Introducing Czar Insights, a new visual Game Summary

Changing with the Times

The Czar's 15th season of games here in cyberspace launches Thursday with the 2021-22 season opener.  As with anything over a long period of time, it takes on a life of its own and evolves.  Last year brought a ton more video and that's not going away.  While I'm hopeful that we'll be able to spend much more time in the gym this season, video expands the amount of teams and games that can be seen.  That's all for the better. 

Video is a beautiful thing as you can go back and rewind to see replays and/or to get accurate stats amongst other things.  All sports have seen analytics explode over recent years.  Its also no secret that I enjoy the number crunching.  So its a very natural area for me to dive into in this forum.  I've taken a stab at some of those stats with 3 different Four Factors studies over the years.  The next progression, with the help of video, was writing up Four Factors data on a game by game basis that you saw last season.  

Therefore, its only fitting in this milestone season 15 that there's another evolution. This year I've taken that stats package and put it in the weight room for the entire offseason.  So after all of that number crunching, the time is now.

I now present ...Czar Insights!

Visual Game Summary

Czar Insights is my new and expanded visual game summary.  I had 2 main ideas when putting this together.  The first idea is to be visual.  Too often stats are just listing a bunch of numbers and it can hard to see context and relationships between data.  I've attempted to put data that can be compared right next to each other for that reason.  Color coding and graphs make it easier to draw those conclusions while still showing the meaningful numbers.  Many of the display ideas are incorporated from college and/or NBA locations.  

The second idea was to be concise.  The balance between displaying too much and too little is always difficult to determine.  I tried to keep this in a 1 page like format for simpler viewing. At the same time, I wanted to display as much as possible without there being so much clutter that it took away from the analysis.  I think this draws that balance of having everything displayed be valuable but yet easy to find and use.

Yes there are no new fancy stats like DARKO or RAPTOR here.  I did this for a couple of D3 games this month and you can find all the same data online.  But that isn't the point.  The idea is to supplement the basic box score with deeper insights in a concise and consolidated visual format for the high school level.  I don't know of any other high school writing that provides this level of stats detail or a visual. Look for this on most of the games I write about this season.  This will give a deeper and easier view into the different team factors that played into the outcome of the game.  For reference, I've included the Czar Insights for each the class AAAA state quarterfinals from the 2020-21 season.  Click on the images below to see a bigger picture.  Let's breakdown each of the 6 sections displayed. 

Breakdown
Section 1: Four Factors
This is the standard Four Factors data that I tracked last season.  The visual has been updated from the chart used last season.  If you're not already familiar with the Four Factors, you can read this.  Team colors and showing the actual value are used for easier viewing.

Section 2: More Factors
Most shooting values I use are in terms of Effective Field Goal Percentage.  That shows the impact of 3s.  But there's a place for old fashioned Field Goal Percentage so I show that first.  The difference between EFG% and FG% is that EFG% gives extra credit for 3s since a make is worth more.  Neither takes into account free throws  TS% is True Shooting Percentage which does take into account free throws.  This is a newer wave shooting metric.

AST% is the percentage of made shots that were assisted.  This can be an indicator of ball movement which can lead to better shots and therefore a high shooting percentage.

STL% is the percentage of possessions where the team got a steal.  Note this differs from TO% in the Four Factors because not every turnover is a steal.  Steals are the turnovers that lead to easy points though.

Section 3: Scoring Summary
This section tracks some commonly used breakdowns of scoring. Unlike the first 2 sections which are all percentages, this section and the next section are all raw totals.

2nd Chance is 2nd chance points.  These are points that come after an offensive rebound.  These are especially demoralizing points.  A low number here but a high ORB% shows a lack of conversion of these opportunities.

Pts Off TO is Points Off Turnovers.  These are points that come on the possession after an opponents turnover.  It doesn't necessarily have to be a live ball turnover or a turnover that turned directly into points.  Ex: Team throws the ball out of bounds, set play on the other end for a bucket.  Those count as points off turnover.  I'm not a fan of that definition but that's how its used so I'll use it here for consistency

Pts in Paint is Points in the Paint.  These are baskets that are scored in the Paint area as defined by the shot chart (see below).  This means it doesn't include the entire paint like the normal stat does.  I refuse to count floaters from just inside the FT line as points in the paint.  By definition, it also doesn't count any free throws taken if you're fouled on a shot in the paint. Theory says more points in the paint leads to more wins, but NBA math has actually shown this to not be true.

