Preseason All-Conference Teams: Western Iowa

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Player of the Year: </strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1978103' first='Alec' last='Lovely'] (Treynor)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This league has largely been dominated by Treynor over the last decade or two, and that shouldn't change this year. The Cardinals enter the year as the clear favorite to win the league, and Lovely is their best player, making this a pretty easy selection, although this league is loaded with returning talent.</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='1978103' first='Alec' last='Lovely'] (Treynor): 19.0 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.9 steals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A super-talented playmaking guard who can score from anywhere on the floor as well as set his teammates up at a high level, Lovely plays with pace and does a great job keeping defenders off balance with his combination of speed, ball-handling, and shot making.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765538' first='Ben' last='Ramsey'] (IKM-Manning): 22.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.2 steals, 80.3 FT%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The leading returning scorer in the league, and one of the leading returnees in the state, Ramsey is a big-time scoring threat who can fill it up from anywhere on the floor. He's at his best when he's attacking the rim, where he can convert or get to the free-throw line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2420786' first='AJ' last='Harder'] (Tri-Center): 19.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 3.8 steals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>A quick-twitch athlete who puts constant pressure on opposing teams with his speed, vision, and IQ, Harder stuffs the stat sheet on both ends of the floor on a nightly basis for the Trojans. He led the team in scoring, assists, and steals as a sophomore. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2731691' first='Garrett' last='Luett'] (Underwood): 17.8 points, 13.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 64.4 FG%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Luett put up huge numbers as a junior for the Eagles, the lone returnee from the 2023-24 state tournament team. He's a menace on the glass on both ends of the floor, using his athleticism and non-stop motor to dominate the rebounding column on the stat sheet on a nightly basis.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2628806' first='Tyler' last='Baatz'] (Tri-Center): 15.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.1 steals, 61.4 FG%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Baatz pairs with Harder to give the Trojans arguably the best one-two punch in the conference. He's a strong interior scorer and rebounder who can impact the game on both ends of the floor with his size, toughness, and athleticism.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Second Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 Layton Maassen (Missouri Valley)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2833545' first='Collin' last='Harder'] (AHSTW)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2853953' first='Peyton' last='Amdor'] (Riverside)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2886836' first='Ethan' last='Hill'] (Treynor)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2906407' first='Nolan' last='Baker'] (Underwood)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Honorable Mentions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2854701' first='Owen' last='Fenner'] (Riverside)<br>2026 Brody Schultes (Audubon)<br>2027 Brodie Davis (Logan-Magnolia)<br>2026 Jason Kastner (Logan-Magnolia)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2413619' first='Corbin' last='Thien'] (Treynor)<br>2027 Cole Jeppesen (Riverside)<br>2026 Ryder O'Dowd (Missouri Valley)<br></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->