2023-24 Suburban East Conference Preview

This is the 12th preview in my 2023-2024 season preview series.  In this preview, I continue my look at the local big schools with a look at the Suburban East Conference.  For a list of all the season previews and how they were generated, click here.

Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders (2022-23 season 14-14, 9-9 Conference, tie 4th)
The Raiders have to replace a bunch of offense on the wing with the graduations of Jake Little, Luke Jacobson and Adam Tauer.  All 3 averaged double figures last year.  Sam Koopmeiners is also a loss on the front line.  Senior wing Miles Bollinger is a top option.  Junior Monteff Dixon (7.8 PPG) should be ready for full time minutes inside.  Soph guards Jason Johnson and Apple Valley transfer Joe Mitchell will lead the backcourt.  Senior Anthony Knight (5.3 PPG) is a veteran guard as well.

East Ridge Raptors (2022-23 season 22-7, 17-1 Conference, 1st)
Shooting guard Alex Mattes needs to be replaced after averaging 17.2 PPG.  The perimeter play is still strong with soph PG Cedric Tomes (12.4 PPG) and senior wing Charlie Theis (10.7 PPG).  Tomes has some of the deepest shooting range in the state.  Parker Wellman and Grant Miley are also experienced guards.  Charlie Bern (8 PPG) should see a bigger role in a combo forward spot this season.  That's because big men Brayden Carlson and Daejohn Thomas have transferred.  Carlson is now at Holy Family while Thomas has returned to St. Paul Johnson.  Junior Kyle Frandt is another possible front line option.

Forest Lake Rangers (2022-23 season 9-18, 6-12 Conference, 8th)
Coach Kyle McDonald looks for his Rangers to make a leap with his senior laden rotation coming back.  Concordia St. Paul commit Owen Waldoch (16.5 PPG) leads the way from his inside out forward spot.  Brennan Sauvageau and Braeden Turk return on the wings as double figure scorers.  Nolan Dumonceeaux (6.8 PPG) returns at a guard spot.  Soph DJ Westman (4.4 PPG) will join them.  Reid Olson (5.9 PPG) is another front line option.

Irondale Knights (2022-23 season 11-16, 7-11 Conference, 7th)
The Knights have to replace most of their rotation.  Junior guard Jake Dedominces (6.9 PPG) is the top returnee.  Latrell Bagget will join him in the backcourt.  Forward Mekhi Edwards (12.2 PPG) is now at St. Cloud Tech.  That leaves a big hole on the front line.  The rest of the roster has very limited experience.   

Mounds View Mustangs (2022-23 season 17-11, 9-9 Conference, tie 4th)
Senior forwards Eli Roe (5.2 PPG) and Joey Fretheim (11.6 PPG) will be the main offense.  Juniors Nate Edelman and Jacob Sampson will be big man options.  The 17.4 PPG from guard Cody Deluce will be hard to replace.  Junior Cody Loegering looks to fill in that role.  Senior Tyler Nystrom looks to play a perimeter role as well.

Park Wolfpack (2022-23 season 9-17, 5-13 Conference, 9th)
The rumors of head coach Mike Weah's demise are greatly exaggerated (see last year's Park preview if you don't understand).  All 3 double figure scorers including wing OT Omot (16.2 PPG) have graduated.  Junior Miskar Esayas (7.1 PPG) and senior Tayvion Stewart (6.9 PPG) lead the backcourt.  Forward Dominic Batts (4.7 PPG) also returns as a front court option.

Roseville Raiders (2022-23 season 14-13, 8-10 Conference, 6th)
Former Minneapolis Washburn and Bloomington Kennedy head man Jamin Cook takes over for Zander Culver.  Culver took the Eden Prairie job in the offseason.  He has a solid backcourt rotation of seniors to work with.  Ataa-Adjetey Mensah is the leading scorer at 13.4 PPG.  Nate Hatteburg (8.9 PPG) and Will DeVries (4.9 PPG) are also returning starters.  Jamin Cook transfers in from Robbinsdale Cooper as well.  The front line needs to be replaced including 13 PPG from Evan Fischer.