Bench Points. These are the points scored by any player who didn't start the game.  Can be an indicator of a team having better depth than their opponent.

A good example of meaning in this section is the Maple Grove vs Champlin Park game.  Champlin Park winning Points off Turnovers and 2nd Chance points helped keep them close despite shooting 3-30 from the 3 point line.

Section 4: Hustle Board
The intent of this section is to help measure some of the intangibles that don't appear in a basic box score.  There are 4 basic stats here.  Steals, Blocks and Deflections are self-explanatory.  Charges is the number of charges taken.  This chart stacks them all together to better show the cumulative effect.  See Wayzata's dominance of Duluth East in this area.

Section 5: Game Flow
When did it all go sideways?  That question gets answered here.  This chart is actually 2 charts in 1. It combines 2 of the game flows that I've seen presented online.  The chart legend shows the Points Per Possession (PPP) metric for each team.  PPP is a great overview metric for offensive efficiency as turnovers, free throws and field goal percentage all impact that value.  1 point per possession is an easy number to remember as a general benchmark for good or bad.  It also applies to defensive efficiency as a low opponent PPP often shows quality defense.

The 1st chart is the line graph.  This shows the total points at that number of possessions into the game.  There are also vertical comments that are added in for pointing out specific points on the clock in the game such as halftime.  This is a very basic chart showing the progression of a team scoring over the course of the game.

The 2nd chart is the filled-in areas along the horizontal axis at the 0 points marker.  I like to call it the Momentum Tracker.  Basically its a map of what the lead was at each point in the game.  This chart maps difference in the score per possession from the perspective of the winning team.  That way the winning team value always appears on top at the end of the game.  I think its a tremendous visual for showing the momentum swings in a game and exactly when they happened.  Yes, that data can be gleaned from the line graph, but I feel it really stands out here and was therefore useful to include.  A big slope in that section demonstrates a big run.

The Duluth East vs Wayzata game demonstrates this very well.  Duluth East had an 11 point lead at possession 29 so you see a large downward red area.  After that, at possessions 40 to 45 you see the graph has flipped to a 8 point Wayzata lead and a large blue area.  That shift was a 23-4 Wayzata run.  That was after having only 1 lead of 2 points in the 1st half as shown just before possession 15.  You also see that by the upper lines crossing over and separating.  See also the end of the CDH vs Rosemount game where Rosemount lost a late lead.

Section 6: Shot Chart
Its no secret that I'm huge believer in shooting being the main factor in winning.  Coaches use shot charts as their way of viewing shot data.  Therefore having this section was mandatory.  The upper half of the court is for home team.  The bottom half of the court is for the away team.  This shot chart is broken down into 13 bubbles for each team.  That includes 10 shot regions, free throws and 2 more bubbles to summarize.  Here's how the 10 shot regions are defined.  5 of them are for 3 point shots and the other 5 are for 2 point shots.

  • Corner 3s (left and right): These are 3s taken below the 2nd FT marker.
  • Wing 3s (left and right): These are 3s taken above the 2nd FT marker and outside the NBA lane lines.
  • Top 3s: These are 3s taken from between the NBA lane lines.
  • Baseline 2s (left and right): These are 2s taken from outside the NBA lane lines and below the 2nd FT marker.
  • Wing 2s (left and right): These are 2s taken from the wedge shaped area defined by the 3 point line, line above the 2nd marker and divided in half by the mid-line.
  • Paint 2s: These are 2s taken inside the NBA lane lines and below the 2nd FT marker.

Each of the 11 individual shot bubbles is generally located in the spot on the court that it describes.  Then there are the 2 summary bubbles at halfcourt for each team.  These bubbles combine the values for all of the 2s and 3s taken.  Idea behind this format is to not only distinguish between 2s and 3s but also to be able to split out 2s that are high-quality via attacking the rim vs the dreaded by analytics midrange 2.  On this chart, that would be the paint 2s vs all other 2s.  It also provides the detail and visual of where exactly where a team was making shots from.

Inside each bubble, there's the following data.

