With the fall sports season in the rearview mirror, student-athletes at Adel-Desoto-Minburn Community Schools are beginning preparation for the upcoming winter sports season. On the hardwood, the graduation of 10 seniors has left multiple starting positions open on the ADM boys basketball team. The Raccoon Valley Radio Network caught up ADM boys basketball coach Aaron Mager ahead of his 14th season coaching the Tigers. He says heading into next month’s preseason practice, a lot of players will be vying for those open positions. “It’s still a muddy picture, which is kind of good,” Mager said, “It’s good in the right ways. It’s not like you’re looking around and no one is in the gym, and you’re going to reward people who haven’t earned it. We have a lot of guys who deserve (the) reward, and we’ll see how it sorts itself out.”

Mager adds he believes the starting lineup will be a fluid situation throughout the preseason, and wouldn’t be surprised if he starts multiple different lineups before the new year. Among ADM’s only returners from last year is guard Koby Hardcastle. Hardcastle averaged a team-high 13.1 points per game as a junior, making a team-best 34 three-point shots. Senior Lucas Heitz started four of the Tigers’ final five games as a forward and figures to be in the mix for one of the open spots this winter. The ADM Tiger boys basketball team opens preseason practice Monday, November 12. The Tigers first regular season game takes place Tuesday, November 27, traveling to Pella for a nonconference matchup versus the Pella Christian Eagles.