09-10 Section 6AAA Preview

This is the 18th preview in my season preview series. In this edition, a look at section 6AAA. If you missed any of the previews, you can find links to all of them on the Section & Conference Previews page.

Defending Champion: Minneapolis Washburn

Predicted Seeding:

1. Benilde-St. Margaret's
   
2. Holy Angels
   
3. Waconia
   
4. Minneapolis Washburn
   
5. Richfield
   
6. Holy Family
   
7. Mound-Westonka
   
8. Chanhassen
   

Section Winner: Benilde-St. Margaret's. This is a very interesting section. Holy Angels is going to be a major indicator here as they play all the section contenders on the road (@Washburn Dec 10, @BSM Dec 17, @Richfield Dec 22, @Waconia Jan 8). Plus they have Holy Family at home. The top 3 are rock solid and could win this section. BSM is deep and talented with experience to boot so they have to be the favorite. Waconia's Shelby Moats has been a monster this fall and they defend as well as anyone. But they also return junior guards Bronson Scheff and shooter Ben Kortuem with forward Danny Fischbach. Holy Angels has a ton of experience returning for coach Larry McKenzie. Washburn is young but they're athletic and well-coached. Richfield has plenty of experience and guard Jay Sewer returning. Holy Family loses a ton, but they're always sound. Mitch Mandel and Ryan Dahl make up a big inside duo. Mound-Westonka returns Dan Flesher in the middle with guard Brandon Host so they won't go out easy.

Duxbury makes his choice

Stillwater's Ryan Duxbury committed to MN-Crookston this week. I had a chance to chat with him about his recruitment and why he chose Crookston. Minnesota Preps Subscribers can read the article here.

Bigger issues on his mind though as he's also the starting Tight End for the Ponies and they play in a section final vs Mounds View tonight. Duxbury had a 35 yd TD catch in the 19-7 win in their 1st meeting.

09-10 Section 4AAA Preview

This is the 17th preview in my season preview series. In this edition, a look at section 4AAA. If you missed any of the previews, you can find links to all of them on the Section & Conference Previews page.

Defending Champion: St. Paul Johnson

Predicted Seeding:

1. St. Paul Johnson
   
2. St. Thomas Academy
   
3. Hill-Murray
   
4. Mahtomedi
5. Highland Park
   
6. Harding
7. South St. Paul
   
8. East Ridge
   

Section Winner: Johnson. They still have all the athletes and Estan Tyler gives them enough punch. St. Thomas Academy is down and Hill-Murray would be too big a jump. The rest of the section is dismal, especially the bottom with Harding, SSP and East Ridge. Even my 3 seed Hill-Murray finished last year 3-14 with all 3 wins being against really bad teams. Section final with Johnson and St. Thomas should be a defensive struggle. I would have moved South St. Paul up but with coach Getzlaff now coaching at Concordia-St. Paul, expect more of the same struggles.

09-10 Section 3AAA Preview

This is the 16th preview in my season preview series. In this edition, a look at section 3AAA. If you missed any of the previews, you can find links to all of them on the Section & Conference Previews page.

Out with the defending champ (Spring Lake Park moves to section 5AAAA) and the bottom feeders of the section (Chisago Lakes and North Branch move to section 7AAA). Replacing them are Central and Como Park who are upgrades and then De La Salle's arrival from section 6 more than replaces Spring Lake Park. Is it just me or wherever DLS goes, they get a tough section. No easy games here as 3 teams would be worthy champions.

Defending Champion: Spring Lake Park

Predicted Seeding:

1. De La Salle
   
2. Columbia Heights
   
3. Minneapolis Henry
   
4. St. Anthony
5. St. Paul Central
6. Totino-Grace
7. Fridley
8. Como Park
   

DLS is the favorite with their depth and defense. Columbia Heights gets the nod over Henry due to a tougher league. St. Anthony over Central for winning their half of the Tri-Metro. Totino-Grace over Fridley by conference pick and Como Park has to be last for not beating up on the weak St. Paul City. I really like the prospects of a Columbia Heights/Henry semifinal. Dynamite guard play and helter-skelter pace in that one. Have a spare scoreboard on hand. Then you get the contrast of DLS and their slow defensive style vs either in the final. That could mean ugliness either way. DLS plays at Henry on March 2nd in an early preview.

Section Winner: De La Salle. With their defense I think they match up very well against the other 2 elite teams (Henry and Heights). They more athletes and scoring punch than in years past so I think they get it done. That St. Anthony vs Central 4 vs 5 game could be one of the better 4 vs 5 games. Central's LeDarian Horton could be the difference maker.

09-10 Section 4AA Preview

This is the 15th preview in my season preview series. In this 2nd section preview, a look at section 4AA. If you missed any of the previews, you can find links to all of them on the Section & Conference Previews page.

17 teams in this year's section 4AA, but it may be more about what's gone (Jordan with favoirte name player Yuriy Maleshenko and Holy Family, all of the talent that St. Bernard's had etc). The West top seed may not break the 500 mark and the East once again has the power.

Defending Champion: St. Bernard's

West Subsection Predicted Seeding:

1. Brooklyn Center
   
2. Breck
3. Edison
4. Trinity
5. Blake
6. Roosevelt
7. Providence
8. MN Internship Center (or Intl School possibly)
   

Wow is this subsection ugly. Brooklyn Center is the only team I see breaking the 500 barrier and they'll need to be better in the 2nd half then past years. The bottom 3 teams are really bad, the remaining teams won't sniff the top half of their leagues.