  • EFG%: The Effective Field Goal Percentage on the shots taken from that region.
  • %ATT: The percentage of the total shots that were taken from that region.
  • AST%: The percentage of made field goals from that region that were assisted.
  • BLK%: The percentage of shots taken from that region that were blocked.
The bubbles are color coded based on the EFG% for shots in that area.  This allows a quick glance to see where a team shot the ball well from and where they didn't.  The standard thresholds are set to <40% for Red (bad, stop that), >=50% for Green (good, keep doing that) and Yellow for inbetween (be careful).  If a team didn't take a shot from a particular region the bubble is removed from the display. You'll see that on the Shakopee shot chart where they didn't take a midrange 2.

A couple of slight color threshold modifications for the chart.  Free Throws use 60% and 70%.  Paint shots use 50% and 60%.  The 2 point overall bubble uses the paint values to help generate what the overall EFG color threshold for that bubble should be.  So that's why you may see overall 2 point shots over 50% but not colored green because most of those shots were in the paint. 

So there it is, click on any of the images below to expand it.  I hope it adds value to what is presented for each game.  Any feedback you have is welcome. 

Czar Insights for 2021 Class AAAA State Quarterfinals






2021-22 Season In A Nutshell

The Czar's 2021-2022 Season Preview series concludes with the traditional Season In A Nutshell preview.  This is a higher level season overview for casual fans who don't eat, sleep and breathe hoops.  Its who and what you need to see and when and where to see it.  If you missed any of the 13 conferences or 125 teams covered in the previews, a full list of them can be found here.

New Coaches
Jeremy Hable - Andover
Jesse Jefferson - Anoka
Lance Pettis - Blaine
Spencer Waldvogel - Centennial
Aaron Kloeppner - Champlin Park
Kris Babler - Eagle Ridge Academy
Kyle McDonald - Forest Lake
Trent Davis - Irondale
John Towle - Liberty Classical Academy
Mario Reese - Mounds Park Academy
Robbie Whitney - New Life Academy
Rob Ware - Robbinsdale Armstrong
Chris Pierce - St. Agnes
Saladin Wright - St. Paul Highland Park
Khalid El-Amin - St. Thomas Academy
Matt Hendley - United Christian
Dan Rubischko - Waconia
Greg Burke - White Bear Lake

The NW Suburban sees almost half of its members turn the page with 6 new coaches this season.  3 new coaches in the Suburban East as well.  A majority of the new hires stayed with in-house connections.  St. Thomas Academy and Forest Lake swung for the fences with the 2 highest profile hires.  17 of the 64 coaches in class AAAA have 1 year experience or are new this season.  That's over 25% of the class.

10 Notable Local Events (excluding holiday tourneys)

  • Southside Showcase - Dec 11th (Minnehaha)
  • Breakdown Tipoff Classic - Dec 11th (Hopkins)
  • Breakdown Big 12 Classic - Dec 18th (Totino-Grace)
  • Rumble on the River - Dec 18th (Hiawatha Collegiate) 
  • Hall of Fame Winter Classic - Jan 15th (Anoka-Ramsey)
  • MBBCA MLK Cultural Games - Jan 17th (Macalester)
  • Dream Classic - Jan 17th (Minneapolis Roosevelt)
  • Border Battle - Jan 22nd (Minneapolis North)
  • South Metro Showcase - Jan 22nd (Burnsville)
  • Breakdown Community Clash - Jan 29th (STMA)
10 Non-Conference Games to Watch (single game events only)
  • Shakopee at Wayzata - Dec 14th
  • Minnehaha at Park Center - Dec 18th 
  • De La Salle at Benilde-St. Margaret's - Dec 21st
  • De La Salle at Minneapolis North - Jan 8th 
  • Chicago Whitney Young at Totino-Grace - Jan 8th
  • Minnehaha at Wayzata - Jan 11th
  • Hopkins at Minneapolis North - Jan 25th
  • Cretin-Derham Hall at De La Salle - Feb 19th
  • Columbia Heights at Minnehaha - Feb 24th
  • Wayzata at Minneapolis North - Feb 28th
10 Conference Games to Watch
  • De La Salle at Columbia Heights - Jan 11th
  • Wayzata at Hopkins - Jan 18th
  • Park Center at Totino-Grace - Jan 21st 
  • Cretin-Derham Hall at East Ridge - Jan 28th
  • Central at Johnson - Feb 1st
  • Columbia Heights at De La Salle - Feb 4th 
  • Hopkins at Wayzata - Feb 11th
  • Totino-Grace at Park Center - Feb 18th
  • Shakopee at Eastview - Feb 24th
  • Robbinsdale Cooper at Benilde-St. Margaret's - Mar 1st
10 Impact Transfers
  • Donavhan Cain - Beloit Turner (WI) to Cretin-Derham Hall
  • Cam Holter - Holy Angels to Minneapolis Southwest
  • Aiden Johnson - Heritage Christian to Legacy Christian
  • Cohen Kellogg - Minnetonka to Orono
  • Ahjany Lee - Byron to Totino-Grace
  • Brandon Melchior - Elk River to Cretin-Derham Hall
  • Payton Mogire - Maple Grove to Robbinsdale Armstrong
  • CJ O'Hara - Totino-Grace to Hopkins
  • Cody Pennebaker - St. Francis to Park Center
  • Gani Stevens - St. Anthony to Minneapolis North

