08-09 Season Preview for the Casual Fan

The 08-09 Conference and Section Preview series concludes with our 25th preview (such a nice number). In this edition, we take a high-level look at the season. Many of you who read are diehard fans like me, but there are also plenty of fans out there who only see a handful of games per season and want to see the very best players and teams. This preview is for those fans. If you missed any of the 13 conference previews or 11 section previews, you can find links to all of them on the Section & Conference Previews page.

Top 10 Local Games

1. Hopkins at Robbinsdale Cooper, February 3rd. Top 2 teams in the state with the top 2 players in the state going at it.
   
2. Henry Sibley vs Madison Memorial, January 3rd (TWolves Shootout at Target Center). Marquette signee Jeronne Maymon makes his 3rd trip to the Target Center to take on Mike Bruesewitz. Those 2 going at it will be a war.
   
3. Minnetonka vs Hopkins, March 17 (Section 6AAAA Final at Osseo). The regular season games should be on here too, but I didn't want to mention them more than once. The section final will be up a notch and both teams are loaded as Hopkins tries to avenge last year's section final loss.
   
4. Hopkins at Henry Sibley, January 9. #1 takes on my #3. An early UW vs the U of M preview with Royce White vs Mike Bruesewitz.
   
5. Milwaukee Vincent vs Hopkins, January 23 East Metro Showcase at Johnson. A matchup that I've wanted to see for years. These are arguably the top traditions in each state. Vincent is #6 in the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook preseason poll and is loaded with talent as always. The only thing missing is longtime Vincent coach Tom Diener.
   
6. Hopkins at Washburn, December 12. A Howard Pulley scrimmage as many of the players from both teams played together during the summer. Washburn is the most talented team in AAA so this game will be high-flying.
   
7. Washburn at Johnson, December 16 (rematch likely March 7 in Twin Cities Game at Arlington). A matchup of arguably the top 2 teams in AAA and definitely 2 extremely athletic teams. City bragging rights at stake with high intensity.
   
8. Henry Sibley at Minnetonka, December 16 (possible rematch December 30th in championship of Bethel Holiday Tournament). Size vs Speed in this one.
   
9. Osseo at Sibley, December 9. Sibley looks for revenge after Carrington Tankson's buzzer beater beat them last year at Osseo.
   
10. Hopkins at St. Bernard's, December 18th. St. Bernard's is one of the top teams in all of AA and very athletic. Jordair Jett vs Marcus Williams is the matchup of note here and Ed Cassidy knows all about Royce White from his days at DLS.

10 Teams To Watch

1. Hopkins
   
2. Robbinsdale Cooper
3. Henry Sibley
4. Osseo
5. Minnetonka
6. Tartan
   
7. Washburn
8. Johnson
9. St. Bernard's
10. Minnesota Transitions

Top 5 Seniors (all top 125 in Rivals.com rankings)

1. Royce White (Hopkins, U of M)
   
2. Rodney Williams Jr (Robbinsdale Cooper, U 0f M)
3. Trent Lockett (Hopkins, Arizona State)
4. Mike Bruesewitz (Henry Sibley, Wisconsin)
5. Sam Dower (Osseo, Gonzaga)

5 More Seniors To Watch

1. Marc Sonnen (Tartan, Northern Iowa)
2. Ethan Wragge (Eden Prairie, Creighton)
3. Mike Broghammer (Hopkins, Notre Dame)
4. Mike Muscala (Roseville, Bucknell)
5. Raymond Cowles (Hopkins, Santa Clara)

You can see the entire list of D1 and D2 signees from Minnesota on the 2009 Division 1 & 2 signees page.

5 Juniors to See (in no particular order)

1. Cole Stefan (Minnetonka)
2. Jacob Thomas (Columbia Heights)
3. Chad Calcaterra (Cloquet, see him at the TWolves shootout vs AA power Pelican Rapids)
4. Kevin Noreen (Minnesota Transitions)
5. Dyami Starks (Duluth East, multiple games in the metro)

5 trips out of the metro to watch

1. Washburn vs Osseo, December 30. Projected semifinal of Granite City Classic at St. Cloud Apollo.
   
2. St. Cloud Tech vs Tartan, December 13 Breakdown Tipoff Classic in Marshall. Marc Sonnen vs Nate Wolters in a battle of great point guards)
3. St. Paul Johnson vs Milwaukee Washington, December 23 at Milwaukee Lutheran showcase. A battle of a AAA power vs one of the best teams in Wisconsin.
4. St. Paul Johnson at Sioux City Heelan, December 19. Heelan and Iowa signee Brennan Cougill lost a tough game to the Govs at Johnson last season. The return matchup should be outstanding.
   
5. St. Bernard's at St. Cloud Tech, February 7. Jordair Jett get his input on the best point guard debate as AA and AAAA powers collide.

Top Metro Christmas Tournament
The Bethel tournament is absolutely sick this year. Take a look at these 4 teams. Johnson, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie and Mounds View. One of them is guaranteed to play for 7th place as they're all on the top half of the bracket. Amazing as all of those teams are no worse than 2nd in their leagues. On the bottom half, Minnehaha plays Sibley in the 1st round which means 1 of them will finish no better than 5th. Almost every game of this tourney is guaranteed to have a good team playing in it. If you're outstate, the Granite City at St. Cloud Apollo is also loaded with Osseo, Washburn, Forest Lake, Monticello, Rocori, Duluth East, Apollo and Sartell.

08-09 Section 7AAAA Preview

The 08-09 Conference and Section Preview series continues with our 24th preview and the last preview of the 11 metro area sections. In this edition, a look at section 7AAAA. If you missed any of the previews, you can find links to all of them on the Section & Conference Previews page.

