Preseason All-Conference Teams: Hawkeye Ten

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Player of the Year: </strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765513' first='Ryan' last='Clair'] (Kuemper Catholic)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Take your pick of any of the three Knights on the first team for this honor, but we'll side with Clair, the dominant two-way big man who controls the painted area on both ends of the floor.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>First Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765513' first='Ryan' last='Clair'] (Kuemper Catholic): 15.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.2 blocks, 66.3 FG%, 42.9 3P%, 78.8 FT%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Clair was great in his junior year with the Knights following his transfer from East Sac County, leading the team in scoring, rebounding, and blocks. An athletic, physical 6-6 big man with soft hands, good touch around the rim, and the ability to step out and stretch the floor, he can also protect the paint defensively. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765503' first='Brock' last='Badding'] (Kuemper Catholic): 12.3 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.8 steals, 37.8 3P%, 83.8 FT%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Badding is an electric shooter off the dribble and the catch, with the ability to get scorching hot from distance and knock down five 3s in a quarter. Like with al the Knights, if he were on another team in the conference that wasn't so loaded, his scoring and assist numbers would be much higher, but this team is so deep, balanced, and talented that it keeps everyone's numbers a little lower. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2420805' first='Dylan' last='Schon'] (Kuemper Catholic): 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 2.1 steals, 67.9 FG%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Schon was exceptional, largely off the bench, last season for the Knights, ranking second on the team in scoring and rebounding. He's a fantastic athlete who loves to play downhill and get to the rim both off the dribble and from good off-ball movement.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2523891' first='Carter' last='Thielen'] (Lewis Central): 13.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.9 steals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thielen was really, really good as a freshman for the Titans, leading the team in scoring and steals. He followed that up with a really good spring and summer, and looks primed to emerge as one of the state's top players in the 2028 class. He's a long, tough, versatile wing who can score from anywhere on the floor, defend multiple positions, and get his teammates involved at a high level. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731820' first='Dallas' last='McDowell'] (Harlan): 17.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.5 steals, 37.6 3P%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A 6-2 wing, McDowell led the Cyclones in scoring last season and is the top returning scorer in the conference. He can score from all three levels, creating looks off the dribble or knocking down shots off the catch. He's an athletic, physical wing who can stuff the stat sheet. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Second Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2519974' first='Jack' last='Badding'] (Kuemper Catholic)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2420798' first='Griffin' last='Glynn'] (Kuemper Catholic)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2379147' first='Reese' last='Montgomery'] (Red Oak)<br>2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2772321' first='Carter' last='Sells'] (Shenandoah)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2754668' first='Kobe' last='Klaassen'] (Harlan)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Honorable Mentions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 Sam Kline (Clarinda)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413616' first='Gavin' last='McLaren'] (Atlantic)<br>2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2509580' first='Colt' last='Spencer'] (St. Albert)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2481793' first='Rhett' last='Driskell'] (Creston)<br>2028 Aiden Buttry (Shenandoah)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731811' first='Jack' last='Johnson'] (Glenwood)<br>2026 Blaine Grady (Denison-Schleswig)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2754694' first='Charles' last='Schaben'] (Lewis Central)<br>2028 [player_tooltip player_id='2523893' first='Cooper' last='Hamilton'] (St. Albert)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->