East Subsection Predicted Seeding:

1. Minnehaha
   
2. St. Paul Academy
   
3. Concordia
4. St. Bernard's
   
5. St. Croix Lutheran
   
6. Arlington
7. Mounds Park Academy
   
8. International School
   
9. Great River
   

In the east, Minnehaha is the top team with division rival SPA right behind them. Then fill in the Tri-Metro East, then the class A level independents. International School should really be in the west, but I'm just going off of what the MSHSL site has.

Section Winner: Minnehaha Academy. Clearly the best team but their subsection title game with SPA or somebody from the Tri-Metro East isn't even that appealing. Only Brooklyn Center would break the top 5 in the East. These games aren't as appealing as the weak section 4A games which is pretty rare.

09-10 Section 4A Preview

Rolling on with the 09-10 Season Preview series, I move into part 2 with a look at the 11 metro area sections. This week a look at the bottom 3 classes. To start, a look at section 4A. If you missed any of the previews, you can find links to all of them on the Section & Conference Previews page.

A ugly year in section 4A as there's very little to be excited about. I'll put everyone in here based on the section website listing of the subsection members. 1 huge favorite and only 1 possible threat to that.

Defending Champion: Minnesota Transitions

North Subsection Predicted Seeding:

1. Maranatha
2. PACT
3. West Lutheran
4. Heritage
5. Ascension
6. Spectrum
7. Four Directions
8. AFSA
   
9. Liberty Classical
10. Calvin Christian
11. MN North Star
    

Maranatha has to be the favorite here with Darien Pittman at the point and Josh Hanson. Beware of Austin Rink and PACT. These 2 teams meet at the tiny PACT bandbox on February 5th in a game that could determine the #1 seed. Michael Lindberg could spring West Lutheran to an upset but that might be a stretch in a weak subsection that may have only 2 teams over 500. Ultimately, it won't matter as the winner is just another sacrificial lamb for the south winner.

South Subsection Predicted Seeding:

1. Minnesota Transitions
   
2. CHOF
   
3. New Life
4. St. Agnes
5. Humboldt
6. Bethany
7. Lion's Gate
8. Community of Peace
9. St. Paul Prep
10. Math & Science
    
11. Hmong Academy
12. Prairie Seeds
13. North Lakes
    

In the south, there's MTS and everybody else. Don't be shocked if MTS has a chance to put up a state record for points in their 1st round game. CHOF and New Life are down this year and the rest of the subsection is just as bad as the bottom of the north subsection. Look for MTS to sleepwalk to the section title game.

Eliminate the early rounds and just get to the final 4. I expect regular season rematches in the subsection title games (PACT/MCA, MTS/CHOF).

Section Winner: Minnesota Transitions. The Wolves are the clear favorite as they have the top player in the section in Kevin Noreen and the most talent even without him. Any game besides Maranatha in the section championship will be a blowout.

NCAA clamps down on the middle man

The NCAA approved rules changes cutting down on some of the legal but shady practices in recruiting.

You can no longer hire a person who has been associated with a prospect (before or after). This is in response to the rash of AAU coaches and other "advisors" who get hired by colleges in an attempt to attract their players (e.g #1 recruit John Wall's AAU coach being hired at Baylor a couple of years ago). Many a video director or director of basketball operations job have been filled that way.

Colleges are no longer allowed to contribute to "nonprofit organizations" that are really AAU teams. This was a loophole that would allow to buy a kid's summer team.

More interesting is not allowing people off campus from working camps. It wasn't unheard of for these "advisors" to demand that if you want my player then you have to pay me to come work your camp. This should clamp down on that. But the negative is that many a coach got their start that way. Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel said in an interview that his dad wouldn't be in coaching if it wasn't for that.

Coaches can be suspended for violations of these rules so there are some serious consequences to be had. Good to see some of these inbetween guys left out in the cold as many of them are only interested in their pocket books and not the welfare of the kids.

Now if they could just crack down on the whole issue of coaching packets that costs hundreds of dollars for no good reason.

Read the ESPN piece on the rules changes here.

CBS college hoops insider Seth Davis had some thoughts about the changes. Read those here.

2009 Minnetonka Fall League Week 2 Schedule

Here's this week's schedule at Minnetonka, noteworthy games are bolded. The Breakdown league at Kennedy is off on Saturday due to round 2 of the state football playoffs (or because I want to go trick or treating)

Sunday's Minnetonka action looks like this

11:30 AM-- Tonka vs Wayzata, Winona vs Waconia, Mounds View vs Osseo, AHA vs Hopkins, Maple Grove vs St. Louis Park

Nice matchup of bigs with Alec Brown and Shelby Moats going at it in the Winona/Waconia game. Moats has impressed all fall and Brown was outstanding last week. If you read my MN Preps column last week, you'll know the details.

1 PM -- Columbia Heights vs Park Center, Sibley vs Orono, Kennedy vs Tartan, Duluth E vs Armstrong, Henry vs BSM

2:30 PM --Waconia vs Tonka, Wayzata vs Osseo, Winona vs Hopkins, Mounds View vs St. Louis Park, AHA vs Park Center

4 PM --Maple Grove vs Orono, Columbia Heights vs Tartan, Sibley vs Armstrong, Kennedy vs BSM, Duluth E vs Henry

Great guard play in the Columbia Heights vs Tartan game. Ditto that for the Duluth East vs Henry game.