Defending Champion: Cambridge-Isanti

Predicted Seeding:

1. Blaine
   
2. Cambridge-Isanti
   
3. Forest Lake
   
4. Coon Rapids
   
5. St. Francis
   
6. Duluth East
   
7. Andover
   
8. Anoka
   

Well I picked the 3 seed last year on talent and was wrong, so I'll pick the 3 seed again this season. Blaine has enough talent to win, but after last year I refuse to trust them until I see the results on the court. C-I returns Braden Johnson (who lit up FL in the 7AAAA final last year) and Zak Mathson so look for them to be in the section hunt once again. Forest Lake will be battle tested and they don't beat themselves. Coon Rapids has a couple of scorers that need to be dealt with. Dyami Starks will put up big numbers, but the rest of the squad has to improve before Duluth East moves up. Brett Tester could be a guy to pull Andover to a 1st round upset.

Section Winner: Forest Lake

08-09 Section 6AAAA Preview

The 08-09 Conference and Section Preview series continues with our 23rd preview and the 10th preview of the 11 metro area sections. In this edition, a look at section 6AAAA. If you missed any of the previews, you can find links to all of them on the Section & Conference Previews page.

Defending Champion: Minnetonka

Predicted Seeding:

1. Minneapolis Southwest, I mean Hopkins
   
2. Minnetonka
   
3. Robbinsdale Armstrong
   
4. Wayzata
   
5. Minneapolis North
   
6. St. Louis Park
   
7. Minneapolis South
   
8. Minneapolis Southwest
   

Look for another epic battle in the section final this season. Both teams are very deep and talented. Taylor Nelson vs Mike Broghammer inside is an interesting matchup, but who guards Royce? The perimeter play on both sides is insane (especially if Tor Anderson is eligible). Armstrong and Wayzata are a notch above the bottom 4 teams. With so much talent and the rep that they don't get it done in the tournament, I think Hopkins gets it done this season.

Section Winner: Hopkins

08-09 Section 5AAAA Preview

The 08-09 Conference and Section Preview series continues with our 22nd preview and the 9th preview of the 11 metro area sections. In this edition, a look at section 5AAAA. If you missed any of the previews, you can find links to all of them on the Section & Conference Previews page.

Defending Champion: Robbinsdale Cooper

Predicted Seeding:

1. Robbinsdale Cooper
   
2. Osseo
   
3. Mounds View
   
4. Champlin Park
   
5. Irondale
6. Centennial
   
7. Roseville
   
8. Park Center
   

Cooper is obviously loaded but they'll still have to go thru a very good Osseo team. These teams have split in the tourney the last 2 years with Rodney Williams blocking a Carrington Tankson shot to win last year's section final. Expect a terrific game between the 2 teams again. Mounds View could give Osseo a run but they don't matchup well with Cooper at all as they struggle with athletic teams. If you're looking for a sleeper, could Centennial be that team and Roseville with Mike Muscala has the chance to pull an upset.

Section Winner: Robbinsdale Cooper

08-09 Section 4AAAA Preview

The 08-09 Conference and Section Preview series continues with our 21st preview and the 8th preview of the 11 metro area sections. In this edition, a look at section 4AAAA. If you missed any of the previews, you can find links to all of them on the Section & Conference Previews page.

Defending Champion: Henry Sibley

Predicted Seeding:

1. Henry Sibley
   
2. Cretin-Derham Hall
   
3. Tartan
   
4. Stillwater
   
5. Woodbury
6. St. Paul Central
   
7. White Bear Lake
   
8. North (St. Paul)
   

Sibley returns a loaded team so they're the obvious favorite. Seeing Seantrel Henderson of CDH against those bigs in a section final would be entertaining. One thing that CDH always seems to have are shooters and that's exactly what you need against Sibley. Tartan returns dangerous perimeter play and Marc Sonnen is the type of scorer who can carry a team on his back in a big game. Not to mention they'll always be tough defensively. Don't expect another stretch of 1 FG in 20 minutes in the tournament this year. Stillwater will be a tough out, but they're a year away. Seeing a rematch of last year's 1st round Woodbury upset over Stillwater would be interesting. Woodbury's running game is enough to pull an upset if Nick Quicksell and Bo Schiffler get hot.

Section Winner: Henry Sibley

08-09 Section 3AAAA Preview

The 08-09 Conference and Section Preview series continues with our 20th preview and the 7th preview of the 11 metro area sections. In this edition, a look at section 3AAAA. If you missed any of the previews, you can find links to all of them on the Section & Conference Previews page.

Defending Champion: Burnsville

Predicted Seeding:

1. Lakeville North
   
2. Apple Valley
   
3. Eastview
   
4. Burnsville
   
5. Eagan
6. Lakeville South
   
7. Park (Cottage Grove)
   
8. Rosemount

Eastview, Burnsville and Eagan all bring nice backcourts to the table which can always be dangerous at tourney time. Lakeville North is talented all the way around and won't be an easy out. I've picked #1 seeds throughout the previews, but I won't here. I think Apple Valley develops nicely over the season and matches up well with Lakeville North, so here's my 1st upset.

Section Winner: Apple Valley

08-09 Section 2AAAA Preview

The 08-09 Conference and Section Preview series continues with our 19th preview and the 6th preview of the 11 metro area sections. In this edition, we start our look at the big schools with section 2AAAA. If you missed any of the previews, you can find links to all of them on the Section & Conference Previews page.

Defending Champion: Bloomington Kennedy

Predicted Seeding:

1. Eden Prairie
   
2. Shakopee
   
3. Richfield
   
4. Edina
   
5. Chaska
6. Prior Lake
   
7. Bloomington Jefferson
   
8. Bloomington Kennedy
   

This assumes Carlos Emory is ineligible for Kennedy which means Kennedy only has Deron Murphy. Chaska and Edina are dangerous in that 4 vs 5 game. Prior Lake drops with the loss of Tor Anderson. Richfield and Shakopee would be a fun game of small teams, but neither has the size to deal with Eden Prairie. Heartbreak hotel on buzzer beaters for EP 3 years in a row and then the absolutely shocking upset by Kennedy last year (after EP totally destroyed Kennedy twice during the regular season, including 1 big game that I saw). I think they finally get it done this season.

