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>Cedar Falls (16-6, 60.6% of scoring returning): </strong>Leading scorer Dallas Bear graduated, but the Tigers bring back their next three from last year's team, and also have a really talented sophomore ready to step up and become a major contributor. The top returnees are junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1199979' first='Anthony' last='Galvin'] (13.1, 42.4 3P%) and senior forwards [player_tooltip player_id='1171693' first='Cade' last='Courbat'] (12.6, 2.6 blocks) and [player_tooltip player_id='1376677' first='Jake' last='Peters'] (5.7). Galvin is a fantastic shooter both off the dribble and the catch as well as a gifted playmaker who can create shots for his teammates. Courbat is one of the most athletic forwards in the state, a bouncy athlete who can protect the rim and he has rapidly improved as an offensive weapon. Peters is a big body in the paint who can control the glass, and senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1440273' first='Aiden' last='Heth'] (3.1) gives them some more shooting and will allow Galvin to occasionally move off the ball. The X-factor for this group will be sophomore forward [player_tooltip player_id='1765553' first='William' last='Gerdes'], who had a sensational summer that led to scholarship offers from Bryant and Nebraska. At 6-9, he can space the floor, protect the rim, and create off the dribble. This is the most talented roster in the division, and the Tigers have to be considered the favorite here. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Cedar Rapids Washington (13-10, 9.8%): </strong>The top six scorers from last year's team graduated, leaving senior J'Quari Willis (2.9), junior [player_tooltip player_id='2721435' first='Jaxton' last='Schroeder'] (2.8), and senior Kwaevon China (2.1) as the top returnees. Willis is a forward who does all of his damage inside the arc, as is Schroeder, while China is an athletic scoring guard who can create off the dribble. Another new name to keep an eye on here is [player_tooltip player_id='2204889' first='Preston' last='Blanchett Jr'], a big scoring wing who can shoot it and pound the glass on both ends of the floor. There will be a ton of new faces taking the floor for the Warriors this season, and it could be a long winter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>City (8-15, 32.0%):</strong> The Little Hawks lost five of their top six scorers from last year's team, with four of them graduating and 2026 standout Samuel Mbingazo moving back to California. That leaves junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1381427' first='Trey' last='Wright'] (9.6) as the top returnee. Wright is a quick playmaking guard who is at his best when he's playing downhill and putting pressure on opposing defenses. [player_tooltip player_id='1587750' first='Nolan' last='Mcdonald'] (3.6), Parker Sutherland (2.3), and [player_tooltip player_id='1738961' first='AJ' last='Wright'] (2.0) are the other returnees with significant experience back for the Little Hawkes. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Liberty (8-14, 50.2%): </strong>The Lightning lost Da'Shon Fisher, the best player in the school's young history, to graduation, and in total, lost two of the top three scorers from last year's team. But there is some reason for optimism in North Liberty, as this is a group filled with players who had very productive summers. [player_tooltip player_id='1376683' first='Trey' last='Hughes'] (11.5, 41.3 3P%) and [player_tooltip player_id='1288908' first='Gage' last='Kampman'] (7.1, 2.2 blocks) were both really good with the [program_tooltip program_id='2246861' first='Iowa' last='Barnstormers']. Hughes is a fantastic shooter off the catch who has also really improved as a creator and ball-handler. Kampman is an athletic forward who can protect the rim extremely well, control the glass, and his offensive game has come a long way in the last year. [player_tooltip player_id='1288878' first='Cooper' last='Webb'] (3.5) had a great summer with the [program_tooltip program_id='2078380' first='Iowa' last='Mavs'], and if he can carry that momentum into the high school season, it would be huge for Liberty. He's a big, long wing at 6-7 who can shoot it and provide versatility on the defensive end. Junior guard Maddox Coapstick (4.5) and seniors Jailyn Buchanan (3.9), Shea Sanders (1.7), and Trey Williams (0.6) also return with plenty of experience. The Lightning probably don't have the top-end talent that Linn-Mar or Cedar Falls have, but this team should be pretty deep, and they have a number of players who have improved a lot and look like they're ready to step into bigger roles. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Linn-Mar (10-14, 66.9%): </strong>The Lions had an up-and-down year last season, as should be expected with a really young team. They had some great wins over teams like Bettendorf, Iowa City West, and Indianola, but also struggled to compete against some of the top teams in the conference on a consistent basis. With a really strong junior class leading the way, they should be improved and more competitive this season. [player_tooltip player_id='1381412' first='Davis' last='Kern'] (19.5, 7.3 rebounds, 1.9 blocks) is a dominant two-way force in the paint who can control the glass, protect the rim, and stretch the floor. He was one of the best players in the state throughout the summer. [player_tooltip player_id='1484413' first='Payson' last='Nietert'] (8.3, 38.6 3P%) gives them some additional shooting on the perimeter, and he has really good size on the wing, allowing him to get his shot off pretty much whenever he wants. Junior point guard [player_tooltip player_id='1514455' first='Mason' last='Matson'] (3.9) had a really good summer and looks like he's ready to step into a bigger role this season. He's quick, athletic, and gets his teammates involved at a high level. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id='1587751' first='Owen' last='Havlik'] (5.1) and [player_tooltip player_id='2325421' first='Matthew' last='Darbouze'] (1.8) are the other key returnees for the Lions. Havlik is a good all-around player who can play with or without the ball in his hands, while Darbouze is an athletic forward who rebounds and scores around the rim. This group may still be a year away from serious contention, but they'll be improved and if a few things go their way, they could push Cedar Falls at the top of the division. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Prairie (5-17, 46.1%): </strong>The Hawks have a new coach roaming the sidelines as Todd Kuntz takes over the program, coming to Cedar Rapids from Dunkerton, where he put together a dynamic, up-tempo offensive team that loved to play fast and apply pressure. Senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1376680' first='Reid' last='Burkle'] (9.4, 6.5 rebounds) is the top returnee. Burkle is an athletic, physical forward who can control the glass and protect the paint defensively. Look for junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1951800' first='Devin' last='Ikeda'] (3.5) to take a step up and become an impact player for the Hawks this season. He has good size at 6-7, is mobile, and can stretch the floor. There will be a lot of new faces on the floor for Prairie this season with three of the top four from last year's team graduating, but there is a good amount of young talent in the system and Kuntz should have this program turned back around soon.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wahlert (13-11, 8.0%):</strong> Another team in this division that has a lot of firepower to replace, the Golden Eagles lost their top six scorers from last year's team. Junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1288882' first='Ethan' last='Meyer'] (2.0) and senior Charlie Becker (1.9) are the top returnees. Meyer is a skilled combo forward who can score inside or stretch the floor, and he can also provide some versatility on the defensive end of the floor. He'll be the focal point for Wahlert this season, and the rest of the roster will be very inexperienced. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Western Dubuque (10-13, 34.0%): </strong>The Bobcats lost four of their top five scorers from last year's team, but bring back forward [player_tooltip player_id='1288920' first='Kanyon' last='Bryte'] (13.9, 7.7 rebounds), giving them one of the best players in the division. Bryte is an athletic 6-6/6-7 forward who scores inside and out with remarkable efficiency, posting 54-48 shooting splits last season, and he had a great summer and fall camp season. He'll need to be dominant on both ends of the floor for a Western Dubuque team that has a lot of production to replace. Jake Goodman (3.9), Colin McDermott (2.5), and Jackson Skrtich (2.4) are the only other returnees with significant experience. </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. Cedar Falls<br>2. Linn-Mar<br>3. Liberty<br>4. Western Dubuque<br>5. Prairie<br>6. Wahlert<br>7. Cedar Rapids Washington<br>8. City</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Analysis:</strong> This is certainly the weaker of the two divisions in the MVC this season, and Cedar Falls should be able to take advantage of that. The Tigers are really talented. Linn-Mar should be improved and have the best player in the division in Kern, while Liberty could be a contender as well.</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>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381412' first='Davis' last='Kern'] (Linn-Mar):</strong> A versatile stretch-4 who can really shoot it from deep, Kern is one of the best two-way players in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>Players to Watch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381412' first='Davis' last='Kern'] (Linn-Mar)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1484413' first='Payson' last='Nietert'] (Linn-Mar)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1514455' first='Mason' last='Matson'] (Linn-Mar)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1587751' first='Owen' last='Havlik'] (Linn-Mar)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='2325421' first='Matthew' last='Darbouze'] (Linn-Mar)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1199979' first='Anthony' last='Galvin'] (Cedar Falls)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1171693' first='Cade' last='Courbat'] (Cedar Falls)<br>2026 [player_tooltip player_id='1765553' first='William' last='Gerdes'] (Cedar Falls)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376677' first='Jake' last='Peters'] (Cedar Falls)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1440273' first='Aiden' last='Heth'] (Cedar Falls)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1288908' first='Gage' last='Kampman'] (Liberty)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376683' first='Trey' last='Hughes'] (Liberty)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1288878' first='Cooper' last='Webb'] (Liberty)<br>2025 Maddox Coapstick (Liberty)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1288920' first='Kanyon' last='Bryte'] (Western Dubuque)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1376680' first='Reid' last='Burkle'] (Prairie)<br>2024 [player_tooltip player_id='1587750' first='Nolan' last='Mcdonald'] (City)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1381427' first='Trey' last='Wright'] (City)<br>2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1288882' first='Ethan' last='Meyer'] (Wahlert)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->