Preseason All-Conference Teams: NICL East

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Player of the Year: </strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1884756' first='Tanner' last='Bergmann'] (Wapsie Valley)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Union is probably the team to beat in the division, but the Knights are so balanced that it's tough for any one individual to stand out too much. That said, if a team is going to push the Knights at the top of the division, it may just be Wapsie Valley, led by a dynamic one-two punch that includes Bergmann, a walking double-double.</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='1884756' first='Tanner' last='Bergmann'] (Wapsie Valley): 18.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 59.8 FG%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Bergmann put up huge numbers as a junior, averaging a double-double and scoring at a highly efficient clip, shooting just under 60% from the floor. In addition to his ability to control the glass and finish at the rim, he's a valuable rim protector and versatile defender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2519981' first='Briggs' last='Boehme'] (Wapsie Valley): 19.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.5 steals, 80.3 FT%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The other part of the Warriors' one-two punch, Boehme is a talented playmaker off the dribble who uses his ball-handling, speed, and strength to get to the rim. He and Bergmann complement each other well.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2678903' first='Tate' last='Van Dyke'] (Union): 12.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals, 45.6 3P%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Van Dyke helped lead the Knights to the 2A state tournament last season, leading the team in scoring and ranking second in rebounding. He's a high-level shooter who can also create looks for his teammates off the dribble.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1726227' first='Caden' last='Sorensen'] (Union): 11.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.7 steals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A versatile stat-sheet stuffing guard, Sorensen can do a little bit of everything for the Knights on both ends of the floor. He's at his best when he's using his speed and ball-handling to put pressure on opposing teams. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2906478' first='Parker' last='Masteller'] (Jesup): 9.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Masteller came on strong late last season, emerging as a threat to put up a double-double on any given night. He has great hands, does a good job establishing position on the block, and he sees the floor out of the post area and can find open teammates when doubled.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Second Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2381214' first='Liam' last='Steege'] (Sumner-Fredericksburg)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1986602' first='Cameron' last='Mullen'] (Union)<br>2026 Gavin Trask (Sumner-Fredericksburg)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2530657' first='Landen' last='Moulds'] (Wapsie Valley)<br>2026 Landen Whitaker (Oelwein)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Honorable Mentions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 Braden Bantz (Wapsie Valley)<br>2026 Caleb DeTemmerman (Oelwein)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1943626' first='Sawyer' last='Spence'] (Union)<br>2026 Gage Wymore (Jesup)<br>2026 Kinnick Gordon (Sumner-Fredericksburg)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2679273' first='Maddux' last='DeWinter'] (Union)<br>2027 Bryar Bellis (Wapsie Valley)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->