Section Winner: Eden Prairie

08-09 Section 6AAA Preview

The 08-09 Conference and Section Preview series continues with our 18th preview and the 5th preview of the 11 metro area sections. In this edition, a look at section 6AAA. If you missed any of the previews, you can find links to all of them on the Section & Conference Previews page.

Defending Champion: Benilde-St. Margaret's

Predicted Seeding:

1. Washburn
   
2. Orono
   
3. De La Salle
   
4. Benilde-St. Margaret's
   
5. Waconia
6. Holy Angels
   
7. Delano
   
8. Mound-Westonka
   

WOW! Just when you thought this section couldn't get any tougher. Washburn brings in a couple of really good transfers. Sophomore stars Shelby Moats (Waconia) and Jordan Smith (Orono) will have another year of experience. Holy Angels brings in coach Larry McKenzie. Delano gets transfer Kyle Kreklow. Mound-Westonka is improved. Absolutely brutal. Washburn had to be #1, but I can see 2-5 in any order. Orono looks to be the champ in the Wright County, DLS and BSM are runners-up in their leagues and Waconia will also contend for the crown in the Wright County. While the 4 vs 5 game here has been very good the last 2 years, even the 3 vs 6 and 2 vs 7 games should be quality games. Needless to say the semifinals are already on my 08-09 schedule.

Section Winner: Minneapolis Washburn

08-09 Section 4AAA Preview

The 08-09 Conference and Section Preview series rolls on with our 17th preview and the 4th preview of the 11 metro area sections. In this edition, a look at section 4AAA. If you missed any of the previews, you can find links to all of them on the Section & Conference Previews page.

Defending Champion: Como Park

Predicted Seeding:

1. Johnson
   
2. Como Park
   
3. Mahtomedi
   
4. Arlington
5. Hill-Murray
6. Highland Park
   
7. Harding
   
8. South St. Paul
   

Johnson is absolutely loaded but they'll still have to deal with nemesis Como Park. Those 2 teams combined for 41 wins last year. This doesn't even account for Como Park losing their top 2 players and rebuilding with a good group of juniors. The rest of the section is weak as nobody else had more than 13 wins last season and they combined for a total of 42 wins (that's an average record of roughly 7-20 for those teams). 13 of those were from Arlington but their wins were largely against poor teams. It will take another Como Park upset to keep Johnson from winning the section.

Section Winner: St. Paul Johnson

08-09 Section 3AAA Preview

The 08-09 Conference and Section Preview series rolls on with our 16th preview and the 3rd preview of the 11 metro area sections. In this edition, we start our look at the top 2 divisions with a look at section 3AAA. If you missed any of the previews, you can find links to all of them on the Section & Conference Previews page.

Defending Champion: Minneapolis Patrick Henry

Predicted Seeding:

1. Henry
2. Spring Lake Park
   
3. Columbia Heights
   
4. Fridley
5. Totino-Grace
6. Chisago Lakes
   
7. St. Anthony
   
8. North Branch
   

Henry is the clear favorite to make the return trip to state with all their talent. Their backcourt will be lightning quick and Evan Gray gives them front court play. Spring Lake Park will be competitive against whoever they play. Columbia Heights is a real wildcard here. If their 2010 class develops, they can be very dangerous with Jacob Thomas. The rest of the section is teams I picked in the lower half of their leagues. But don't fall asleep against the 4-6 teams here. Isaiah Thomas (Fridley), John Crockett (TG) and Josh Figini (Chisago Lakes) are all players that have the ability to lead their teams to an upset.

Section Winner: Minneapolis Patrick Henry

08-09 Section 4AA Preview

The 08-09 Conference and Section Preview series rolls on with our 15th preview and the 2nd preview of the 11 metro area sections. In this edition, a look at section 4AA. If you missed any of the previews, you can find links to all of them on the Section & Conference Previews page.

Defending Champion: St. Bernard's

West Subsection Predicted Seeding: (Breck is the defending champion)

1. Holy Family
2. Brooklyn Center
3. Jordan
4. Edison
5. Breck
6. Blake
7. Trinity
8. Providence
   

Holy Family will have a very respectable team, but this subsection is weak. Breck was the only other team to be above 500 last year (Edison was 14-14 vs a weak schedule) and they look to have a really rough season. Edison did not look good in fall play. Brooklyn Center had a tough time beating anyone the 2nd half of last season. Blake, Trinity and Providence could be amongst the lowest ranked teams in all of AA in terms of QRF. I'll take Holy Family by default.

East Subsection Predicted Seeding: (St. Bernard's is the defending champion)

1. St. Bernard's
   
2. Minnehaha
   
3. Concordia
   
4. St. Croix Lutheran
5. St. Paul Academy
   
6. Roosevelt
7. Humboldt
8. Mounds Park Academy
   

Unfortunately the top 3 teams in this section all reside in the east. St. Croix Lutheran would give Holy Family a game too. SPA is at 5 despite a really rough season last season by default as I don't see much from the 3 teams below them and they have a nice goto player in Evan MacMillan. Concordia vs Minnehaha would be a big rematch of a tournament game from last season. That game left a bad taste for Minnehaha. St. Bernard's is the favorite and will get their toughest test in that subsection final.

Section Winner: St. Bernard's. Expect the same in this year's section final as last year, a total blowout.

08-09 Section 4A Preview

The 08-09 Conference and Section Preview series moves into part 2 as we start our look at the 11 metro area sections. To start, a look at section 4A. Due to the flux of teams in this section, I'll only evaluate the 19 teams that played in last year's tournament. If you missed any of the previews, you can find links to all of them on the Section & Conference Previews page.

Defending Champion: Minnesota Transitions

West Subsection Predicted Seeding: (MCA is the defending champion)

1. Maranatha
2. SW Christian
3. Meadow Creek Christian
4. PACT
5. West Lutheran
6. Heritage
7. Spectrum
8. Bethany
9. Ascension

Since I picked MCA to win the MCAA, I have to take them to win the subsection. SW Christian is a major threat here with Caleb Palkert and has just as good a chance to get through. Meadow Creek is dangerous with their returnees. PACT continues to build a respectable program. The rest of the teams have major losses, had tough seasons last year, or both.

