CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The 2022-23 American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) All-Conference Men’s Basketball Team as voted on by the league’s head coaches:

2022-23 All-American Rivers Conference Men's Basketball Team
Most Valuable Player Josh Van Gorp, Jr., Central College
Defensive Player of the Year Cael Schmitt, Jr., Coe College
Coach of the Year Joe Steinkamp, Central College
Most Valuable Player	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Josh Van Gorp $	Central	Jr.	C	Pella, Iowa/Pella Christian
Defensive Player of the Year	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Cael Schmitt ! &	Coe	Jr.	G	Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert Catholic
First Team	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Grant Johnson	Central	Sr.	F	Van Meter, Iowa/Van Meter
Cael Schmitt ! &	Coe	Jr.	G	Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert Catholic
TJ Schnurr	Coe	Jr.	F	Algona, Iowa/Bishop-Garrigan Catholic
Jaylin McCants #	Dubuque	So.	G	Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg
Ali Sabet !	Loras	Jr.	G	Glenview, Ill./Maine East
Peter Lash !	Nebraska Wesleyan	So.	G	Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Christian School
Easton Darling	Simpson	Jr.	G	Winterset, Iowa/Winterset
Jack Molstead # ^	Wartburg	Sr.	G	Charles City, Iowa/Charles City
Second Team	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Zane Neubaum # @	Buena Vista	Jr.	G	Rockwell City, Iowa/South Central Calhoun
Kade Terrell	Central	5th Year	G	Montrose, Colo./Montrose
Sam Kilburg ! @	Dubuque	Jr.	G	Eldridge, Iowa/North Scott
Keegan Zimmerman %	Dubuque	Sr.	F	Eureka, Ill./Eureka
Tyler Bass	Loras	So.	G	Washington, Ill./Washington
Ben Gill #	Luther	Jr.	C	Sydney, Australia/Newington College
Keagan John $	Wartburg	5th Year	G	New Hampton, Iowa/New Hampton
Drew Olson !	Wartburg	5th Year	G	Osage, Iowa/Osage Community School
Honorable Mention	School	Year	Pos.	Hometown/High School
Drew Edwards	Central	Sr.	G	Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie
Brock Simon * # ~	Dubuque	Sr.	G	Cascade, Iowa/Cascade
Walker Andrew	Nebraska Wesleyan	Sr.	F	Littleton, Colo./Heritage
Carter Glenn	Nebraska Wesleyan	So.	G	Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln East
Landon Torneten $	Nebraska Wesleyan	Jr.	F	Council Bluffs, Iowa/Abraham Lincoln
Andrew Gibb	Simpson	Jr.	G	Fort Dodge, Iowa/St. Edmond
Codey Hicks	Wartburg	Sr.	C	Cedar Falls, Iowa/Janesville
Previous Honors
* - 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year
! - 2021-22 First Team All-Conference
# - 2021-22 Second Team All-Conference
$ - 2021-22 Honorable Mention
& - 2020-21 First Team All-Conference
@ - 2020-21 Second Team All-Conference
~ - 2020-21 Defensive Player of the Year
% - 2020-21 Honorable Mention
^ - 2019-20 Honorable Mention

NOTE: The MVP shall have standing as an All-Conference player but is not a member of the first or second team.
NOTE: The defensive player of the year is not honored as All-Conference unless selected to the first or second team by the coaches.
 
The American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) announced today its major men’s basketball awards and the 17-member All-Conference team for the 2022-23 season. Central College junior center Josh Van Gorp (Pella, Iowa/Pella Christian) was named the American Rivers Most Valuable Player and Coe College’s junior guard Cael Schmitt (Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert Catholic) was voted Defensive Player of the Year. Central College head coach Joe Steinkamp earned the honor of American Rivers Conference men’s basketball Coach of the Year for the first time in his career after leading the Dutch to a 13-3 finish in league play.
 
Van Gorp is picking up his first All-Conference selection after being named honorable mention a year ago. He becomes the sixth player from Central to be named Conference MVP joining Matt Greenfield (2014), Miguel Ley (2010), Nate Hart (1992), Steve Muller (1985), Jeff Verhoeff (1979, 1980), and Dennis Van Wyk (1977).
 
In 16 league contests, Van Gorp ranked in the top five in the conference in four different categories: points per game (ppg), field-goal percentage, rebounds per game (rpg), and blocked shots per game. The junior center was second in the league in both field-goal percentage (68.8%) and blocked shots per game (1.4) as he recorded 23 blocked shots on the season. Van Gorp was tied for third in scoring as he finished the conference season averaging 17.3ppg.  Additionally, the Pella native pulled down 110 rebounds to average 6.9 per game.
 
