Moraine Valley men’s basketball reflects on season, sets sights on a stronger 2026-27

Moraine Valley Community College men’s basketball had the makings of a talented team and enjoyed successful stretches of the year that they hope transfer to next season.

The season stopped short of what Head Coach Kyle Huppe had hoped for his talented squad, but in his words, “That’s how it goes.”

The Cyclones finished with a 19-13 record overall, going 10-4 in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference and narrowly missing a championship.

“We were one bounce of the ball away from being co-conference champions,” said Huppe, who ended his third season leading the program. “This was as balanced as I’ve seen the conference. Some college gyms are hard to play at – the long drive is hard, and you have to play in front of nobody. That all was tough. But we won all our home conference games.”

Moraine Valley had an experienced group, including a strong returning core that carried forward momentum from last season. The squad regrouped whenever they faced adversity. There even was a six-game win streak in conference play that gave the Cyclones an edge. After breezing through the Region 4 quarterfinals, the Cyclones played well in the semis but fell short with some missed shots in the final minutes to end their season.

Freshman guard Reggie Strong (Orr Academy) and transfer guard/forward Ali Oralkan (Koc School) were team leaders, helping the squad navigate each battle. Strong was a motivator who played hard every game and earned All-Conference first team and All-Region second team honors. Oralkan had finesse on the court, showed up every day and did what was needed to win without complaint. He earned All-Conference and All-Region second team honors and finished the season ranked No. 8 in the NJCAA Division II for defensive rebounds (215) and No. 16 for total rebounds (283).

Sophomore guard TJ Lee (Romeoville) was the Cyclones’ consistent scorer over his two seasons, averaging 13.7 points per game this year. He received All-Conference honorable mention. Huppe delegated sophomore guard/forward Yousef Jarad (Stagg) and sophomore forward Lawson Walker (Homeschooled) as his enforcers. They did the necessary work under the basket, set hard screens, defended and made difficult plays. “For two years they were the junkyard dogs who did everything you needed. As a coach, you love that,” Huppe noted.

Jarad along with Josh Lawson (Marian Catholic) and Ja’Ron Powell (Bremen) received nods to the All-Conference honorable mention team.

Now, the Cyclones are rebuilding as they graduate nine sophomores and head into recruitment mode. While the sophomores are looking to continue their education and basketball careers at four-year universities, Huppe is hoping the returners will get in the winning mindset now.

“It’s time for our next set of sophomores to carry over the attitude from this season and set the tone. We need to develop March habits earlier in the year and practice the things that’ll help us win in that month,” Huppe explained. “Every day is a sprint, starting now.”

For updates on Cyclones Athletics, visit mvcyclones.com.