East Subsection Predicted Seeding: (MTS is the defending champion)

1. Minnesota Transitions
   
2. CHOF
   
3. St. Agnes
   
4. New Life
   
5. Four Directions
   
6. Concordia-Bloomington
7. Hmong Academy
   
8. Community of Peace
   
9. Agriculture and Food Sciences Academy
   
10. Vessey Leadership Academy
    

In the east I don't see any changes. The bottom 5 teams will really struggle. Four Directions has one of the top scorers in the metro in guard Cory Oquist, but they aren't a threat to win the subsection. MTS is the clear favorite with the Noreens, especially since CHOF doesn't have a good matchup for Kevin Noreen. Nate Fiscus inside is too much for the rest of the teams in the subsection. St. Agnes will be battle tested in the Tri-Metro which always serves them well come tournament time. New Life's traditionally strong program and returnee Robbie Anderstrom can't be ignored either.

The subsection finals should go according to seed and be nice rematches of regular season games. Potentially a 3rd meeting of MCA and SW Christian in the west (assuming they play in the MCAA Tournament title game) and a rematch of one of the better small school rivalries in the metro, CHOF vs MTS in the east.

Section Winner: Minnesota Transitions. The Wolves are the clear favorite as they have the top player in the section in Kevin Noreen. A rematch of the regular season game with SW Christian would be the most exciting section final.

08-09 Season Previews are half done

The Conference Previews portion of the season previews has completed. A couple of items I should note. Once and for all, Thomas Cunningham is with Minneapolis North. I'm done changing that, seriously. That leads me into the standard disclaimer that goes with all of the previews. They are based solely on what I saw last year and what I followed. Since I'm not an insider, transfers and such are prone to be missed (especially since I didn't have the Breakdown to cheat with). I see many teams and players, but I can't see everyone so mistakes are bound to be made.

I'm taking a break from the previews for the weekend and I'll pick back up with my previews of the 11 metro area sections starting next week. Nothing like the Crown Prince making a cameo appearance in the Kingdom for the Packers-Vikings game to get in the way of seeing games this weekend. Before that, I'll be doing a ranking of my own over on the MN Preps Premium Message Board. I think you'll enjoy that. I'll put the link to that up when I finish it.

For humor value, here's a review on how I did on last year's conference predictions.

• Minnetonka - 1/2 point (co-champs with Hopkins)
• St. Thomas - finished 2nd to Sibley who was my other team to watch in the league
  
• Eden Prairie - correct
• Minneapolis Henry - correct (I give myself the full point because they beat Washburn twice head-head). Washburn was my other team to watch.
• Maranatha - correct. Trinity was the worst pick I made all season. I did manage to recover with SW Christian as a pick.
  
• Holy Angels - finished 4th so I totally botched that pick, 2 games back of the 3 way tie for 1st. I did get Shakopee and Prior Lake right as teams to watch.
• BSM - correct. I got the top of this league right by also mentioning Cooper and Spring Lake Park. Totino-Grace was not the surprise I thought they'd be.
• Osseo - correct. Totally overlooked Champlin Park. Underestimated Blaine and over ranked Elk River.
• Mounds View - 3rd, 2 games back of the 2 way tie for 1st. I did get CDH and Stillwater in the teams to watch. Park didn't surprise.
• Johnson - 1/2 point (tied with Johnson). Got this largely correct.
• Concordia - 2nd place. Should have picked St. Bernard's
• De La Salle - correct - got this division correct all the way around.

So I got 6 outright champions correct with 2 ties for 1st. The teams I got wrong were 2 games out. It should be very interesting to see how predicting each league top to bottom turns out. As we get into sections, we won't even begin to get into how bad I messed up section 4A.

08-09 Tri-Metro West Preview

This is the 13th installment in the 08-09 Season Preview series. If you missed any of the 1st 12 previews, you can use the Section and Conference Previews page to go back and read them. In this installment, a look at the West Division of the Tri-Metro Conference

De La Salle Islanders (2007 Season 14-14, 12-4)
Obviously you don't fully replace a player like Royce White, but they were terrific defensively and balanced on offense after he left last year. Bryce Hawkins is also gone I'm told. This will free up Jalen Jaspers to play more inside. Walter Franklin returns at the point. Look for sophomore Jonah Travis to step up and play an important role. (Czar's Note 11/6/08, How did I manage to leave AJ Barker out of this? He'll be a major factor for them as well.)

Minnehaha Academy Redhawks (2007 Season 17-10, 11-5)
They'll be the toughest team in the division to defend. They have 3 interchangable wings that are all long and versatile. That includes Greg Meyer and David Burnham along with emerging Parker Hines. Taylor Sparkman mans the middle with some ball skills that can pull bigs away from the basket.

Brooklyn Center Centaurs (2007 Season 12-15, 8-8)
After an 8-2 start that may have been misleading, the Centaurs went 4-13 after that. Sophomore Freddie Young leads the way. Junior DeAngelo Potter's 15 PPG also return.

Breck Mustangs (2007 Season 19-11, 7-8)
The Mustangs start a new era under coach Daryl Woods. However, he doesn't have much to work with. Last season's top 3 players Tom Smolenski, Dakota Tidd and Matt Vargas are all gone. Senior Blake Johnson will take over the top player role. I'll be watching to see what role sophomore Joey Yared plays.

Blake Bears (2007 Season 5-22, 4-12)
Senior David Nash is the leading returning scorer. Junior Jerrett Williams is another player to watch for the Bears. They had a point differental last year of 20.8.

