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 (15-8 last season, 43.0% of scoring returning): </strong>The Trojans have a new man at the helm, with former West Branch coach Jason Kern taking over for the legendary Steve Bergman. Kern inherits a roster that lost it's top two scorers from last year's team, with Jack McCaffery graduating, and [player_tooltip player_id='1765527' first='Julian' last='Manson'] enrolling early at Iowa for football. They may also be without [player_tooltip player_id='1792287' first='Mason' last='Goering'], who was third on the team in scoring, battling injuries from football season. That would leave senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='1978119' first='Ethan' last='Headings'] (7.0) and junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2754669' first='KingSton' last='Swayzer'] (3.5) as the top returnees. Under Kern, the Trojans may be a little more up-tempo, and they should have some athletes to play that style. There are going to be a lot of new faces in the rotation, but this is a school with a ton of tradition and ample turnout.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kennedy (20-5, 31.1%): </strong>The Cougars lost their top three scorers to graduation, including one of the best players in the school's history, Trey McKowen. While they lost a ton of production, they do bring back several players who saw significant playing time last season, headlined by senior wing [player_tooltip player_id='2399474' first='Sharief' last='Thomas'] (6.8, 40.6 3P%) and junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2164515' first='Jaxson' last='Bean'] (5.4, 39.2 3P%). Thomas is a long, athletic wing who can score from all three levels, while Bean figures to have the ball in his hands quite a bit this season as the team's playmaker. [player_tooltip player_id='1978105' first='Justin' last='Powell'] (4.5, 36.4 3P%) and [player_tooltip player_id='2886904' first='Deacon' last='Kucera'] (3.2, 35.7 3P%) each saw a good amount of time last season, and both are also capable shooting threats. Look for players like [player_tooltip player_id='2521849' first='Adam' last='Strasburger'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2419856' first='Carter' last='Cook'] to step into complementary roles this season, and freshman guard Drew McKowen is the next in the line of the McKowen boys to come through Kennedy. He may step into the starting lineup right away. The Cougs probably don't have a dominant scorer this winter as they have in recent years, but they should once again be deep, fast, athletic, and talented.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Liberty (2-21, 73.0%): </strong>The Lightning bring back two of their top three scorers and all but two pieces from last year's rotation. They'll be led by a pair of juniors - guard [player_tooltip player_id='2118611' first='Jerimiah' last='Washpun'] (19.0) and wing [player_tooltip player_id='2754672' first='Brady' last='Randall'] (9.0, 38.5 3P%). Washpun is a gifted scorer who can create quality looks for himself and his teammates off the dribble, while Randall is a long, skilled wing who shoots it at a high clip, especially off the catch, from the arc. Sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2772349' first='Chase' last='Goodheart'] (7.9) showed some real flashes throughout his freshman year, and junior Rylen Schweitzer (4.0) and seniors Quayshon Harrington-Johnson (2.6), Keshawn Wyldon (1.8), and Asher Kahn (1.8) all saw some time last season and return. Washpun will be one of the most explosive scorers in the league again, and with plenty of experience back, the Lightning should be more competitive on a nightly basis and add several more wins to their record this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Linn-Mar (22-3, 27.6%): </strong>The Lions were hit hard by graduation, losing four of their top five scorers from what was their best team in a decade. That said, the one returnee among that top five is [player_tooltip player_id='2204894' first='Tyler' last='Hilton'] (11.9, 7.0 rebounds, 61.9 FG%), who was fantastic last season in a breakout junior year. A long, athletic 6-6 wing who can score from anywhere on the floor, he's also a versatile, skilled defender. [player_tooltip player_id='2114707' first='Karson' last='Rains'] (4.0) was a solid contributor as a sophomore and will step into the starting point guard role, and junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='2617475' first='Blake' last='Ritze'] is a promising young big man who can protect the rim and finish around the bucket. Linn-Mar lost a ton of production and talent, but as one of the biggest schools in the state, they should have plenty of options to fill in the rotation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Senior (17-7, 72.3%): </strong>The Rams bring back their top three scorers for a team that reached the state tournament last season. