in this loaded division. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2511548' first='Aaron' last='Kraft'] (6.5) and Tyler Skrtich (5.9) are the top returnees, and sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='2419855' first='Brayden' last='Tanny'] (2.1) should step into a much larger role after playing a role as a freshman. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Xavier (10-12, 59.5%):</strong> The Saints had an up-and-down 2023-24 season, posting high-level wins over Waverly-Shell Rock and Linn-Mar, but they were inconsistent, as to be expected with a team as young as they were. They bring back three starters from that team, as well as a top bench player, and they should be a bit more consistent this season as a result. They're led by a trio of juniors - [player_tooltip player_id='2617552' first='Zander' last='Murray'] (10.4), [player_tooltip player_id='2617529' first='Lorenzo' last='Pino'] (6.1, 2.5 assists), and [player_tooltip player_id='1765554' first='AJ' last='Evans'] (4.6) - who all saw a ton of playing time last season and will be the headliners of the group. Murray has a chance to emerge as one of the best players in the conference this season after a really good spring and summer as a three-level scoring threat. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='2204878' first='Kaleb' last='Wilgenbusch'] (9.1, 2.7 assists) and [player_tooltip player_id='2481664' first='Aiden' last='Miller'] figure to be prominent players in the rotation this season as well. They'll need to find some other rotation pieces to step into bigger roles, but their starting five should be strong, and they'll be a contender in Class 3A. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Projected Order of Finish</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1. Linn-Mar<br>2. Iowa City West<br>3. Kennedy<br>4. Senior<br>5. Xavier<br>6. Liberty<br>7. Western Dubuque</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis: </strong>This is without a doubt the better of the two MVC divisions, with four teams ranked in the 4A top 10 and a team in the 3A top 10 to open the year in our rankings. The top four could be put in just about any order (this is the order we had them in in the "Way Too Early" rankings in August), followed by Xavier, with Liberty and Western Dubuque going through rebuilding years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Preseason Player of the Year</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381412' first='Davis' last='Kern'] (Linn-Mar):</strong> The division is absolutely loaded this year and there are a ton of great options for this honor (McCaffery, McKowen, Schultz). That said, we have Linn-Mar winning the division, so we'll give the edge to Kern, the dominant three-level scorer headed to South Dakota State. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381412' first='Davis' last='Kern'] (Linn-Mar)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1484413' first='Payson' last='Nietert'] (Linn-Mar)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381427' first='Trey' last='Wright'] (Linn-Mar)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1514455' first='Mason' last='Matson'] (Linn-Mar)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381414' first='Jack' last='McCaffery'] (Iowa City West)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765527' first='Julian' last='Manson'] (Iowa City West)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381415' first='Trey' last='McKowen'] (Kennedy)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381406' first='Landon' last='Deiters'] (Kennedy)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2617516' first='Jaxson' last='Bean'] (Kennedy)<br>2026 Tevin Schulz (Senior)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765536' first='Cooper' last='Porter'] (Senior)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765555' first='Drake' last='Medinger'] (Senior)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381404' first='Josh' last='Brauer'] (Senior)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381411' first='Jalen' last='Johnson'] (Senior)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2617520' first='Jerimiah' last='Washpun'] (Liberty)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1288921' first='Maddoc' last='Coapstick'] (Liberty)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2617552' first='Zander' last='Murray'] (Xavier)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2617529' first='Lorenzo' last='Pino'] (Xavier)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2204878' first='Kaleb' last='Wilgenbusch'] (Xavier)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765554' first='AJ' last='Evans'] (Xavier)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='2511548' first='Aaron' last='Kraft'] (Western Dubuque)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->