Its once again time for the annual disgrace known as my section picks. Anybody can pick the seeds, let's see how I do this season.
Section 4A
So after the opening line, I think this section will go exactly as seeded. The pigtail games should be blowouts. No shockers in the round of 16 besides Four Directions being allowed to play. I recommend everybody in the section schedule 40 games and start practice in September next year since rules in the section don't seem to be enforced. Heritage could get a scare from New Life in the round of 8. St. Agnes vs MCA in the semis would have been interesting but the bracket does MCA a favor by having the Aggies eliminated by MTS on the other side. MTS takes out MCA in the section final.
Section 4AA
A very wide open section where I could see 4 teams winning it. No upsets in the first round. Roosevelt already beat St. Croix Luth once this year, I'll take the 5 over the 4 again in the quarters. Blake vs Breck in the 2/7 rivalry game has a chance to be interesting. Ditto that for Minnehaha vs Trinity who played a 3 point game earlier this season. But I'll take high seeds in those 2 games on home courts. Now the semis get interesting. Roosevelt has Calvin Jenkins so I think Concordia gets all they want before hanging on. Minnehaha just beat Blake 3 weeks ago at Blake and just beat Minneapolis South last week. I'll take the Redhawks to pull the upset in the 2/3 semifinal. Concordia wins a close final over Minnehaha to move to state.
Section 3AAA
Como Park at Totino-Grace is interesting, but I see TG getting through. DLS rolls to the final. Heights gets revenge on a Henry team that has completely fallen apart. Heights just hammered TG on Friday and won the other game big so I take them to advance to the final. The final has the potential to be outstanding if Zach Lofton is healthy and ready to go. If he's not 100% or not playing, then DLS is a clear favorite. Heights plays the old Henry style with a bunch of athletic guards and a lineup that can really score. That's given DLS fits over the years. Have to go with DLS to make state.
Section 4AAA
Highland Park won at Mahtomedi on opening night to give them the 4 vs 5 home game. If Highland Park gives up a big game to Dane Schmid then Mahtomedi moves on. I think the season long Classic Suburban schedule does more for Mahtomedi, I'll take the road upset here. STA and Hill-Murray easily advance to play each other. STA gives Hill-Murray a scare but Hill-Murray moves on to the final against Johnson. I think the final is a real sleeper game. If I remember right, Hill-Murray led Johnson last year at half in the tourney and only lost by 7. Dick Ghizoni is an outstanding coach and their 2-3 zone is a good matchup for Johnson. Johnson survives but not by much.
Section 6AAA
4 conference champions make this a brutally difficult bracket. Waconia isn't the 2 seed so that means I can pick them to advance. Though the AHA road upset 2 years ago does come to mind. Washburn blows out Mound-Westonka. I'll be at the tourney rematch of Holy Family at Richfield. Richfield small and quick will have to deal with big Ryan Dahl inside. Richfield did it last year, I think they move on again. BSM beats Richfield in a fast game in 1 semi. Washburn's guards are a bad matchup for Waconia (we saw that last year in the tourney) so I think the Millers advance again. BSM is one of the few teams that can match the Washburn guards and their bigs are better so I think BSM moves on to state.
Section 2AAAA
Edina vs Chanhassen is an interesting 1st round game but I think the 4 top seeds move on. Eden Prairie gets through a defensive struggle with Shakopee in 1 semi and Chaska has too much offense for Edina in the other. Chaska and Eden Prairie split during the season and Chaska is on fire losing only once since the debacle at the TWolves Shootout. I'll take Chaska to move through.
Section 3AAAA
Wow, now this is a tough section. Top seed Eastview has the 1 first round gimme game against Park. Rosemount and Eagan will be a struggle in the 2 vs 7 game. Burnsville is capable of beating Apple Valley in the 3/6 game and the Lakeville rivalry in the 4/5 game could go either way with North playing better with Al Erickson back. Hard to pick against the top seeds though. I'll take Eastview over Lakeville South and Apple Valley over Eagan in the semis. I'll take Apple Valley over Eastview in the final as the Eagles have had chances this year.
Section 4AAAA
Woodbury over Sibley in the pigtail game only to lose to Tartan. White Bear Lake uses home court to beat Stillwater in a game I'll see for the 2nd time this season. Roseville and CDH win easily to advance to a great rematch. Tartan over White Bear Lake and I'll take CDH to win the rubber match with Roseville. Then CDH uses their 2-3 zone and gives Tartan fits in a rematch of last year's semis. CDH to state.
Section 5AAAA
Easy chalk picks in the 1st round here. But if Centennial shoots it well, they might scare Champlin Park (only lost by 7 there on 2/11). Osseo uses Joey Sonnenfeld to contain Bryan Sprang in 1 semifinal. Cooper and Champlin Park should be an entertaining game in the other semi. Champlin Park won the first meeting over the holidays, I think they win again but its close. Osseo moves on to state.
Section 6AAAA
Minnetonka got shafted getting the 8 seed. Minneapolis Southwest may have 8 wins but the best one was a Henry team that was falling apart. Tonka at least beat Holy Family and a D1 kid at their place (Cedar Rapids Washington). QRF and CzarPI both had this one right, shocked the coaches got this one wrong. So instead of playing Wayzata (who they just took to OT) in the 2/7 game, Tonka gets to visit Hopkins. Wayzata hammers Southwest, North loses to Armstrong. South at St. Louis Park is a rematch of last year's 1st round at South (I went to the wrong school, ha). Much different teams this year though. I think Park is deeper and that gets them through. Wayzata over Armstrong and Hopkins rolls. Hopkins moves on to state.
Section 7AAAA
Coon Rapids over St. Francis in a dismal pigtail game. Then the loser gets beat at Duluth East. Anoka beats Andover. Forest Lake beats Duluth Central and Blaine over Cambridge-Isanti. Forest Lake beat Blaine during the regular season, but I think Blaine gets through in the semis. Duluth East wins the other semi. Duluth East historically not good in this section final and Zach Romashko is a beast on a court familiar to NW Suburban teams. Should be a good game but Duluth East has too much and I think they advance.
Czar, you're absolutely right, Henry has COMPLETELY fallen apart! Love and Hill have had great individual seasons, but as a team (and program) very disappointing. Love has been the only "consistent" thing throughout the season, even Hill has been very up and down, its crazy! Before Blakemore played they struggled, once he played they flourished, now that he hasn't been playing again they haven't won since....see a pattern? What needs to happen for these guys to succeed, the rest of this year and even next year....do "changes" need to be made?
ReplyDeleteThis team had enough talent to be sucessful like your predictions suggested, but for whatever reason they can't put it all together. They beat Heights and lose to Wayzata, Washburn by single digits....but then lose to Southwest and Roosevelt, unacceptable....even at the "New" Henry.