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1172887' first='Tevin' last='Schultz'] (18.1, 7.0 rebounds, 58.2 FG%), headed to play his college ball at Rockhurst, is one of the top scorers in the state. He does a great job using his 6-6/6-7 frame, strength, and athleticism to dominate games on that end of the floor. He scores inside and out and can control the glass. Senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1765555' first='Drake' last='Medinger'] (13.6, 50.0 3P%) is an electric scorer on the perimeter who can really shoot it from the 3-point line, and he's also a great athlete who finishes above the rim with authority. [player_tooltip player_id='1765536' first='Cooper' last='Porter'] (8.0, 3.0 assists) is the other notable returnee for the Rams, a good playmaker who sets his teammates up well. The rest of Senior's rotation will be filled with new faces, but Wendell Eimers has done a fantastic job building up this program from top-to-bottom, and they should have plenty of viable options to fill in the gaps.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Western Dubuque (5-17, 41.3%):</strong> The Bobcats lost four of the top five scorers to either graduation or transfer, leaving junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='2919862' first='Willie' last='Williams Jr'] (8.5) as the lone returnee among the top five from last year's group. Williams is a quick guard who likes to attack the rim, and he contributes on the glass on both ends of the floor. Kogan Kluesner (3.6), Logan Plumley (3.5), and Grey Knepper (2.6) each saw time last season and will be asked to step into bigger roles, and sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='2523914' first='Lincoln' last='Hickie'] could emerge as one of their best players this winter. In a league loaded with returning talent, Western Dubuque will probably struggle to grab many wins.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Xavier (16-10, 60.5%): </strong>Three of the top four scorers return for a Saints team that reached the 3A semifinals last season. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1978144' first='Zander' last='Murray'] (14.4, 35.7 3P%), [player_tooltip player_id='1765554' first='AJ' last='Evans'] (11.0, 7.5 rebounds, 2.0 blocks), and [player_tooltip player_id='1361499' first='Lorenzo' last='Pino'] (7.8, 3.4 assists) have a ton of experience and will be the headliners of the group. Evans has signed to play at James Madison and is a big-time rim protector and interior scorer. Murray shoots it well from the 3-point line, and Pino is a talented playmaker who sets the table well. Several role players return alongside the Saints' trio of standouts, and this group should be considered one of the favorites to win it all in 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. Kennedy<br>2. Senior<br>3. Xavier<br>4. Linn-Mar<br>5. Iowa City West<br>6. Liberty<br>7. Western Dubuque</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis:</strong> Kennedy has run the MVC in recent years, and that continues here. The Cougars lost a ton of production, but are once again loaded with talent and have the best coach in the division. That said, Senior, Xavier, Linn-Mar, and Iowa City West should all be formidable, and Liberty should be improved.</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>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1172887' first='Tevin' last='Schultz'] (Senior): </strong>This division is once again loaded with talent, but Schultz stands out above the rest. A strong, physical forward who can score inside and out, he's a dominant all-around offensive weapon for the Rams, who will be one of the top teams in the division. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2026 Tevin Schulz (Senior)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765555' first='Drake' last='Medinger'] (Senior)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765536' first='Cooper' last='Porter'] (Senior)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2118611' first='Jerimiah' last='Washpun'] (Liberty)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2754672' first='Brady' last='Randall'] (Liberty)<br>2028 Chase Goodhart (Liberty)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765554' first='AJ' last='Evans'] (Xavier)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1978144' first='Zander' last='Murray'] (Xavier)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1361499' first='Lorenzo' last='Pino'] (Xavier)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2204894' first='Tyler' last='Hilton'] (Linn-Mar)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2114707' first='Karson' last='Rains'] (Linn-Mar)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2617475' first='Blake' last='Ritze'] (Linn-Mar)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2919862' first='Willie' last='Williams Jr'] (Western Dubuque)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='2399474' first='Sharief' last='Thomas'] (Kennedy)<br>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2164515' first='Jaxson' last='Bean'] (Kennedy)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->