CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Results of the 2023-24 American Rivers Conference's Men's Basketball Preseason Poll (as voted on by the league's head coaches):
| 2023-24 American Rivers Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll |
| Rank |
School (1st place votes) |
Points |
2023-24 Record |
| 1. |
Central (6) |
61 |
18-7 overall, 13-3 A-R-C (A-R-C Champions) |
| 2. |
Loras (2) |
53 |
17-11 overall, 9-7 A-R-C |
| 3. |
Coe |
49 |
16-13 overall, 7-9 A-R-C (A-R-C Tournament Champions) |
| 4. |
Dubuque (1) |
44 |
19-7 overall, 12-4 A-R-C |
| 5. |
Nebraska Wesleyan |
43 |
16-10 overall, 11-5 A-R-C |
| 6. |
Simpson |
26 |
12-12 overall, 5-11 A-R-C |
| 7. |
Luther |
19 |
9-16 overall, 5-11 A-R-C |
| 8. |
Buena Vista |
15 |
9-16 overall, 2-14 A-R-C |
| 9. |
Wartburg |
14 |
11-15 overall, 8-8 A-R-C |
*Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own teams.
After winning the 18th regular season conference championship in Central College men's basketball history, the Dutch are the coaches' pick to win the 2023-24 American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Championship. Central earned 61 points in the poll and six of the nine first-place votes. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own teams. Loras, finishing runner-up in the tournament, is expected to finish runner-up in the regular season garnering 53 points and two first-place votes. Coe, 2023 tournament champions, were selected in third with 49 points. Receiving the final first-place vote was Dubuque, who added 44 points total in the fourth spot. Nebraska Wesleyan recorded 43 points in the No. 5 spot and Simpson with 26 in the No. 6 spot. Luther, Buena Vista, and Wartburg finished seventh, eighth, ninth, respectively.
New Coaches: None
National Spotlight: The A-R-C has jumped into the national spotlight in recent years with notable NCAA tournament success. It began in 2017 when Wartburg stormed through the conference tournament as the No. 6 seed and marched all the way to the Round of Sixteen. The team that was upset in the tournament semifinals that year, regular-season champion, Nebraska Wesleyan, repeated as regular-season champions the following year and went onto win the conference tournament. Six magical wins later, the P-Wolves lofted the 2018 national championship trophy in Salem, Va., with a final victory over Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Nebraska Wesleyan won again in 2019 and advanced to the second round of the national tournament where it suffered a mild upset loss. But NCAA at-large Loras carried the A-R-C banner, beating Albion in round one and then North Central in round two of the Cardinals' home court. In what turned out to be a COVID haze of late winter, the 2020 championships -- both regular season and conference tournament -- went to the Prairie Wolves again and they won a first-round game before losing in round two. Two seasons ago saw the Dubuque Spartans earn the A-R-C automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament where they fell in overtime to Case Western in the first round. Last season, Coe, as the No. 6 seed in the A-R-C tournament, came by surprise, after being the last team in the tournament, and earned the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament where they fell short in the opening round to WashU.
If you are keeping track there, that's a national championship and two Sweet 16s in the last six tournaments and an aggregate record of 12-6.
The Schedule: Two of the nine league schools kick off the 2023-24 season on Wednesday, November 8th with two Midwest Conference (MWC) opponents. Coe will hit the road to Cornell and Luther will go to Grinnell.
All nine schools are in action on Saturday, November 11th, with seven programs kicking off their season. Buena Vista will travel to Fulton, Missouri to take on Westminster hailing from the Saint Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC). Central will tip-off their season in Dubuque, Iowa at the Loras Mike Molstead Motors Tipoff Classic, where they open with Concordia (Wis.) out of the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC). Dubuque will stay at home for opening weekend with Blackburn College from the SLIAC. Loras hosting their own tournament to begin the season, will begin their quest for success again versus Principia, from the SLIAC. Simpson opens with SLIAC opponent, Fontbonne, on the road. Nebraska Wesleyan is headed to Colorado to begin their campaign and open with Colorado College. Wartburg opens up at home against Macalster, out of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC).