St. Paul Academy Spartans (2007 Season 5-21, 1-15)
Former Sibley assistant Kevin McKenzie takes over the Spartans program. He has a couple of nice pieces to work with in juniors Evan MacMillan (23 and 10 last year) at forward and Santano Rosario at point guard. Sophomore center Gabe Mast also returns with 10 points and 7 rebs per game. They could make a run at double digit wins.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Minnehaha Academy
   
2. De La Salle
   
3. Brooklyn Center
   
4. St. Paul Academy
   
5. Breck
   
6. Mounds Park Academy
   

Player of the Year: Greg Meyer - Minnehaha

Games that will determine the conference title

• Concordia at Minnehaha - December 19th
• De La Salle at Minnehaha - January 20th
  
• De La Salle at St. Bernard's - January 31st
• Minnehaha at St. Bernard's - February 5th
• Minnehaha at De La Salle - February 14th
  
• De La Salle at Concordia - March 6th
  

Non-Conference Games to Watch

• Minnehaha at Minnesota Transitions - December 12th
• Minnehaha vs Henry Sibley - December 27th (1st round Bethel tournament)
• Minnehaha at St. Thomas Academy - January 31st
  
• De La Salle at Benilde-St. Margaret's - February 7th
• Minnehaha at New London-Spicer - February 19th
  
• Cretin-Derham Hall at De La Salle - February 21st
• Minneapolis Henry at De La Salle - March 3rd
  

08-09 Tri-Metro East Preview

This is the 12th installment in the 08-09 Season Preview series. If you missed any of the 1st 11 previews, you can use the Section and Conference Previews page to go back and read them. In this installment, the east side of the metro is still our home for a look at the East Division of the Tri-Metro Conference

St. Bernard's Bulldogs (2007 Season 28-4, 15-1 4th place state AA)
The Bulldogs return most of a team that made it all the way to the state semifinals. Explosive point guard Jordair Jett leads the way. Averey Duncan returns as a long lockdown defender who's offense continues to improve. Trent Davis returns as a 4 year starter at guard. Jordan Gittens is another long athlete. Brian Sandifer returns as a shooter. They'll miss John Bright's girth, but with their athleticism they play bigger than their size. Expect them to make another run at a state title.

Concordia Beacons (2007 Season 23-6, 13-3)
Zach Towle returns to run the point and light up the scoreboard for the Beacons. Zach Houliston returns in the middle and has greatly improved over the last 2 years. The loss of wings Darrin Beekman and Kyle Hagen will have to be addressed.

St. Croix Lutheran Crusaders (2007 Season 13-11, 8-8)
Post Chris Breuer (Randy's son) leads the way as he returns his 18 PPG to the lineup. Guard Aaron Hulsebus is also a nice guard that returns his 14 PPG. A nice inside-out duo.

St. Anthony Huskies (2007 Season 13-15, 8-8)
They'll miss all everything Calvin Walker (known as Chris Mullin to longtime readers). Junior Guard Josh Pratt returns and will need to be a good rebounder as this squad will be young and small. Junior Derek Jahner returns up front. Expect them to be tough and sound under coach Dave Bratland.

St. Agnes Aggies (2007 Season 15-13, 7-9)
Junior Darry Jones can put up points in a hurry. He's the leading returning scorer. 6-5 wing Leevon Perry is also a noteworthy returnee. Senior center Joe Constanzo returns to provide an interior presence. 17 PPG from Al Green is lost.

Mounds Park Academy Panthers (2007 Season 23-6, 1-14)
The Panthers lost 18 of last 19 after a home win over Providence in the opener of their Kreischer Basketball Tournament. The 2 leading scorers Dan Short and Adam Frudden are gone. But they do have the best gym in the conference with their new building.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. St. Bernard's
   
2. Concordia
   
3. St. Croix Lutheran
   
4. St. Agnes
   
5. St. Anthony
   
6. Mounds Park Academy
   

Player of the Year: Jordair Jett - St. Bernard's

Games that will determine the conference title

• Concordia at Minnehaha - December 19th
• St. Bernard's at Concordia - January 13th
• De La Salle at St. Bernard's - January 31st
• Minnehaha at St. Bernard's - February 5th
• Concordia at St. Bernard's - March 3rd
• De La Salle at Concordia - March 6th
  

Non-Conference Games to Watch

• Concordia at Shakopee - December 9th
  
• Hopkins at St. Bernard's - December 18th
• St. Bernard's vs Armstrong - December 30th (projected Catholic spirit semifinal at St. Thomas)
• St. Bernard's at St. Cloud Tech - February 7th
• Columbia Heights at St. Bernard's - February 12th
• Concordia at Minnetonka - February 17th
  

08-09 Independents Preview

This is the 11th installment in the 08-09 Season Preview series. If you missed any of the 1st 10 previews, you can use the Section and Conference Previews page to go back and read them. In this installment of the conference previews, we look at the independents.

Minnesota Transitions Wolves (2007 Season 28-5, class A state runner-up)
The Wolves validated their record of past seasons by finally getting over the hump and making the state tournament. They have a chance to make it all the way back to the state title game as future all-time state scoring leader junior Kevin Noreen and sophomore sharpshooter Kyle Noreen return. The loss of Virgil Baker is huge and they'll need someone like a Kevin Thompson or Antonio Wigfall to step up and be that 3rd scorer that Baker was last year. Ellsworth really exposed Kyle Noreen last season as a stand-still shooter. He'll need to develop a game off the dribble especially if there's no 3rd scoring option. Cheap promotional moment, you can track Kevin Noreen's progress toward the state's all-time scoring record throughout the next 2 seasons as I'll be updating the tracker in the left hand column after each MTS game.

CHOF Lions (2007 Season 22-6)
The Lions lose SF Nick Butler who played an all-everything role for them last season. Point guard Cole Piepkorn and center Nate Fiscus return. Fiscus is one of the best bigs in the section and Piepkorn has been a starter forever. The biggest loss may be athletic Jake Okerstrom who was their best matchup for guarding Kevin Noreen.

PACT Panthers (2007 Season 18-9)
The Panthers had a very nice season last year. With Austin Rink coming back amongst others, they'll be very respectable this season.

Spectrum Sting (2007 Season 6-19)
They endured the hardship of starting a new program as they had no seniors last season. So this year they have plenty of experience. Beau Emerson returns at the point and is a real thief. A very servicable point guard. Grant Spark is the goto guy on the outside. Brad Ducommun returns to man the front court. They could make a run at double-digit wins this season.

