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Crean Lutheran boys basketball is in for a big 2025-26 campaign.
That's more a case of stating the obvious than firing off a hot take, but don't just take our word for it – the Saints went 4-0 in late June for a title in Section 7's ASEC bracket to kick things off in style under new head coach Austin Loeb.
They opened up with two comfortable wins, 67-49 over Mojave (NV) and 63-49 against Deer Valley (AZ) before outdueling Highland (UT) 63-60 and fellow Southern Section heavyweight Campbell Hall 73-69 for the championship.
Crean Lutheran Boys Basketball ASEC Section 7 Champs!
Proud of our boys!
Joshua 1:9 pic.twitter.com/ZePR3UxUz5
Loeb is making his head coaching debut after seven seasons as the associate head coach under Nate Klitzking, who recently took the job at his alma mater, Orange Lutheran. Coincidentally, OLu also won a title at Section 7.
Crean Lutheran has most of its key pieces returning from last year's squad, which won a Crestview League title and made the CIF-Southern Section Division 1 semifinals. The laundry list starts with Jacob Majok, a 6-foot-7 senior wing/forward and OC Register First Team All-County selection, and that's just the beginning. Junior guard Hunter Caplan makes a second all-county returner, fellow junior guard Caden Jones makes a third returning all-league first teamer, and there're more returning All-Crestview League honorees in 6-foot-9 senior forward Will Malual and rising sophomore guard Jordan Ceballos.
Finally there's one physically massive addition (and, technically, returner) in senior center Chadrack Mpoyi, who was with the team last season but had to sit out all year due to transfer eligibility. Mpoyi, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, is pushing seven feet and has several D-1 offers already. The Saints were already a safe bet to build on last season's successes in a big way, but with Mpoyi in the fold, the sky is the limit – no pun intended.
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