The 2023-24 American Rivers Conference schedule begins on Tuesday, November 21 with eight of the nine schools competing. Central will host Simpson, Nebraska Wesleyan will travel to Dubuque, Loras faces off against the Kohawks in Cedar Rapids, and the Knights host Luther in Wavely. Buena Vista begins their conference slate when they host Central on Wednesday, November 29.
The American Rivers Conference season is a 16-game double round-robin schedule finishing on Saturday, February 17. The league's top six teams from the regular season standings qualify for the A-R-C Tournament. The Conference Tournament will be held Tuesday, February 20 (First Round), Thursday, February 22 (Semifinals), and Saturday, February 24 (Championship). Game locations for the A-R-C Tournament are at the higher seeded team's venue. The American Rivers Conference Tournament Champion receives the league's automatic qualifier bid to the 2024 NCAA Division III Tournament.
2022-23 Season in Review: The Central College Dutch claimed their first regular season title since 2014, under first year head coach Joe Steinkamp, with a 13-3 conference record. Being up-ended in the semifinal versus Loras, the Dutch did not appear in the tournament championship game, which left the automatic bid to the NCAA tournament open. The Kohawks took advantage and claimed their first ever AQ tournament championship, defeating Loras in the championship game. Coe finished with a league record of 7-9.
| 1st |
|
Central College
Head Coach: Joe Steinkamp (2nd season)
2022-23 Record: 8-17 overall, 13-3 A-R-C
2022-23 Conference Finish: 1st
Returning All-Conference: Josh Van Gorp (MVP), Grant Johnson (First-Team), Drew Edwards (Honorable Mention)
Starters Returning: 4
Starters Lost: 1
Joe Steinkamp - "We have had a great fall, and we really like the progress we have made. The league is deep with great players and great coaches. I expect a lot of close games, and a lot of parity throughout the conference schedule." |
| Players to Watch: |
2022-23 Statistics |
| Josh Van Gorp - Center (Sr.) |
17.52 ppg // 7.56 rpg // 68 FG% // 37 blocks // 13 assists // 6 steals |
| Grant Johnson - Forward (Fifth Year) |
11.08 ppg // 8.44 rpg // 116 assists // 69 blocks |
| Drew Edwards - Guard (Fifth Year) |
5.96 ppg // 5.88 rpg // 121 assists // 16 steals |
| Kole Tupa - Forward (Sr.) |
6.72 ppg // 4.36 rpg // 69 assists // 17 steals // 17 blocks |
| Kaleb Brand - Guard (Sr.) |
8.36 ppg // 37 assists // 12 blocks // 10 steals |
| Nolan Brand - Forward (Sr.) |
4.12 ppg // 3.44 rpg // 20 assists // 11 steals |
| 2nd |
|
Loras College
Head Coach: Chris Martin (8th season)
2022-23 Record: 18-9 overall, 9-7 A-R-C
2022-23 Conference Finish: 4th
Returning All-Conference: Ali Sabet (First-Team), Tyler Bass (Second-Team)
Starters Returning: 5
Starters Lost: 0
Chris Martin - "We are excited for the season to get started! With very few all-conference players graduating and the depth of the league last year, this year is shaping up to be a great year in our league. We are looking forward to continuing to prove that A-R-C is one of the best basketball conferences in the country." |
| Players to Watch: |
2022-23 Statistics |
| Myles Barry - Guard (Sr.) |
9.25 ppg // 3.71 rpg // 84 FT% // 102 assists // 27 steals |
| Declan Ciurlik - Forward (Sr.) |