Games to Watch

• Minnehaha at MTS - December 12th (opens the new MTS gym)
  
• Park Christian at CHOF - January 17th
  
• Cotton at MTS - January 24th
  
• MTS at SW Christian - February 6th
  
• CHOF at MTS - February 13th
• St. Bernard's at CHOF - February 19th
  
• MTS at Park Christian - March 7th
  

08-09 St. Paul City Preview

This is the 10th installment in the 08-09 Season Preview series. If you missed any of the 1st 9 previews, you can use the Section and Conference Previews page to go back and read them. In this installment, we stay on the east side of the metro and look at the St. Paul City Conference.

Johnson Governors (2007 Season 21-7, 11-1)
Johnson returns most of their roster and will be one of the top teams in AAA. Lamar Anderson and Mike Talley return on the wings. Dion Suggs is the top scorer. Max Rosenbloom is one of the toughest rebounders in the metro. Jordan Pluff and Demitri Conwell also return. Not to mention sophomore Estan Tyler at the point. Also keep an eye out for sophomore Roosevelt Scott. He really broke out at the 43 Hoops Summer Classic in Johnson's impressive run in the 15U portion of that event.

Central Minutemen (2007 Season 21-7, 11-1)
Central looked like they were going to be tough again this season even without star Larry Brown. But Dylan Hale is gone to Washburn so that changes everything. Taylor Smaller returns in the back court. Hard working big Jordan Larson returns up front along with LaDarian Horton.

Como Park Cougars (2007 Season 20-10, 8-4)
The Cougars not only have to replace longtime coach Dan Brink, they also have to replace their top 2 scorers in Greg Morse and Steven Baker. They also have to replace the toughness and effort of power forward Lewis Johnson. Keep an eye on their 2010 class. Jordan Jackson should lead the way as he was impressive in Magic fall league play. Reggie Ray and Joe Conley are a couple of other nice juniors. Seniors Rico Phillips and Marcus Gustafson return as other guards. Look for them to be small and quick.

Arlington Phoenix (2007 Season 13-14, 6-6)
Their record was indicative of how bad the bottom of the league was last year despite their 2 closer than expected games vs Johnson. Marques Johnson-Smith is a big scorer that is gone. DeAndre White, Travon McKee and DeMarkeo Jones are returnees of note.

Humboldt Hawks (2007 Season 7-16, 2-10)
They'll have to replace guard Bobbie Hughes and forward Keenan Kent. Henry Jenkins returns in the middle. Juniors Melvin Dees and LaKing Franklin also return.

Highland Park Scots (2007 Season 5-21, 2-10)
The Scots lose almost everyone from last year's team. The 20 PPG from Prentice Cobbins will have to be replaced.

Harding Knights (2007 Season 3-21, 2-10)
The Knights lose their leading scorer Alonzo Williams. Senior Andre Creighton and junior Vernon Keller are the notable returnees.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Johnson
   
2. Como Park
   
3. Central
   
4. Arlington
   
5. Highland Park
   
6. Harding
   
7. Humboldt
   

Player of the Year: Dion Suggs - Johnson

Games that will determine the conference title

• Central at Johnson - January 10th
  
• Johnson at Como Park - January 16th
  
• Como Park at Central - January 30th
  
• Johnson at Central - February 10th
  
• Como Park at Johnson - February 12th
• Central at Como Park - February 27th
  

Non-Conference Games to Watch

• Como Park at Cretin-Derham Hall - December 9th
  
• Minneapolis Washburn at Johnson - December 16th
• Johnson vs Milwaukee Washington - December 23rd (Milwaukee Lutheran showcase)
  
• Johnson vs Minnetonka - December 27th (1st round Bethel Tournament)
• Johnson vs Eden Prairie/Mounds View - December 29th (Bethel 2nd round)
• Como Park at St. Bernard's - January 20th
  
• Robbinsdale Armstrong at Johnson - February 3rd
  
• Washburn vs Johnson rematch - March 7th (projected Twin Cities game)
  

08-09 Suburban East Preview

This is the 9th installment in the 08-09 Season Preview series. If you missed any of the 1st 8 previews, you can use the Section and Conference Previews page to go back and read them. In this installment, a look at the Suburban East Conference.

Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders (2007 Season 23-4, 14-2)
CDH will have to replace a couple of star guards that are now playing D1 football, Michael Floyd (Notre Dame) and John Nance (U of M). But the highest rated football player of them all, Seantrel Henderson, returns to lead the way. He's part of a loaded 2010 class that includes frontliner Clay Horne and guard Jake Frey just to name a couple. Senior Peter White was a major JV contributor last year up front. Guards Bo Bona and Marcus Binns return to provide experience. Point guard play will be a large determination of their success.

Stillwater Ponies (2007 Season 22-5, 14-2)
Star forward Joel Armstrong is gone to Winona State along with guard Aaron Anderson. But the Ponies have a couple of nice juniors to take their places. Guard Paul Franklin played a bunch of varsity minutes last year and made one of the plays of the year last season when he hit a half-court buzzer beater to steal a game at Johnson. Center Ryan Duxbury is an absolute beast inside and should have some terrific battles with Henderson of CDH.

Mounds View Mustangs (2007 Season 21.7, 12-4)
The Mustangs lose a couple of very good seniors in Mike Schramm and Nick Bartlett. Senior Dan Carroll returns to lead with way with senior Justin Harding and sophomore Jordan Van Eps. Not overly athletic but very disciplined and mistake free under longtime coach Ziggy Kauls.

Forest Lake Rangers (2007 Season 19-10, 9-7)
The Rangers will try to recover from a tough loss to Cambridge-Isanti in last year's 7AAAA final. They lose a couple of their top scorers, Brad Kopp and Ryan Brown. 2 starters (Griffin Lentsch being one of them) and junior Zach Riedeman return for one of the most methodical squads in the metro. Their open post motion offense and 1-3-1 defense really limit the number of possessions.

