2013-14 Section 4AA/5AA Previews

This is the 14th preview in my 2013-2014 season preview series.  We'll review the metro area AA teams in this preview with a look at section 4AA and the updated south half of section 5AA. For a list of all the season previews and how they are generated, click here.

Section 4AA
Defending Champion: Minnehaha (State Champion)

Predicted Seeding

1. Minnehaha 
2. St. Paul Academy   
3. Concordia
4. New Life Academy
5. St. Croix Lutheran 
6. St. Croix Prep
7. Trinity
8. St. Agnes
9. Minneapolis Roosevelt
10. St. Paul Humboldt
11. Mounds Park Academy
12. Great River 
13. FAIR
14. St. Paul Washington
15. Hmong Academy
16. St. Paul Prep

As as been recent history, this section doesn't exactly say strength.  Minnehaha loses almost everybody and I still have to pick them as the favorite.  I picked St. Paul Academy last year and that didn't work so well, so I can't go with them here.  A piece here or there for the next few teams and then a bunch of very bad teams in the bottom half.

Sleeper: New Life Academy.  I can use the same text that I wrote here last year or simply pick them by default.  That's the easier option.

Section Winner: Minnehaha.   Too many athletes and a hunger to get back to the big game.

Section 5AA South Sub-Section

1. Breck
2. Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted
3. Rockford
4. Watertown-Mayer 
5. Providence Academy
6. International School
7. Minneapolis Edison
8. Brooklyn Center

The west metro teams in AA move to the south half of section 5AA and will have the section final at Halenbeck Hall.  Breck with most of their guys back has to be the pick here.  Rockford has their top 3 kids returning and will represent Minnesota in the Border Battle in January.  HLWW returns plenty from their 20 win season.  Watertown-Mayer has a quality forward returning in Luke Sandquist.  Providence Academy will battle them for a home court game in the 1st round.   The bottom 3 make for blowout games in round 1.

Sleeper: Providence Academy.  With 2 solid bigs and a scorer on the wing coming back, the Lions could surprise.  They have a new coach who's been there.

Sub-Section Winner: Breck.   Too much firepower.  Solid enough to win here and then a high quality section final game against the likes of Braham or Annandale.  There's just something that makes it hard to wrap my head around them going to St. Cloud to play a section final when they're a hop skip and jump from Macalester.