Stillwater Ponies (2022-23 season 18-10, 13-5 Conference, 3rd)
The Ponies have to replace star point guard Max Shikenjanski (26.7 PPG).  The entire offense revolved around his creation.  Looking forward to seeing if they stay with the same system or how they tweak it.  Guard Tanner Thomson (13.8 PPG) also needs to be replaced.  They still have guards Brett Hilde (6.7 PPG) and Joe Hoheisel (4.4 PPG).  Henry Zollar and Aiden Hammond will join them.  Big man Lake DeJongh (6.4 PPG) will be the primary interior guy.  Joe Fredkove will also be an interior rotation guy.

White Bear Lake Bears (2022-23 season 23-8, 15-3 Conference, 2nd)
Aaron Turner takes over for Greg Burke as the head man.  He has a standout senior class to replace.  Star guard Jack Janicki (20.8 PPG) is now at Wisconsin.  Forward Wyatt Hawks (14.8 PPG) is now at St. Cloud State.  Sawyer Collins is the lone returning guard.  Soph forward Colin Piper should become the primary option after seeing reserve minutes last season.  Korey Raheem, Colin McMonigal, Anthony Turner and Austin Gibson are looking to step up into rotation roles.

Woodbury Royals (2022-23 season 4-23, 1-17 Conference, 10th)
Junior guard Marquivion Beasley (10.2 PPG) is the lone returning double figure scorer.  Junior Finn Norman figures to play a bigger role as a big wing or stretch 4.  Senior Quentin Cobb-Butler also returns to the perimeter rotation.  Seniors Liam Fromnelt and Isaiah Tisdle should see rotation minutes as well.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. East Ridge     
   
2. Cretin-Derham Hall    
   
3. Forest Lake    
   
4. Stillwater
   
5. Mounds View
   
6. White Bear Lake 
   
7. Roseville
8. Woodbury
   
9. Park 
10. Irondale  
    

Conference Overview:
Its a down year in the Suburban East.  East Ridge once again is the huge favorite here.  Then I see CDH moving back up to their usual top of the league location.  But Forest Lake with everybody back and the losses around the rest of the league looks to make a big jump and challenge them.  Stillwater is the best of the rest despite losing all everything Max Shikenjanski.  Mounds View and White Bear Lake battle to stay in the top half but they too need to replace top scorers.  Roseville will look to challenge them too in that middle area but they have to adjust to a new coach and system.  Then a drop to the bottom 3.  Woodbury with the most returning so I'll put them there.

Conference MVP: Owen Waldoch - Forest Lake

Underclassmen to watch: 

• Jason Johnson, Joe Mitchell, Isaiah Thom, Jullian Smith - Cretin-Derham Hall
  
• Cedric Tomes, Bennett Skinner - East Ridge 
• DJ Westman - Forest Lake
• Miles Stuart - Roseville
• AJ  Taban, Zach Krusemark  - Stillwater
  
• Colin Piper - White Bear Lake
  

Conference Games to Watch

• East Ridge at Cretin-Derham Hall - Dec 19th
  
• Cretin-Derham Hall at East Ridge - Feb 1st
  
• East Ridge at Forest Lake - Feb 21st
  

Non-Conference Games to Watch

• Lakeville North at East Ridge - Dec 5th
  
• East Ridge at Hopkins - Dec 9th (Tipoff Classic)
• Holy Family at Cretin-Derham Hall - Dec 29th (CDH Holiday Tourney) 
• Forest Lake at Duluth East - Jan 6th
  
• Wayzata at East Ridge - Jan 8th 
• Minnetonka at Cretin-Derham Hall - Feb 7th
• Cretin-Derham Hall at De La Salle - Feb 17th
  
• East Ridge at Totino-Grace - Feb 28th