Woodbury Royals (2007 Season 13-15, 7-9)
If Forest Lake is the tortoise, then Woodbury must be the hare. Top scorer Aaron Myers and point guard Matt Slayton are gone. They do return a couple of high-scoring wing players in senior Bo Schiffler and junior Nick Quicksell. Ernest Dorsett returns to run the show at the point. Schiffler had 11 straight double-figure games in points before having only 5 points in the section semifinal loss to CDH. They'll play small and they'll run as much as any team in the metro.

White Bear Lake Bears (2007 Season 10-17, 7-9)
Junior frontcourt players Spencer Cummings and Richard Azevedo return to lead the way. Cole Christenson returns to lead the backcourt.

Park Wolfpack (2007 Season 9-18, 5-11)
All everything guard Jake Lindstrom is gone for the Wolfpack. Cody Hofmann and Craig Brown return in the backcourt. Andy Voigt returns up front.

Roseville Raiders (2007 Season 6-21, 3-13)
The Raiders return the top player in the league, Bucknell commit Mike Muscala. Guard Erik Nockleby is gone along with forward BJ Letourneau. With limited options around Muscala and a tough group of teams at the top of the league, the Raiders will likely struggle again this season.

Hastings Raiders (2007 Season 5-22, 1-15)
Hastings returns leading scorer senior Jake Ryan along with junior forwards Shane Monjeau and Nick Gmiterko. They'll try to use last year's season as a building block to continued improvement.

Predicted Order of Finish

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

Player of the Year: Seantrel Henderson - Cretin-Derham Hall

Games that will determine the conference title

• Mounds View at CDH - January 20th
• Stillwater at Mounds View - January 23rd
• CDH at Stillwater - January 27th
• CDH at Mounds View - February 20th
• Mounds View at Stillwater - February 27th
• Stillwater at CDH - March 6th
  

Non-Conference Games to Watch

• Eden Prairie at CDH - December 4th
• Monticello at Mounds View - December 5th
• St. Thomas Academy at CDH - December 12th
• Eden Prairie vs Mounds View - December 27th (1st round Bethel Tournament)
• Mounds View vs Minnetonka - December 29th (projected Bethel semifinal)
• Mounds View vs Sibley - December 30th (projected Bethel final)
  
• Stillwater vs Plainview-Elgin-Millville - December 30th (projected Rochester Rotary semifinal)
  
• Stillwater vs Apple Valley - December 31st (projected Rochester Rotary final)
  
• St. Paul Johnson at Stillwater - January 3rd
• CDH at De La Salle - February 21st
  
• CDH at Lakeville North - February 28th
  

08-09 Northwest Suburban Preview

This is the 8th installment in the 08-09 Season Preview series. If you missed any of the 1st 7 previews, you can use the Section and Conference Previews page to go back and read them. In this installment, we stay in the north metro and look at the Northwest Suburban Conference.

Osseo Orioles (2007 Season 28-1, 18-0)
The Orioles lose 4 starters but Gonzaga commit Sam Dower returns up front along with point guard DJ Phillips. Hopkins transfer Aaron Anderson and Kyle Mason will also man the backcourt. Jayvin Reynolds is a dirty work player up front on the glass. If they slow the game down, they should be one of the best defensive squads in the metro with Dower behind the defensive prowess of their guards and Reynolds to clean the glass. They'll need to find someone to make outside shots to open up Dower inside.

Champlin Park Rebels (2007 Season 15-12, 12-6)
Jasper Duberry returns as a primary ballhandler. Last year's point guard Zerrick Fuller may or may not be back. Wing Scott Theisen comes back as one of the best perimeter shooters around. He had 11 triples in a game against Elk River last year. They'll be small with Kyle Zimmerman and Josh Pella as their top big players.

Blaine Bengals (2007 Season 13-15, 10-8)
The Bengals lose Kyle Kreklow to Delano, but they have enough talent to compete with anyone in the league. The high-scoring forward duo of Dylan Rodriguez and Billy Giddings returns. Sophomore Dan Robel and junior Jesse Briggity return to man the point. Last year's record and early playoff exit were a disappointment. Can they put all the pieces together this season?

Elk River Elks (2007 Season 17-11, 10-8)
The Elks need to replace shooter Blaise Davis along with forwards Ben Ford and Eric Voltzke. Jack Gavin returns to run the point.

Maple Grove Crimson (2007 Season 15-12, 10-8)
The Crimson lose 1 nice post presence, Jordan Nelson, but still return one of the top posts in the league, Josh Pedretti. Matt Christenson and Alex Geisenhoff are 2 other seniors who should see plenty of varsity minutes.

Park Center Pirates (2007 Season 12-15, 8-10)
Their high scoring guards Mark Cooper and Christian Taber are gone. Voltare Nalls will be the man to lead the way this season.

Coon Rapids Cardinals (2007 Season 11-17, 7-11)
Boris Brnic and Donta Hampton are the noteworthy losses for Coon Rapids. Ben Baker and Blair Townsend will lead the way. Baker can put up points in a hurry so the Cardinals can be dangerous on any given night.

Andover Huskies (2007 Season 9-18, 6-12)
After a string of good seasons, rough times fell on the Huskies last season. Senior Brett Tester brings his 16 points and 7 rebounds per game back to the lineup.

Centennial Cougars (2007 Season 8-19, 6-12)
The Cougars added 5 wins to the win column last season and look to make another jump this season. They had a nice summer and have looked good in the Concordia fall league. Junior guard Tony Gerding returns to the starting lineup for the 3rd straight year. Patrick Ecklund and Anthony Adams also return.