Also note that 2 local high-major recruits, Camden Heide (Wayzata) and Josh Ola-Joseph (Osseo), have left the state for prep school. They are at Wasatch Academy (UT) and Compass Prep (AZ) respectively. 

10 Upperclassmen to Watch
  • Carter Bjerke - Wayzata (U of St. Thomas)
  • Kendall Blue - East Ridge (U of St. Thomas)
  • Braeden Carrington - Park Center (Minnesota)
  • Taison Chatman - Totino-Grace
  • Alonzo Dodd - South St. Paul
  • Tre Holloman - Cretin-Derham Hall (Michigan St)
  • Ahjany Lee - Totino-Grace (U of St. Thomas)
  • Pharrel Payne - Park of Cottage Grove (Minnesota)
  • Demarion Watson - Totino-Grace (Iowa St)
  • Nolan Winter - Lakeville North
10 Underclassmen to Watch
  • Casmir Chavis - De La Salle
  • Daniel Freitag - Bloomington Jefferson
  • Randy McClendon - De La Salle
  • Mercy Miller - Minnehaha
  • Grayson Okoronkwo - Blake
  • Chiang Ring - Minneapolis South
  • Jack Robison - Lakeville North
  • Andy Stefonowicz - Minnetonka
  • Jerome Williams - Minneapolis South
  • Max Woods - Chanhassen
10 Local Teams to Watch
  • Columbia Heights
  • Cretin-Derham Hall
  • Eastview
  • Minneapolis North
  • Minnehaha Academy
  • Park Center
  • Shakopee
  • South St. Paul
  • Totino-Grace
  • Wayzata

Active Streaks of 20 Games Or More In Conference Play

  • Minneapolis North - 60 wins
    • 36 home wins.  Last loss was 2/6/15 vs South
    • 30 road wins.  Last loss was 2/5/16 at Minneapolis Washburn
  • Minnehaha - 37 wins.  Last loss was 2/6/15 at St. Paul Academy
    • 22-0 home record all-time in IMAC play
  • St. Croix Prep - 34 wins including last 8 wins in the MCAA.
    • 20 home wins.  Last home loss was 2/9/18 vs New Life Academy
  • Hill-Murray - 33 road losses.  Last road win was 2/10/17 at South St. Paul.
  • Minneapolis Roosevelt - 27 losses.  Last win was 2/1/19 vs Washburn
  • Anoka - 25 losses.  Last win was 1/21/20 vs Rogers
  • Nova Classical Academy - 25 losses
    • 0-25 all-time in Skyline play
  • Mounds Park Academy - 23 losses.  Last win was 2/9/18 at home.
    • 65 road losses including their years in the Tri-Metro.  Last road conference win was at St. Paul Academy 2/1/2008
  • Chaska - 20 home wins.  Last home loss was 2/13/18 vs Bloomington Jefferson
  • St. Paul Central - 20 road wins.  Last road loss was 2/5/18 at St. Paul Johnson
Section Winners
We gave thoughts on 13 conferences plus independents.  I'll match that here with predictions for the winners of 14 metro area sections.  That includes all the 6 local A,AA and AAA sections and all 8 AAAA sections.

