2025-26 EMAC Preview

This is the 3rd preview in the 2025-2026 season preview series.  For a list of all the season previews and how they are done, click here.

Academy for Sciences and Agriculture Eagles (2024-25 season 2-13, 2-8 Conference, 6th)
Guard Tim Williams has graduated leaving a major hole in the lineup.  Junior center Dakota Bergerson and junior guard James Aung return to the starting lineup.  Soph guard Jordan Thao also returns to the starting lineup.

Avail Academy Valor (2024-25 season 20-5, 11-1 Conference, 1st)
It looks like a rebuilding season at The Crash Pad.  5 seniors graduate from the rotation.  Junior wings Carsten Bruin and Elijah Brockmeier look to the guys to build around.  Seniors Noah Bandstra and Carter Gray look to man inside and guard spots respectively.

Community of Peace Academy Tigers (2024-25 season 7-18, 4-6 Conference, 4th)
Youth will lead the Tigers this season.  Juniors Kahriel Taylor (10.1 PPG) and Pierre Glass-McCoy (8.5 PPG) join soph Zachary Dimmick-Shaw (7.2 PPG) as a guard trio that will lead them.  Junior center Joey Myatt is a big body inside that is tough to guard.  Only 2 seniors return so this group will continue to be the main guys.

Cristo Rey Jesuit Pumas (2025-25 season 2-25, 0-16 Skyline, 9th)
Former Twin Cities Academy head coach Darrell Moffit takes over the Pumas program.  He'll return most of last year's roster.  Lefty guard Genric Lenoir leads the guard returnees.  Junior forward DeAaron Garner returns as the top option up front.

Groves Academy Griffins (2024-25 season, No Team)
Appears they played a JV only schedule last season. This season it looks like they will do the same.

Hmong Academy Warriors (2024-25 season 3-14, 0-5 Conference, 7th)
The record is misleading as the Warriors found out midway thru the season that they had to forfeit games due to an ineligible player.  Insert your own punish Cleveland St because Kentucky cheated joke here.  They'll have plenty of experience with a handful of seniors returning.  Minimal size though.  Guard Kaleb Vang will be one of the leaders of the offense.

Twin Cities Academy/Great River Tigers (2024-25 season 12-14, 6-5 Conference, 3rd)
Guard Jamal Randle has graduated leaving a 27.6 PPG hole in the lineup.  Wing Harper O'Dowd also needs to be replaced in the starting lineup.  Senior guard Jacob Stiele (23.8 PPG) is poised for a monster sesaon and on the short list of league MVP candidates.  Seniors Kingston Normil and Princeton Normil return at the center spot.  Juniors Jamarrion Atkins (8.3 PPG) and Jahlil Martin (5.3 PPG) are the top guys to replace Randle's scoring.  Soph wing Randy Carter also returns to the starting lineup.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Twin Cities Academy
2. Avail Academy
3. Cristo Rey Jesuit
4. Community of Peace Academy
5. Hmong Academy
6. AFSA

Conference Overview
More changes in the EMAC this season.  League champion Liberty Classical Academy and Math & Science Academy have departed for the MCAA.  Cristo Rey moves in from the Skyline.  Looks like Hope Academy, Prairie Seeds and The International School of Minnesota/Chesterton co-op may be members now too but not sure of that so I left them out for now.  All of them would be in the top half of the league.  Hiawatha has been a member but has also played a independent schedule the last couple of years so I'm leaving them out but they'd be right at the top if included. 

I think there's a definite divide between the top half and bottom half of the league.  Twin Cities Academy becomes the favorite with a ton coming back.  Cristo Rey and Community of Peace also have a lot back but struggled.  Avail is a league powerhouse but they have so much to replace.  So the race for 2-4 should be very interesting.  Hmong Academy is definitely the best of the rest.  AFSA still building.  Groves not ranked as they appear to be JV only again.

Conference MVP: Jacob Stiele - Twin Cities Academy

Underclassmen to watch: 

• Jordan Thao - AFSA
• Ezra Aune, Andon Vande Glind - Avail Academy
• Zachary Dimmick-Shaw, Lucky Yang, Antuan Garcia - Community of Peace Academy 
• Randy Carter - Twin Cities Academy

Conference Games to Watch

• Twin Cities Academy vs Avail (no date available)
• EMAC Conference Championship (TBD) 

Non-Conference Games to Watch

• Twin Cities Academy vs Maranatha - Dec 26th (Capitol City Classic at UNW-SP) 
• Twin Cities Academy at Hiawatha - Jan 22nd