2014-15 Section 4AA Preview

This is the 14th preview in my 2014-2015 season preview series.  In this preview, a look at section 4AA. For a list of all the season previews and how they are generated, click here.

Defending Champion: St. Paul Academy

Predicted Seeding

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

The top of the section is as strong as its been in recent years.  St. Paul Academy has 2 top players coming back from last year's state qualifying team.  Minnehaha and St. Croix Lutheran also have plenty coming back and are talented.  St. Croix Lutheran hosts SPA in early December and visit Minnehaha in early January.  Those 2 games and the 2 head to head games between SPA and Minnehaha in IMAC play will determine how those top 3 are seeded.  Roosevelt's guard trio makes them a tough out at 4.  Concordia and New Life fall next in line.  St. Croix Prep could jump up and join that group.  Humboldt and Trinity goes to the middle by default.  A Demond Dawson vs Michael Gutierrez matchup in round 1 would make for good theater in something like a 7 vs 10 or 8 vs 9 game if it came to that.  The rest of the section is really down so outside of the 8 vs 9 game, expect a bunch of 1st round blowouts.  The top 4 are a level above the next 4 so no upsets lurking there.

Sleeper: Concordia Academy.  Mostly because I've taken New Life Academy here the last 2 years.  The Beacons have experience back including 3 year point guard in Roger Moore.

Section Winner: St. Croix Lutheran. The Crusaders top guys are more experienced than Minnehaha.  They also matchup very well with St. Paul Academy.  If you look at Hanson vs Krueger, Peyton vs Lamu and Egly vs Rovney, that's as tough a matchup as SPA will have at all of those spots