4A: The story here is current and former MCAA.  Legacy holds the current MCAA and section crown.  Former MCAA members New Life (dropping down from 4AA) and Trinity will also make noise here.  CHOF is always a potential threat.  Hope and Kaleidoscope will fill up the scoreboard.  It should be a very competitive section.  Most of those competitors play each other so things will be more clear late in the season.  Give me Legacy to repeat here.
4AA: Minnehaha moves back to their usual section.  With high-major talents Mercy Miller and Prince Aligbe leading the way, they are the heavy favorites in a very weak section. Don't be surprised to see double-digit teams with a below .500 record here.
5AA: Minneapolis North returns a strong guard group led by Willie Wilson.  Plus they add Gani Stevens inside.  They remain the heavy favorite here.  Maranatha and Blake look to be other contenders here.  Hiawatha has plenty of experience back and a quality PG in Jessye Lewis but their EMAC schedule will hurt them here.
3AAA: A real contrast in this section looms in the section final.  On 1 side, you have traditional power De La Salle (last year's section 6 winner) and their defensive minded style.  On the other, you have upstart South St. Paul and their high powered offensive system.  PG Alonzo Dodd is the head of the snake for South St. Paul.  Devin Newsome and Shawn West-Zimpel are wings who can fill it up.  De La Salle can counter with their own strong perimeter trio.  Junior Nasir Whitlock had a breakout summer and will lead the offense.  Sophomores Randy McClendon and Casmir Chavis join him.  Give me South St. Paul here.
4AAA: A heavyweight matchup between neighbors Totino-Grace and Columbia Heights looms in the section final.  Totino-Grace is arguably the state favorite so I take them here.  Despite graduating a ton of depth and losing CJ O'Hara, the addition of Ahjany Lee from Byron keeps them loaded.  Remember they had the lead with 6 min left vs Minnehaha in the section final last year.  PG Tommy Chatman looks poised for a big season.  Heights returns basically everybody from a team that was in the top 3 of the polls all year.  Their wing duo of Muja Burton and Hassan Kamara leads the way and they have size to try to match the big Totino-Grace front line.
6AAA: This is the deepest section top to bottom of the group listed here.  Wright County reps Mound-Westonka and Hutchinson will both make noise here and Delano isn't anything to sneeze at.  Hutch's Sam Rensch could put a team on his back.  From the Tri-Metro, you have last year's section 3AAA state qualifier, Richfield, returning a couple of quality pieces.  Holy Angels is no slouch here either.  From the Metro West, you have a talented Orono squad plus my pick to win the league and this section Benilde-St. Margaret's.  Their duo of Maddox Alipate and Daniel Ijadimbola should carry the day.
1AAAA:  Owatonna is the pick to repeat here.  Their strong guard duo of Brayden Williams and Ty Creger plus forward Evan Dushek all return to the lineup.  Lakeville North returns to the section that they've won the last 8 times they've played in it but they're a year away from doing it again.  Lakeville South will also contend here.
2AAAA: Shakopee returns almost everybody from last year's state semifinalist team that knocked out Owatonna.  They have to be the pick here with Nick Katona leading the way.  Chaska plus the strong Lake Conference group of Eden Prairie, Edina and Minnetonka make it a difficult section.
3AAAA: I'm taking Eastview here with their reloaded roster and the experience of Kenji Scales.  But last year's teams in the section final can make plenty of noise here too.  Minnesota commit Pharrel Payne looks to lead Park back to the final.  Caleb Siwek put Rosemount on his back last year and should do the same again this year.
4AAAA: Cretin-Derham Hall made the state final last year with Tre Holloman playing a do everything role.  The Raiders have reloaded around him and are the heavy favorite here.  East Ridge has a strong backcourt of Kendall Blue and Alex Mattes.  If they can find front court play, they can be dangerous here.
5AAAA:  Sneaky tough section here with Park Center as the favorite. The Pirates return Minnesota commit Braeden Carrington to lead a very talented roster.  Their rival Osseo returns plenty of experience and talent.  Mounds View has a pair of talented guards coming back.  Spring Lake Park and Maple Grove are sleepers here.
6AAAA: Wayzata and Hopkins are again the favorites here.  Very strong perimeter play for both squads.  I'll take the defending state champs Wayzata.  The 2 Robbinsdale schools will look to give them a run. 
7AAAA:  There are 5 new coaches in this section including a 3rd member of the McDonald family with Kyle taking over at Forest Lake.  Duluth East loses 2 stars but they get Will Van Scoy back from injury.  They'll feature experienced guard play plus major breakout candidate Isaac Nyakundi inside replacing Noah Paulson.  That's more than enough to win this section of rebuilding teams.
8AAAA: Maple Grove has owned this section in recent years but they've moved to section 5.  That leaves the section for Buffalo's taking.  The trio of Antonio Bluiett at the point, Zach Zrust up front and Will Pool on the wing carries the Bison to the state tourney.

