Preseason All-Conference Teams: War Eagle

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Player of the Year: </strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2756998' first='Alex' last='Kruger'] (Sibley-Ocheyedan)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>You could make pretty strong arguments for any of the players on the first team to be the Preseason POY pick in the War Eagle, but we'll side with Kruger, a dynamic three-level scoring threat who looks primed to have a huge senior year for a Generals team that should compete for the league crown.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>First Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2756998' first='Alex' last='Kruger'] (Sibley-Ocheyedan): 15.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 37.1 3P%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Generals, despite losing a ton of production, should be considered one of the favorites in the league this winter in large part because of how good Kruger is. A dynamic three-level scoring guard, he'll be among the leading scorers in small school basketball this year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2530660' first='Gavin' last='Gerritson'] (West Sioux): 15.4 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gerritson's 15.4 points per game are tops amongst league returnees this season, and with four of the Falcons' next five scorers graduating, he could put up even bigger numbers this season. He's a quick, athletic guard who puts constant pressure on opposing defenses with his speed.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2028 Caden Douma (Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn): 13.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.8 steals, 1.2 blocks</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Douma, a 6-5 forward, is one of the most versatile two-way players in the conference, as evidenced by his stock numbers last season. He can defend one through five at this level and is a quality scoring threat both inside and out. Look for him to emerge as one of the most dominant scorers in the area this winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='2407451' first='Mason' last='Small'] (Gehlen Catholic): 12.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.1 steals, 57.1 FG%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Small is a highly efficient 6-4 forward who shot better than 57% from the floor as a junior to lead the Jays in scoring. Gehlen figures to be one of the best teams in the War Eagle again this winter, and if they're going to climb to the top of the heap, it'll be on the back of Small.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2027 [player_tooltip player_id='3620689' first='Josh' last='Peterson'] (MMCRU): 10.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.7 steals, 1.0 blocks, 70.1 FG%</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Peterson was the fourth leading scorer for the Royals last season but was also the lynchpin of a dominant defensive team that helped MMCRU reach the state tournament for the first time in school history. A strong, mobile defender with good hands and soft touch, he'll be the focal point for the team this season following a number of losses to graduation.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Second Team</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 Cash Sandbulte (George-Little Rock)<br>2028 Dalton Klein (Remsen, St. Mary's)<br>2027 Karter Evans (Harris-Lake Park)<br>2028 Patrick DenHartog (George-Little Rock)<br>2027 Dawson Spies (Hinton)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Honorable Mentions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2027 Bryce Uittenbogaard (Trinity Christian)<br>2028 Jackson Vogt (Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn)<br>2029 Bryson Ver Steeg (George-Little Rock)<br>2029 Jayze Bunkers (Remsen, St. Mary's)<br>2029 Nohlyn Lara (Akron-Westfield)<br>2028 Beau Johnson (Remsen, St. Marys)<br>2028 [player_tooltip player_id='3621189' first='Ronan' last='Higman'] (Akron-Westfield)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->