10-11 Section 4AA Preview

This is the 14th preview in my 2010-2011 season preview series.  In this preview, I continue my look at the metro area sections with a look at Section 4AA.  For a list of all the season previews, click here.

Defending Champion: Minnehaha Academy

I'd say we're upgrading from class A to class AA, but this section is even worse than last year.  That's hard to fathom considering how down it was last year.  No powerhouse team in the section like last year's Minnehaha squad.  Last year's brackets were a little goofy with Trinity in the west and International School in the east so who knows what it will end up like.  For my purposes, I'll project them with the East/West breakdown that I think should happen.

West Subsection Predicted Seeding

1. Minnehaha
2. Blake
3. Minneapolis Roosevelt
   
4. Breck
5. Brooklyn Center
6. Providence
7. International School
   

I take Minnehaha at the top for winning the Tri-Metro west.  The race for #2 is nice bear (Roosevelt) vs mean bear (Blake).  Blake lost at Roosevelt by 2 last year.  They'll play at Blake on Jan 4th and I'll take the Bears at home this year.  But Calvin Jenkins is enough to pull Roosevelt all the way through the subsection if he gets hot.  Providence is still young and I can't put them above any of the Tri-Metro squads.  International School got no respect for their EMAC schedule last year and losing to Edison really sealed their fate.  No reason to believe the coaches won't seed them at the bottom again.

East Subsection Predicted Seeding

1. Concordia Academy
   
2. St. Croix Lutheran
   
3. Trinity
   
4. St. Paul Academy
   
5. Minneapolis Edison
6. Mounds Park Academy
7. Great River
   

Concordia is the easy pick at the top and Great River is another EMAC school who will get no respect with their schedule so they get the bottom spot.  Edison and MPA are both worthy of a 7 seed but I can only put 1 team there.   Edison gets the nod over MPA since they can score and MPA struggles there.  Trinity at St. Croix Lutheran in February is a must win for Trinity to take the 2 seed.  SPA has to travel to both Trinity and St. Croix Lutheran.  With those 2 teams having their top kids back and SPA losing 11 seniors, going on the road will be too much to overcome.

Section Winner: Concordia Academy.  With the additions from St. Bernard's, I think that gives Concordia too much depth.  They have the top inside player in the section in Cutler Finneman and the deepest backcourt.  They beat Minnehaha to win the section.