Season Thoughts
After 5 straight season, it looks like Minnesota won't have a McDonald's All-American representative.  Despite that, the class of 2022 is as deep as we've seen.  8 high-major kids from the state as of now.  Minnesota and St. Thomas with 3 local commits each.  That should make for a very entertaining season with lots for the local fan to follow.  Quality depth at the top of AA, AAA and AAAA should make for some very exciting state games.  Note that the state tourney site is yet to be determined as Target Center is booked with the Timberwolves.  Sounds like everything will be at held at the U of Minnesota this season.

As to individual conferences, the EMAC, MCAA and Metro East will be in down years.  More tough seasons ahead in the Metro West, NW Suburban and Lake.  The Minneapolis and St. Paul city leagues see their traditional recent powers continue to thrive.

Great to see the local events back.  The Breakdown has its usual loaded Big 12 and Tipoff Classic events.  Plus they now have the Capitol Classic over the holidays which takes over the old U of St. Thomas holiday tourney spot.  The Southside Showcase and Hall of Fame Winter Classic are also back on the schedule.  Plus you have the Border Battle at Minneapolis North this year. 

The predictions and off season work are in, bulletin board material has been put up.  Let's get to it.  Time to #ShockTheCzar.

2021-22 Lake Conference Preview

This is the 14th preview in my 2021-2022 season preview series.  In this preview, I finish my look at my normal list of conferences with a look at the Lake Conference.  For a list of all the season previews and how they are done, click here.

Buffalo Bison (2020-21 season 7-9, 4-8 Conference, Tie 4th)
Buffalo returns 4 of their top 5 scorers to the starting lineup this season.  Antonio Bluett (18.1 PPG) and defensive pest Carter Jackson (7.3 PPG) take care of the perimeter spots.  Forward Zach Zrust (13.7 PPG) can play inside and out.  Will Pool (8.5 PPG) returns on the wing.  Carson Giddings provides guard depth.  No real size behind Zrust in the lineup.

Eden Prairie Eagles (2020-21 season 12-7, 6-6 Conference, 3rd)
Coach David Flom returns 2 double figure scorers from last season.  That includes matchup nightmare Chiddi Obiazor (16.1 PPG) at a forward spot.  The junior forward had a breakout season last year.  He's took quick for bigs and too powerful for wings.  Senior lefty Miles Smith (10.3 PPG) provides a major shooting threat.  Junior Jermell Taylor also returns to the starting lineup.  Dalal Gaarhaye provides experienced size inside.  Matt Kelley will see time at a guard spot.

Edina Hornets (2020-21 season 7-10, 4-8 Conference, Tie 4th)
The Hornets return 3 significant pieces from last season.  Forward Brady Helgren (17.2 PPG) can score inside and shoot it.  The guard spots are strong with PG Sammy Presthus (10.7 PPG) and lefty SG Gabe Jobe (20.5 PPG).  Jobe was the league's top scorer last season.  Seniors Noah Deets, Dane Lusty and Jack Dickey will be the depth.  A strong youth movement awaits behind them.

Hopkins Royals (2020-21 season 12-5, 9-3 Conference, 2nd)
Elvis Nnaji returns to the front line after averaging 10.8 PPG.  Max Wilson and Tyrell Sappington return in the backcourt.  The Royals add CJ O'Hara from Totino-Grace and frosh Jaleel Donley who saw big varsity minutes at Bloomington Kennedy last year.  8th grader Jayden Moore figures to be in the strong perimeter rotation as well.