Anoka Tornadoes (2007 Season 6-21, 3-15)
Kyle Boughner and Drew Kramer are important losses. Bernie Ward is the lone returnee of note. They'll look to a large number of returning youngsters for improvement.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Osseo
2. Champlin Park
3. Blaine
4. Maple Grove
   
5. Elk River
   
6. Centennial
7. Coon Rapids
   
8. Park Center
9. Andover
   
10. Anoka
    

Player of the Year: Sam Dower - Osseo

Games that will determine the conference title

• Osseo at Blaine - January 6th
• Champlin Park at Blaine - January 13th
• Champlin Park at Osseo - January 15th
  
• Blaine at Osseo - February 10th
• Osseo at Champlin Park - February 13th
• Blaine at Champlin Park - February 17th
  

Non-Conference Games to Watch

• Osseo at Henry Sibley - December 9th
  
• Minnetonka at Champlin Park - December 12th
• Blaine at Minnetonka - December 19th
• Osseo vs Minneapolis Washburn- December 30th (projected Granite City semifinal at St. Cloud Apollo)
• Osseo vs Sioux Falls Roosevelt - January 3rd (Timberwolves Shootout)
• Robbinsdale Armstrong at Blaine - January 31st
  

08-09 North Suburban Preview

This is the 7th installment in the 08-09 Season Preview series. If you missed the 1st 6 previews, you can use the Section and Conference Previews page to go back and read them. In this installment, we take a look at the North Suburban Conference.

Robbinsdale Cooper Hawks (2007 Season 23-9 4th Place AAAA, 17-3)
Discussion of the North Suburban in 08-09 has to start with the Hawks. They return basically everybody from last year's state qualifying squad. Joe Bright and Kenquane Brown return to man the front line. Freddie Burton returns to man the point and Quincy Bethea is a 2 guard who can light it up. Bethea also does a nice job of finding people off of penetration. Not to mention, star Rodney Williams Jr also returns. They have plenty of scoring and athleticism. An absolute nightmare to play against.

Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights (2007 Season 29-3 AAA State Champions, 19-1)
The Red Knights lose Jordan Taylor (Wisconsin) and Armond Battle (Tulsa) to the D1 ranks from the state title team of a year ago. They also lose their only other regular big guy Stu Neville. But coach John Moore still has plenty coming back. Justin Segal returns to run the point. Darren Glover gives them a shooter to replace a Matt Thomas. Peter Crawford will attempt to fill Battle's role. After watching him during fall league play, he looks poised to have a real breakout year. Size is a question. Will sophomore Myles Barnes get some looks up front?

Spring Lake Park Panthers (2007 Season 18-11, 13-7)
Losing Tim Merritt and Cory Polta costs them their inside play. Biggest loss is the inside/out versatility of Bemidji State commit Taylor Hall. He was really the guy who made them a different team last year. Lefty point guard Shaun Jensen returns along with guard Trey Scott who was just named a player of the week for week 1 of the Breakdown fall league. If junior Elijah Sabah can replace some of Cory Polta's inside play, the Panthers will be near the top of the league again.

Irondale Knights (2007 Season 15-12, 12-8)
The Knights return guard Rayveen Banks, but lose Colin Utke's size. Bjorn Westlund also returns at a guard spot. Another team that may have concerns with size.

St. Louis Park Orioles (2007 Season 15-12, 11-9)
Head coach Larry Ronglien moves on to UW-Stout. The roster has left too. Sophomore Aaron Ziman will have to be one of the youngsters to step up.

Fridley Tigers (2007 Season 15-13, 10-10)
The Tigers lose most everything but do return a nice piece in senior forward Isaiah Thomas. They're a well-coached squad with good tradition so I expect more wins than their talent shows.

Columbia Heights Hylanders (2007 Season 13-14, 8-12)
Coach Willie Braziel's squad was one of the best turnaround stories of last season and it looks to continue here. Junior guards Jacob Thomas and Harold Rainey return to man the backcourt. Senior Akrau Imbu will have to be their guy up front. Juniors guards Marcus Shaw and Larry Harris are also very talented. Size will be a struggle for them, but don't be surprised if this squad makes another jump this season. Next year will be a year to really keep an eye on them.

St. Francis Fighting Saints (2007 Season 10-17, 8-12)
Longtime head coach Ron Larson (28 years) retired and then took the Anoka-Ramsey job so the Saints will have a new voice this season. Center Andy Grzesik-Grimm is gone but guards Joe Foss and Alex Balluff return with big Seth Akason.

Totino-Grace Eagles (2007 Season 6-20, 5-15)
The Eagles lose a ton of seniors led by guard Micah Koehn and post Nate Uher. Junior guard Johnathon "Tazz" Crockett returns as a player who is very good defensively and quick enough to develop into a nice offensive player. I'll also be watching to see what kind of impact junior forward Mohammed Kromah makes.

Chisago Lakes Wildcats (2007 Season 6-21, 4-16)
The Wildcats may return the 2nd best player in the league in 6'8 big man Josh Figini. He had a monster year of 22 PPG and 11 RPG last year. He can step out and shoot it all the way to the 3 point line as he made almost 1 triple per game. Unfortunately, there's not much around him.

North Branch Vikings (2007 Season 8-19, 3-17)
The Vikings lose their best player Jake Chambers and also lose John Lindstrom. They'll look to junior Kyle Grote to step up this season.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Robbinsdale Cooper
2. Benilde-St. Margaret's
   
3. Spring Lake Park
   
4. Columbia Heights
   
5. St. Francis
   
6. Irondale
   
7. Fridley
   
8. Totino-Grace
9. Chisago Lakes
   
10. St. Louis Park
    
11. North Branch
    

Player of the Year: Rodney Williams Jr - Robbinsdale Cooper

Games that will determine the conference title

• Columbia Heights at BSM - December 12th
  
• Cooper at Columbia Heights - December 16th
• BSM at Spring Lake Park - January 13th
  
• Columbia Heights at Spring Lake Park - January 16th
  
• Cooper at BSM - January 27th
  
• BSM at Columbia Heights - February 3rd
  
• Spring Lake Park at BSM - February 19th
  
• Cooper at Spring Lake Park - February 27th
• BSM at Cooper - March 6th

Non-Conference Games to Watch

• Cooper at Armstrong - December 12th
  
• Eden Prairie vs Cooper - January 3rd (Timberwolves Shootout)
  
• Minnetonka at Cooper - January 24th
  
• Hopkins at Cooper - February 3rd
• De La Salle at BSM - February 7th
• Columbia Heights at St. Bernard's - February 12th