10.96 ppg // 3.61 rpg // 73 assists // 37 steals |
| Ali Sabet - Guard (Sr.) |
17.36 ppg // 3.32 rpg // 86 FT% // 68 assists // 20 steals |
| Alex Singleton - Forward (Jr.) |
9.68 ppg // 6.5 rpg // 56 FG% // 27 assists // 18 blocks // 16 steals |
| Tyler Bass - Forward (Jr.) |
13.86 ppg // 7.0 rpg // 86 FT% // 27 assists // 24 steals |
| 3rd |
|
Coe College
Head Coach: Bryan Martin (11th season)
2022-23 Record: 16-13 overall, 7-9 A-R-C
2022-23 Conference Finish: 6th
Returning All-Conference: Cael Schmitt (Defensive MVP), TJ Schnurr (First-Team)
Starters Returning: 4
Starters Lost: 1
Bryan Martin - "We will rely heavily on the leadership and experience of our eight outstanding seniors. Our league has earned a lot of national respect over the last few years and we expect that trend to continue this season. Each team in the A-R-C has plenty of talented players and is well-coached so we know we will have to compete at a very high level each game." |
| Players to Watch: |
2022-23 Statistics |
| Cael Schmitt - Guard (Sr.) |
17.83 ppg // 3.24 rpg // 96 assists // 48 steals |
| TJ Schnurr - Forward (Fifth Year) |
17.03 ppg // 6.79 rpg // 80 FT% // 32 assists // 30 blocks // 15 steals |
| John Steffen - Guard (Sr.) |
7.0 ppg // 4.52 rpg // 52 FG% // 50 assists // 22 steals // 9 blocks |
| Bennett Sherry - Forward (Jr.) |
5.68 ppg // 4.8 rpg // 35 steals // 23 blocks // 23 assists |
| 4th |
|
University of Dubuque
Head Coach: Robbie Sieverding (17th season)
2022-23 Record: 19-7 overall, 12-4 A-R-C
2022-23 Conference Finish: 2nd
Returning All-Conference: Jaylin McCants (First-Team), Sam Kilburg (Second-Team), Brock Simon (Honorable Mention)
Starters Returning: 3
Starters Lost: 2
Robbie Sieverding - "We are looking forward to what should be a very balance and strong year in the A-R-C. The league is full of very good players and I expect another tight finish this year." |
| Players to Watch: |
2022-23 Statistics |
| Jaylin McCants - Forward (Jr.) |
16.28 ppg // 5.92 rpg // 70 FT% // 39 assists // 35 steals // 26 blocks |
| Sam Kilburg - Guard (Sr.) |
9.04 ppg // 112 assists // 37 steals |
| Brock Simon - Forward (Fifth Year) |
10.35 ppg // 6.08 rpg // 49 FG% // 80 assists // 26 steals // 24 blocks |
| Dylan Anderson - Foward (Fifth Year) |
5.0 ppg // 3.69 rpg // 19 steals // 11 assists |
| Cade Guinn - Center (So.) |
2 steals // 2 blocks |
| Wiley Sherburne - Foward (So.) |
3 steals |
| 5th |
|
Nebraska Wesleyan University
Head Coach: Dale Wellman (10th season)
2022-23 Record: 16-10 overall, 11-5 A-R-C
2022-23 Conference Finish: 3rd
Returning All-Conference: Peter Lash (First-Team), Landon Torneton (Honorable Mention), Carter Glenn (Honorable Mention)
Starters Returning: 4
Starters Lost: 1
Dale Wellman - "Should be a lot of good teams in the league this year. Every first-team All-A-R-C guy is back I believe, so should be another fun year to compete." |
| Players to Watch: |
2022-23 Statistics |
| Peter Lash - Forward (Jr.) |
21.35 ppg // 8.15 rpg // 81 FT% // 47 assists // 31 steals // 11 blocks |
| Carter Glenn - Guard (Jr.) |
11.15 ppg // 2.73 rpg // 74 FT% // 80 assists // 39 steals |
| Landon Torneton - Guard (Sr.) |
8.84 ppg // 4.2 rpg // 49 FG% // 33 assists // 30 steals // 15 blocks |
| Jack Groeteke - Center (Jr.) |
7.48 ppg // 3.24 rpg // 78 FT% // 22 blocks |
