2015-16 Section 4AAA Preview

This is the 18th preview in my 2015-2016 season preview series.  To end week 4 of this 6 week series, I take a look at another of the metro area's revamped class AAA sections.  This time it's the section 4AAA.  For a list of all the season previews and how they are generated, click here.

Section 4AAA (8 teams)
Defending Champion: St. Paul Johnson

New teams in the subsection

• Columbia Heights (3AAA)
• Fridley (3AAA)
• Mahtomedi (4AAAA)
• St. Anthony (3AAA)
• St. Paul Como Park (3AAA)
• Totino-Grace (3AAA)

Teams that left the subsection

• St. Paul Central (4AAAA)
• St. Paul Highland Park (3AAA)
• St. Paul Harding (3AAA)
• St. Thomas Academy (3AAA)
• Simley (3AAA)
• South St. Paul (3AAA)

Predicted Seeding

1. St. Paul Johnson
2. Mahtomedi
3. Fridley
4. Totino-Grace
5. Hill-Murray
6. Columbia Heights
7. St. Anthony
8. St. Paul Como Park

Yea!  We are no longer in DeLaSalle's section!  Oh wait, now we get St. Paul Johnson.  Doh!  Not exactly the winning lotto ticket for the former section 3AAA schools.  Johnson and Hill-Murray are the only holdovers from this section.  Johnson has played in 10 straight section finals, including the last 8 years in this section.  They've lost only 2 of those.  Mahtomedi may lack some experience now but by tourney time I can see them as a difficult out.  Hudson transfer Shayne Frost (who I inexplicably left out of my Metro East preview) is a great addition for them at point guard.  Fridley has enough athletes to make a Johnson game interesting.  Totino-Grace vs Hill-Murray makes for a competitive 4 vs 5 game.  I could see Columbia Heights making the league matchup vs Fridley interesting in the 3 vs 6 game.  St. Anthony and Como Park are still in rebuilding mode.

Sleeper: Totino-Grace.  With experienced pieces inside (James Streeter) and outside (Krueser and Jacob) I can see the Eagles jumping up and surprising people come tourney time.

Section Winner: Mahtomedi.  I don't see Johnson as the juggernaut of years past and wonder how they'll score enough in the biggest games.  Mahtomedi loses a ton but they have size and Frost to shore up the backcourt.  Last year's JV guys step up and I'll take the Zephyrs to come out of the section.