Central's Cason Named American Rivers Conference Rookie of the Year

Sophomore forward Owen Schipper also named to All-Conference Second Team

Published on Mar. 4, 2026

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Freshman guard Kyle Cason became the first Central College men's basketball player to win the American Rivers Conference Rookie of the Year honors. Sophomore forward Owen Schipper was picked to the All-Conference Second Team for the second year in a row, while Cason and sophomore forward Anthony Gott were tabbed as Honorable Mentions.

Why it matters

This recognition highlights the talent and potential of Central College's men's basketball program, which has seen several standout individual performances despite a challenging overall season for the team.

The details

Cason led Central with 226 points in the 16 conference games, averaging 14.1 points per game. He also contributed 87 rebounds and 27 assists, with four league games of 20 or more points and a pair of double-doubles. Schipper scored 203 points for an average of 12.7 points per league game and led the Dutch with 142 rebounds. Gott scored 208 points in 15 conference contests, averaging 13.9 per game, and had 94 rebounds and 31 blocks.

  • The awards were released on Tuesday, March 4, 2026.

The players

Kyle Cason

A freshman guard at Central College who was named the American Rivers Conference Rookie of the Year.

Owen Schipper

A sophomore forward at Central College who was named to the All-Conference Second Team for the second year in a row.

Anthony Gott

A sophomore forward at Central College who was named an Honorable Mention.

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The takeaway

Central College's men's basketball program has shown promise for the future, with several young players earning conference recognition despite the team's overall struggles this season. The individual accolades highlight the talent and potential within the program, which will look to build on this success in the coming years.