Minnetonka Skippers (2020-21 season 6-12, 4-8 Conference, Tie 4th)
Coach Bryce Tesdahl returns 3 double figure scorers to a young lineup.  Junior Jalen Cain (17.7 PPG), senior Vlad Ciubotaru (14.3 PPG) and soph PG Andy Stefoniwicz (10.5 PPG) all return.  They also add reinforcements in junior transfers Ibo El-Amin and Alex Jones.  Soph Will Koeppen also saw major minutes.  All of them are perimeter players so keeping that group happy with enough shots is a major question.  They struggled with interior play on both ends last season and their 2 main post players have graduated.

St. Michael-Albertville Knights (2020-21 season 6-13, 4-8 Conference, Tie 4th)
Three starters return for STMA.  Leading scorer Johnny Tennyson (15.3 PPG) returns to lead the perimeter group.  Fellow guard Riley Purcell (7.5 PPG) and forward Carson Radke also return to the lineup.  The 11.7 PPG from forward Wyatt Blakstvedt will be missed.

Wayzata Trojans (2020-21 season 19-2, 11-1 Conference, 1st)
The defending state champs have to replace 3 of their top 5 scorers.  That includes 2 graduations and top scorer Camden Heide (17.9 PPG) to Wasatch Academy (UT).  With Heide back, they were still the state AAAA favorite.  But the Trojans are still very talented.  Forward Carter Bjerke (14 PPG) and Drew Berkland (9 PPG) are the top 2 returning scorers and deadly from 3.  Juniors Hayden Tibbits and Spencer Hall figure to play bigger roles at the guard spots after seeing major minutes last season.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Wayzata 
  2. Hopkins
  3. Eden Prairie
  4. Edina
  5. Buffalo
  6. Minnetonka   
  7. St. Michael-Albertville

Conference Overview
Wayzata still comes in as a favorite.  Hopkins and Eden Prairie will battle for 2nd behind them.  Then the next group of 3 could finish anywhere.  Edina and Buffalo both feature strong returning backcourts along with a talented inside forward.  Minnetonka has plenty of scorers but can they get stops?  That leaves only the last spot for STMA.  There's plenty of talent returning across the entire league.  That's after every team won at least 4 league games last year.  So expect each night to be a slugfest and another tight grouping in the standings.

Conference MVP: Carter Bjerke - Wayzata

Underclassmen to watch:  

  • Brody Wishart - Buffalo
  • JJ Sullivan - Eden Prairie
  • Daniel Molhoek, Nick Presthus, Kole Hanson - Edina
  • Jayden Moore, Jaleel Donley - Hopkins
  • Andy Stefonowicz, Jordan Cain, Will Koeppen - Minnetonka
  • Jackson McAndrew, Drep Nepstad - Wayzata
Conference Games to Watch
  • Wayzata at Hopkins - Jan 18th
  • Hopkins at Eden Prairie - Feb 8th
  • Hopkins at Wayzata - Feb 11th
  • Wayzata at Eden Prairie - Feb 18th
 Non-Conference Games to Watch
  • Wayzata vs Totino-Grace - Dec 11th (Tipoff Classic)
  • Shakopee at Wayzata - Dec 14th
  • Wayzata vs Cretin-Derham Hall - Dec 18th (Big 12 Classic)
  • Hopkins vs Osseo - Dec 18th (Big 12 Classic)
  • Wayzata vs Osseo - Dec 29th (Capitol City Classic)
  • Hopkins at Minneapolis North - Jan 25th
  • Wayzata at De La Salle - Feb 24th
  • Hopkins at De La Salle - Mar 1st

 

2021-22 South Suburban Conference Preview

This is the 13th preview in my 2021-22 Season Preview Series.  In this preview, we head south for a look at the South Suburban Conference.  For a list of all the season previews and how they are generated, click here.

Apple Valley Eagles (2020-21 season 4-15, 4-14 Conference, Tie 8th)
Apple Valley once again has to replace their top 3 scorers.  That includes Dylan Omweno (11.2 PPG) who is now at crosstown rival Eastview.  Junior forward Khalif Bettis (8.9 PPG) will lead the offense.  Quinn Ewald (6.6 PPG) also returns to the starting lineup as a hard working wing.  Mileo Patterson will see time on the front line as well.

