After pouring through oodles of statistics, all-state, all-conference and all-area teams, last year's state tournament bracket and plenty of postseason rankings, we have uncovered our Minuteman Conference projections for 2025-26.
Following a three-game skid in late January, Garden County rolled through February with a spotless 8-0 record a year ago. Unfortunately, March rolled around, and the Eagles dropped a 48-29 decision to Fullerton in the D2-6 District Final ending their season at 17-8.
Garden County head coach Chad Dormann will look to the leadership of junior Kole Fornander, senior Wilsie Lobner, sophomore Blake Dean and junior Javis Underwood to take the next step.
Fornander returns following a sophomore season in which he averaged 11.9 points and corralled 5.0 rebounds a contest to go with 33 assists, 60 steals and four blocked shots while Lobner ripped the cords for 11.2 points and pulled down 6.0 boards per game and added 25 assists, 54 steals and 26 blocked shots.
Dean and Underwood, meanwhile, combined for 13.8 points and 9.8 rebounds on average.
Leyton went 10-13 a year ago but returns five players that recorded scoring averages between 7.5 and 13.0 points a game. Back to lead James Rushman's squad is junior Calvin Borgmann who averaged 13.0 points and 4.2 boards a contest and dished out 45 assists, stole 37 enemy balls and blocked three shots.
Enough of my rambling. Enjoy!
Boys Minuteman Conference
Garden County (17-8)
Leyton (10-13)
Creek Valley (9-12)
South Platte (14-10)
Potter-Dix (6-15)
Bayard (6-17)
Banner County (2-20)
Minatare (1-14)
Garden County
2024-25 Record: 17-8
Record Over Past Decade: 128-99
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Chad Dormann
Top Returning Players:
Junior Kole Fornander | 5-foot-8
11.9 Points | 5.0 Rebounds | 33 Assists | 60 Steals | 4 Blocked Shots
Honorable Mention Class D2 Lincoln journal Star
Senior Wilsie Lobner | 6-foot-1
11.2 Points | 6.0 Rebounds | 25 Assists | 54 Steals | 26 Blocked Shots
Honorable Mention Class D2 Lincoln journal Star
Sophomore Blake Dean | 5-foot-10
6.1 Points | 4.4 Rebounds | 18 Assists | 51 Steals | 10 Blocked Shots
Junior Javis Underwood
7.7 Points | 5.4 Rebounds | 57 Assists | 37 Steals | 5 Blocked Shots
Leyton
2024-25 Record: 10-13
Record Over Past Decade: 111-106
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: James Rushman
Top Returning Players:
Junior Calvin Borgmann | 6-foot-1
13.0 Points | 4.2 Rebounds | 45 Assists | 37 Steals | 3 Blocked Shots
Honorable Mention Class D2 Lincoln Journal Star
Senior Kaleb Miller | 6-foot-4
8.7 Points | 7.6 Rebounds | 11 Assists | 30 Steals | 22 Blocked Shots
Junior Austin Beutler | 6-foot-1
7.5 Points | 7.6 Rebounds | 13 Assists | 26 Steals | 8 Blocked Shots
Senior Jeremiah Hajek | 5-foot-10
8.4 Points | 3.4 Rebounds | 30 Assists | 80 Steals | 3 Blocked Shots
Senior Alec Watchorn | 6-foot-1 | Guard
8.1 Points | 5.0 Rebounds | 66 Assists | 48 Steals | 6 Blocked Shots
Creek Valley
2024-25 Record: 9-12
Record Over Past Decade: 75-144
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Aaron Brown
Top Returning Players:
Senior Lane Brenneman | 6-foot-3 | Point Guard
22.4 Points | 9.3 Rebounds | 39 Assists | 40 Steals | 8 Blocked Shots
Honorable Mention All-Minuteman Conference
Senior Mason Timm | 6-foot-4 | Small Forward
11.1 Points | 8.7 Rebounds | 9 Assists | 31 Steals | 38 Blocked Shots
Honorable Mention Class D2 Lincoln Journal Star
Senior Zander Polk | Small Forward
5.1 Points | 3.7 Rebounds | 70 Assists | 27 Steals | 4 Blocked Shots
South Platte
2024-25 Record: 14-10
Record Over Past Decade: 73-133
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Clint Koenen
Top Returning Players:
Junior Conner Evans | 6-foot-4 | Center
8.4 Points | 9.0 Rebounds | 19 Assists | 25 Steals | 41 Blocked Shots
HM Class D2 Omaha World Herald | HM Class C2 Lincoln Journal Star
Senior Oscar Ornelas | 5-foot-11 | Point Guard
6.0 Points | 4.4 Rebounds | 33 Assists | 25 Steals | 0 Blocked Shots
Potter-Dix
2024-25 Record: 6-15
Record Over Past Decade: 92-121
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Cory Michelman
Top Returning Players:
Senior landon Gasseling | 5-foot-11
16.3 Points | 3.1 Rebounds | 7 Assists | 36 Steals | 2 Blocked Shots
HM Class D2 Omaha World Herald | HM Class D2 Lincoln Journal Star
Senior Dylan Tabor | 5-foot-10
10.8 Points | 6.2 Rebounds | 39 Assists | 38 Steals | 15 Blocked Shots
HM Class D2 Omaha World Herald | HM Class D2 Lincoln Journal Star
Junior Trenton Hickman | 6-foot-4
6.8 Points | 4.8 Rebounds | 4 Assists | 21 Steals | 28 Blocked Shots
Bayard
2024-25 Record: 6-17
Record Over Past Decade: 98-131
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Michael Simons
Top Returning Players:
Senior Anderson Gaarder | 6-foot-3 | Forward
7.3 Points | 6.3 Rebounds | 16 Assists | 38 Steals | 7 Blocked Shots
Junior Connor Posey | 6-foot | Center | Guard
7.8 Points | 5.8 Rebounds | 45 Assists | 22 Steals | 4 Blocked Shots
Sophomore Wyatt Edmunds | 6-foot-2 | Forward
7.5 Points | 6.6 Rebounds | 7 Assists | 20 Steals | 12 Blocked Shots
Senior Noah Manka | 6-foot | Guard
7.8 Points | 3.0 Rebounds | 35 Assists | 35 Steals | 3 Blocked Shots
Banner County
2024-25 Record: 2-20
Record Over Past Decade: 12-101
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Jim Revelle
Top Returning Players:
Sophomore Hunter Fankhauser | 5-foot-9 | Guard | Forward
4.5 Points | 3.9 Rebounds | 37 Assists | 46 Steals | 2 Blocked Shots
Sophomore Gabe Collier | 6-foot-1 | Forward
2.2 Points | 5.3 Rebounds | 3 Assists | 14 Steals | 7 Blocked Shots
Senior Logan Mason | 5-foot-9 | Guard
2.0 Points | 1.4 Rebounds | 10 Assists | 12 Steals | 0 Blocked Shots
Minatare
2024-25 Record: 1-14
Record Over Past Decade: 45-145
2024-25 Postseason: Did Not Qualify
Head Coach: Traceten Halley
Top Returning Players:
Senior Hunter Poor Bear | 6-foot-2 | Guard
Senior Cameron LeVasseur | 6-foot-2 | Power Forward
Sophomore Nic Calihua-Gonzales | 5-foot-7 | Guard
