Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Colby Dolphin is MVC Valley Division Player of the Year in boys’ basketball

Other first-team all-MVC picks include Kennedy’s Kenzie Reed, Cedar Rapids Washington’s Trai Sain, Cedar Rapids Xavier’s Aidan Yamilkoski and Joe Bean, Iowa City West’s Jack McCaffery and Iowa City Liberty’s Da’Shon Fisher

Jeff Johnson

Mar. 1, 2023 2:22 pm, Updated: Mar. 1, 2023 9:48 pm

Kennedy’s Colby Dolphin shoots during a substate game between Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Davenport West at Kennedy High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Friday, February 24, 2023. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

CEDAR RAPIDS — Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s Colby Dolphin has been named Valley Division Player of the Year in boys’ basketball, the Mississippi Valley Conference has announced.

Jon McKowen of Kennedy is the division’s Coach of the Year. The Cougars are 22-0 and the top seed in Class 4A at next week’s state tournament in Des Moines.

A senior guard headed to Kirkwood Community College, Dolphin is averaging 16.1 points per game and has set Kennedy’s single-season record for 3-pointers made with 127. He shoots 44.9 percent from beyond the arc and has an effective field-goal percentage of 63.2 percent, which is outstanding for a guard.

Dolphin’s back-court and classmate Kenzie Reed also was a unanimous selection by coaches for the all-Valley Division first team. Reed has set Kennedy’s career record for assists.

The other unanimous first-team all-Valley Division picks are Cedar Rapids Washington senior wing Trai Sain and Iowa City West sophomore forward Jack McCaffery. Sain averaged 15.9 points per game and McCaffery 16.0.

Sophomore Davis Kern of Linn-Mar, senior Daviyon Gaston of Western Dubuque and seniors Keishaun Pendleton and Si’Marion Anderson of Waterloo West are the other first-teamers in the Valley Division.

Aidan Yamiloski and Joe Bean of Cedar Rapids Xavier are first-team selections in the Mississippi Division. Bean averaged 14.4 points and Yamilkoski 17.9 for the Saints, who have qualified for the state tournament in Class 3A.

Yamilkoski was a unanimous first-teamer, joining Da’Shon Fisher of Iowa City Liberty, and Dallas Bear and Cade Courbat of Cedar Falls. Bear is the division’s Player of the Year and Ryan Schultz of Cedar Falls the Coach of the Year.

Senior Fisher, by the way, averaged 22 points per game for Liberty and shot over 55 percent from the field. Nolan Berendes and Duke Faley of Dubuque Wahlert also are Mississippi Division first teamers, as was Jacob Williams of Dubuque Senior.

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Below are the entire All-MVC teams.

All-MVC Mississippi Division

First Team

*Kenzie Reed (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), senior
*Colby Dolphin (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), senior
*Trai Sain (Cedar Rapids Washington), senior
*Jack McCaffery (Iowa City West), sophomore
Daviyon Gaston (Western Dubuque), senior
Davis Kern (Linn-Mar), sophomore
Si’Marion Anderson (Waterloo West), senior
Keishaun Pendleton (Waterloo West), senior
Player of the Year - Colby Dolphin. Coach of the Year - Jon McKowen (Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

Second Team

Micah Schlaak (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), junior
Cyrus Courtney (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), junior
Jesse Sellers (Cedar Rapids Washington), senior
Kanyon Bryte (Western Dubuque), junior
Trey Wright (Iowa City High), sophomore
Reed Strohmeyer (Dubuque Hempstead), sophomore
Kareem Earl (Iowa City West), junior
Jackson Severson (Linn-Mar), senior

Honorable Mention

Carter Newhouse (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), senior
Trey McKowen (Cedar Rapids Kennedy), sophomore
Noah Johnson (Cedar Rapids Washington), senior
Jaden Harris (Cedar Rapids Washington), senior
Jonny Muehring (Dubuque Hempstead), senior
Justin Potts (Dubuque Hempstead), junior
Shamar Benton (Iowa City High), senior
Evan Lampe (Iowa City High), senior
Jacob Koch (Iowa City West), junior
TaeVeon Stevens (Iowa City West), junior
Ian Mindrup (Linn-Mar), senior
Payson Nietert (Linn-Mar), sophomore
Colton McIlrath (Western Dubuque), senior
Caleb Klein (Western Dubuque), senior
Keadyn Leiss-Demus (Waterloo West), senior
Jahlil Manago (Waterloo West), sophomore

All-MVC Valley Division

First Team

*Aidan Yamilkoski (Cedar Rapids Xavier), senior
*Dallas Bear (Cedar Falls), senior
*Cade Courbat (Cedar Falls), junior
*Da’Shon Fisher (Iowa City Liberty), senior
Joe Bean (Cedar Rapids Xavier), junior
Nolan Berendes (Dubuque Wahlert), senior
Duke Faley (Dubuque Wahlert), senior
Jacob Williams (Dubuque Senior), junior
Player of the Year - Dallas Bear. Coach of the Year - Ryan Schultz (Cedar Falls).

Second Team