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<p><strong>Preseason Player of the Year: </strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765543' first='Quinn' last='Street'] (Osage)</p>
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<p>A lot of scoring returns in the East Division, and there are a lot of potential options for Preseason POY honors. We'll side with Street, the leader of Osage, a team that has largely dominated this division over the last decade, but this could go in a number of different ways, and it should be one of the tighter races around the state this season.</p>
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<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>First Team</strong></p>
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<p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765543' first='Quinn' last='Street'] (Osage): 19.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.8 steals</strong></p>
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<p>Street is a big-time scorer who impacts the game on both ends of the floor with his speed, IQ, and talent. He can play with or without the ball in his hands, and is able to put constant pressure on opposing teams with his ability to create looks off the dribble for himself and his teammates. </p>
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<p><strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2420788' first='Westley' last='Cole'] (Newman Catholic): 18.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 86.8 FT%</strong></p>
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<p>An agile, efficient 6-2/6-3 combo forward, Cole can score from anywhere on the floor, posting 47-36-87 shooting splits as a sophomore. He's active on both ends of the floor and does a nice job useing his athleticism to his advantage.</p>
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<p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2235353' first='Matthew' last='Malven'] (Nashua-Plainfield): 15.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 2.2 steals</strong></p>
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<p>A smart guard who knows how to play with pace, Malven is a skilled scorer, playmaker, and on-ball defender. He can get to the rim off the dribble, has good vision, and understands positioning and spacing well.</p>
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<p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731860' first='Jase' last='Hansen'] (Nashua-Plainfield): 14.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.3 steals, 50.2 FG%</strong></p>
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<p>Hansen pairs with Malven to give the Huskies a pair of dynamic scoring guards in the backcourt. They're both capable of playing on or off the ball, complementing each other's skill sets well. He's a big scorer who can get to the rim or knock down shots off the catch.</p>
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<p><strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2420772' first='Thomas' last='McGuire'] (Newman Catholic): 11.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.8 steals</strong></p>
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<p>The other part of the talented 2027 tandem at Newman Catholic, McGuire is also a skilled shooter who buried 46 3-pointers last season. He figures to have the ball in his hands more often this season following the graduations of last year's top two leaders in assists. </p>
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<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Second Team</strong></p>
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<p>2026 Braydin Crum (Central Springs)<br>2026 Jake Smith (Nashua-Plainfield)<br>2026 Landon Foelske (Nashua-Plainfield)<br>2026 Derek Hemann (Saint Ansgar)<br>2028 Anthony Schnable (Saint Ansgar)</p>
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<p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Honorable Mentions</strong></p>
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<p>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2838684' first='Zander' last='Hansen'] (West Fork)<br>2027 Cohen Meyer (Central Springs)<br>2028 Mason Dirksen (Central Springs)<br>2026 Joe Clevenger (Saint Ansgar)<br>2028 Jamison Rothmeyer (Central Springs)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2385549' first='Griffin' last='Uhlenhopp'] (Osage)</p>
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