INA, Ill. (July 8, 2025) — Rend Lake's 2025 recruiting class for Warriors Basketball includes 7 high school players and 2 transfers from Illinois, Missouri and Australia. This group is expected to be energetic, talented, passionate, and great ambassadors for the direction that the program is going.

Head coach Tim Wills and staff has loaded up with a lot of size, shooting, and athleticism going into the 2025-2026 season. Here's a rundown of the Warrior Signees:

Aidan Anderson (6'9 F/C | Okawville HS)

Anderson will add to a strong returning front court with his tenacious rebounding and inside presence. For Okawville this year he averaged 20 PPG / 12.8 RPG / 2.28 APG / 2.59 BPG while helping lead them to a 19-16 record and a trip to 1A Sectionals. Anderson was a Cahokia Conference All-Conference selection and is now the Rockets' leader in career rebounds. He accumulated over 1500 points and 1100 rebounds in his 4 years at Okawville.

Isaac Billington (6'1 G | Benton HS - Southern Illinois University Carbondale)

Billington is transferring to RLC after a redshirt season at SIUC. In 2024 helped lead Benton HS to a 33-4 overall record as the Rangers made it to the IHSA State Championship game and he averaged 15 PPG / 4 APG / 3 RPG. Billington surpassed the 1,000-point mark, finishing with 1,068 in his career ... Earned 2nd Team All-State 2A, All-Conference and a multitude of All-Tourney Teams. He was selected to the SICA and IBCA All-Star Teams in 2024

Donovan Coates (6'3 G | Collinsville HS)

Coates is coming off of an extremely productive year with the Kahoks that led to him being one of the top scorers in the STL Area and Top 10 in 3-pointers made (87). He led his team in Points, 3s, FTs, and Steals. He averaged 18.2 PPG / 4.6 RPG / 1.3 APG / 124-155 FT. Coates was a 1st Team All Southwestern Conference player and on the All-Tournament Teams for the Triad Stove Top Stuffing Classic and the Collinsville Prairie Farms Holiday Classic.

Riley Bauersachs (6'5 G | Pinckneyville HS)

Bauersachs has proven to be one of the best shooters in the area and the state. He is coming from an extremely well-coached program at Pinckneyville, where he led the team in 3-point shooting and averaged just over 15 points per game. Some of his accomplishments include: IBCA All-State Honorable Mention, SICA All South Team, SIRR All Conference, Panther Showcase MVP, All Tourney Team (Kaskaskian Classic, Duster Thomas Hoops Classic, Sparta Mid-Winter Classic), and spearheading a 28-4 Conference Championship Panthers team.

Race Hickey (6'11 C | Marion HS)

Hickey is one of two big frontcourt additions to the Warriors in the 2025 class. At 6'11 he will provide even more size down low for the new era Rend Lake basketball team. For Marion he averaged 4.6 PPG on 60.6% FG shooting / 5.2 RPG / 1.2 BPG. He helped the Wildcats earn a share of the South Seven Conference title with a 22-6 overall record.

AJ Keith (6'4 G | Pinckneyville HS)

Keith cemented himself as one of the best athletes to come out of Southern Illinois in recent years with his high flying dunks and rebounding ability. He was awarded Team MVP and Defensive MVP for the 28-4 Panthers after leading them with 16 Points Per Game (1,303 Career Points). Some other accolades include: IBCA 1st Team All-State 2A, SICA All South, SIRR All Conference, All Tournament (Kaskaskian Classic, Duster Thomas Hoops Classic, Sparta Mid-Winter Classic (MVP))

Alex Keizer (6'4 G/F | Timothy Christian HS - Olivet Nazarene University)

Keizer is a Redshirt Freshman transfer from ONU in Chicago and joined the Warriors for the Spring semester in 2025. He attended Timothy Christian HS where he averaged 12.1 PPG / 4.0 RPG / 1.2 APG and made 72 3-Pointers en route to becoming the schools single-season 3-point record holder. Keizer was also selected to the DuPage County All-Area Team and CCC All-Conference in his senior season at TCHS.

Will Paulson (6'7 G/F | Francis Howell HS)

Paulson is an inside-out wing presence that will improve shooting and much more for the Warriors. He is an athletic and high IQ player who can handle multiple positions and light it up from beyond the arc. In his final season at Francis Howell he averaged 18.0 PPG and 6.2 RPG on 65/36/67 splits. Some of Paulson's accolades include Missouri Class 6 1st Team All-State, Class 6 All-District Team, GAC South Player of the Year, and GAC Champion.

Owen Raneberg (6'4 G | NBL1 League (Australia) Eastern Mavericks)

Raneberg is the lone international player in the 2025 class but marks the second year in a row that RLC adds an international player. Raneberg has played 5 seasons with the Eastern Mavericks of the NBL1 where this year he averaged 11.5 PPG / 3.6 RPG / 1.4 APG / 31/93 3pt. Raneberg makes his money from behind the arc and will be one of many 3-point shooting threats joining the Warriors roster.