Schmitt is just the second Coe men’s basketball student-athlete to garner Defensive Player of the Year accolades joining Adam McDermott from the 2019-20 season. Additionally, two Coe men’s basketball players picked up MVP honors in 2012 (David Mataloni) and 2006 (Mike Kilburg). In his junior season for the Kohawks, Schmitt played in all 16 conference games, averaging 18.3ppg and 1.87 steals per game. The junior guard was second in the league in scoring and tied for first in steals as he recorded 28 steals on the season. Schmitt also stood in the top 5 in the league in field-goal percentage (41.6%) and assists per game (3.8). In addition to his Defensive Player of the Year nod, Schmitt found a spot on the All-Conference team, garnering first team for the third year in a row.
 
In his first season at the helm of the Dutch men’s basketball program, Steinkamp is earning his first Coach of the Year honor. He joins former head coaches Craig Douma (2014), Mike Boschee (2010), and Jack Walvoord (1991, 1985, 1980, 1978, 1977) who have all earned Coach of the Year accolades. Steinkamp, assisted by Conor Riordan, Mark Holan, Jacob Bennett, and Brian Simpson, guided Central to a 13-3 mark in the 2022-23 conference season. The Central Dutch were crowned American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) Champions for the 18^th time in school history and first since 2014. The Dutch had the fourth-highest point total (73.5) during league play while limiting opponents to 66.5ppg, ranking number two in the conference. With a scoring margin of 7.0-points, Central stood atop the conference. They held their opponents to a conference-best 36.8% field-goal percentage, while shooting 46.6% as a team to sit third in the league.
 
The American Rivers All-Conference first team highlighted players from seven of the league’s nine schools, with five of the eight selections earning at least their second all-conference honors. Three of those athletes are repeat first teamers and two move to first team after earning second team recognition a season ago. The remaining three athletes are first-time all-conference honorees.
 
Joining Van Gorp as a first-team selection from Central is senior forward Grant Johnson (Van Meter, Iowa/Van Meter). Johnson is picking up his first All-Conference recognition in his career after averaging 13.3ppg while shooting 52.6% from the floor. The Van Meter native led the conference in three categories: rebounds per game, assists per game, and blocked shots. Johnson averaged 8.9rpg and 4.9 assists per game while also recording 41 blocked shots.
 
Schmitt is joined by teammate TJ Schnurr (Algona, Iowa/Bishop-Garrigan Catholic) as a first-team selection. Schnurr is collecting his first all-conference honors after finishing conference play averaging 15.3ppgs. The junior forward was third in the league with an 84.3% free throw percentage. Schnurr shot 43-of-41 from the charity stripe during the 16-game conference schedule. Overall, the Algona native shot 53.8% from the floor to put him fifth in the league. On the defensive end, Schnurr recorded 15 blocks which stood fourth in the conference while also pulling down 5.7 rebounds per game.
 
University of Dubuque’s Jaylin McCants (Galesburg, Ill./Galesburg) found his way to first-team this year after earning a spot on the second team a year ago. The sophomore guard finished the year tied for third, averaging 17.3 points per game. McCants shot 46.4% from the floor and 70.2% from the free throw line while also averaging 2.0 assists per game. The Galesburg native finished in the top 10 in the league in steals as he recorded 21 steals.
 
Ali Sabet (Glenview, Ill./Maine East) of Loras College is picking up his second-straight first team all-conference accolades. In 16 conference outings, Sabet averaged 16.4 points per game, which stood fifth-best in the conference. Finishing the year making 37-of-44 free throws, the Glenview native shot 84.1% for the fourth-highest league average.
 
Averaging a conference-best 21.6ppg in 16 league outings was Peter Lash (Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Christian School) of Nebraska Wesleyan. The sophomore guard shot 47.0% from the field including 41.5% from behind the arc which was the sixth-best in the conference. From the free throw line, Lash averaged 79.3% to sit seventh in the league. Additionally, the Charlotte, North Carolina native averaged 8.1 rebounds per game to put him as second-best in the A-R-C. Lash is now a two-time first team all-conference performer as a sophomore.
 
Simpson College’s Easton Darling (Winterset, Iowa/Winterset) is picking up all-conference honors for the first time in his career. Darling was sixth in the conference as he averaged 15.6 points per game while shooting 43.8% from the floor. The Winterset native had a free throw percentage of 78.3%, making 18-of-23. Additionally, Darling averaged 3.6 rebounds per game and 1.9 assists per game.
 
Rounding out the A-R-C First Team All-Conference selections is Wartburg’s Jack Molstead (Charles City, Iowa/Charles City). Molstead is now a two-time all-conference honoree in addition to being named honorable mention in the 2019-2020 season. The senior guard averaged 15.2ppg which is eighth in the conference. Molstead stood in the top five in both three-point field goal percentage and assists per game. The Charles City native shot 42.0% from behind the arc while averaging 4.2 assists per game.