| 6th |
|
Simpson College
Head Coach: Brad Bjorkgren (9th season)
2022-23 Record: 12-12 overall, 5-11 overall
2022-23 Conference Finish: 7th
Returning All-Conference: Easton Darling (First-Team), Andrew Gibb (Honorable Mention)
Starters Returning: 3
Starters Lost: 2
Brad Bjorkgren - "We are looking forward to another year of competing in the A-R-C. We have numerous guys that have made commitment to getting better in the off-season and we are excited to see how well they will play together. Having only two home games in non-conference play will prepare us for the upcoming conference schedule." |
| Players to Watch: |
2022-23 Statistics |
| Easton Darling - Guard (Sr.) |
16.25 ppg // 3.42 rpg // 47 assists // 24 steals // 5 blocks |
| Andrew Gibb - Forward (Sr.) |
14.67 ppg // 6.54 rpg // 42 assists // 20 steals |
| Andrew Curran - Guard (Sr.) |
12.88 ppg // 3.0 rpg // 90 FT% // 77 assists // 15 steals |
| Jack Hutchinson - Guard (Jr.) |
7.0 ppg // 4.5 rpg // 6 assists |
| Caden Rehmeier - Forward (Jr.) |
5.21 ppg // 85 FT% // 8 assists |
| 7th |
|
Luther College
Head Coach: Mark Franzen (18th season)
2022-23 Record: 9-16 overall, 5-11 A-R-C
2022-23 Conference Finish: 7th
Returning All-Conference: Ben Gill (Second-Team)
Starters Returning: 4
Starters Lost: 1
Mark Franzen - "Our veteran players are looking forward to the challenge of competing in the A-R-C this season." |
| Players to Watch: |
2022-23 Statistics |
| Ben Gill - Center (Sr.) |
9.04 ppg // 4.22 rpg // 53 FG% // 26 assists // 13 blocks |
| Andrew Lazinbat - Guard (Sr.) |
7.28 ppg // 2.92 rpg // 81 FT% // 60 assists // 20 steals |
| Daniel Webster - Guard (Sr.) |
6.36 ppg // 3.52 rpg // 19 assists // 10 blocks |
| 8th |
|
Buena Vista University
Head Coach: Trevor Johnson (5th season)
2022-23 Record: 9-16 overall, 2-14 A-R-C
2022-23 Conference Finish: 9th
Returning All-Conference: Zane Neubaum (Second-Team)
Starters Returning: 5
Starters Lost: 0
Trevor Johnson - "We are looking forward to another extremely competitive year in the A-R-C. The league has proven to be one of the deepest in the country making every game a tough test. It should be another exciting season." |
| Players to Watch: |
2022-23 Statistics |
| Zane Neubaum - Forward (Sr.) |
18.36 ppg // 5.16 rpg // 40 assists // 33 steals // 14 blocks |
| Simon Daniel - Guard (Jr.) |
7.76 ppg // 2.84 rpg // 38 assists // 25 steals |
| Gunner Reed - Forward (Sr.) |
10.32 ppg // 6.12 rpg // 40 assists // 29 steals // 13 blocks |
| 9th |
|
Wartburg College
Head Coach: Dick Peth (267h season)
2022-23 Record: 11-15 overall, 8-8 A-R-C
2022-23 Conference Finish: 5th
Returning All-Conference: None
Starters Returning: 1
Starters Lost: 4
Dick Peth - "The early practices have allowed us to work with our new players and help them transition to the college game much sooner. We expect our team to look much different this year and we're excited to see the progress we make. We look forward to another very competitive season in the American Rivers Conference." |
| Players to Watch: |
2022-23 Statistics |
| Marshun Williams - Forward (Sr.) |
12.04 ppg // 6.15 rpg // 52 FG% // 29 assists // 17 steals // 10 blocks |
| Trent Allard - Center (Sr.) |
3.19 ppg // 3.5 rpg // 55 FG% // 7 assists |
| Richie Rosenblum - Guard (Jr.) |
1.75 ppg // 10 assists |