Burnsville Blaze (2020-21 season 0-19, 0-18 Conference, 10th)
Burnsville loses 3 of their top 4 scorers from last year's squad.  Junior guard Henry Saykeo (9.1 PPG) leads the returning unit.  Nobody else averaged more than 3.7 PPG last season.  Brendan Affana-Shanks returns in the center spot.  Sterling Brown and Abdihamid Jama return at perimeter spots.

Eagan Wildcats (2020-21 season 6-13, 6-12 Conference, 7th)
Coach Kevin McKenzie returns 3 of his top 4 scorers from last season.  The junior duo of double figure scorers Oscar Khazon (13.7 PPG) and Emmanuel Schmitter (13.2 PPG) returns on the wings.  Khazon is a knock down shooter and Schmitter is a solid all around wing.  Logan Schmidt (6.6 PPG) returns to anchor the middle.  The experience of 8 seniors who all saw significant minutes will be missed.  Olana Mitoro and Mason Amann are main candidates to fill those minutes.

Eastview Lightning (2020-21 season 17-3, 16-2 Conference, 1st)
Eastview replaced all 5 starters last season and won the league outright.  Now they lose 6 of their top 7 scorers.  But the Lightning once again will reload and be a threat to win the league.  Kenji Scales (14.7 PPG) returns at the PG spot.  They also add Dylan Omweno from Apple Valley as another guard.  Juniors Mario and Myles Adams look to fill wing spots.  The front line is loaded with Jamal Ambrose and Chet Kloss.  Both are in the classic Eastview mold of bigs who can step away from the basket and shoot it.

Farmington Tigers (2020-21 season 12-8, 11-7 Conference, 6th)
The Tigers have to replace 4 of their top 6 scorers from last season.  Leading scorer Kyle Hrncir (13.8 PPG) returns to the lineup after a nice summer with WOTN.  Guard Sam Hoffman (6.9 PPG) and forward Zach Cochnauer (5.7 PPG) also return to the rotation.  Rod Finley and Connor Weed will also see major minutes.

Lakeville North Panthers (2020-21 season 13-7, 12-6 Conference, Tie 3rd)
It will be a youthful Lakeville North roster after graduating 3 of their top 4 scorers.  That includes a combined 26.5 PPG from Will Blascziek and Cooper Laufenburger.  3 juniors will lead the way.  That group features a pair of talented wings in Nolan Winter (11 PPG) and Hudson Vaith (5.6 PPG).  Add in soph lefty Jack Robison (4.1 PPG) and you have a nice core for the next 2 seasons. Seniors R'Moni Warner (5.9 PPG), Brayden Manning and Michael McDonald will see rotation time.

Lakeville South Cougars (2020-21 season 13-7, 12-6 Conference, Tie 3rd)
The Cougars have to replace 2 double figure scorers including star guard Reid Patterson (18.2 PPG) and Trystan Ressler (10.4 PPG).  The wing position will be deep with Avery Mast (12.2 PPG), Sam Fliehe (7.5 PPG) and lefty Connor Beauchamp.  Chase Androff returns to man the interior.  Junior Jackson Ressler is an option to run the show.

Prior Lake Lakers (2020-21 season 4-15, 4-14 Conference, Tie 8th)
Senior forward Malcolm Jones led the league in scoring at 20.2 PPG last season.  Expect that to happen again this season.  Kellan Miller (8.3 PPG) and PG Kyle Haas also return to the starting lineup.  Emmett McKush and Tommy Hjerpe are experienced guards in the rotation.

Rosemount Irish (2020-21 season 15-7, 12-6 Conference, Tie 3rd)
The Irish are coming off a state tournament season.  They gave Cretin-Derham Hall all they wanted in a 41-40 loss in the state quarters. Senior Caleb Siwek (20.1 PPG) is the top sniper in the league along with being a clutch player in crunch time.  I expect a monster season from him.  The next 3 scorers behind him need to be replaced.  That includes the 10.8 PPG, defense and leadership of guard Sean Sullivan.  Junior guard Anish Ramlall (6.1 PPG) should pick up much of that.  Carter Theisen and Sam Kuseske return to man in the interior.

Shakopee Sabers (2020-21 season 17-6, 13-5 Conference, 2nd)
Shakopee returns most of their balanced rotation from last season.  Forward Mick Wherley and his 10.8 PPG will be the hardest thing to replace.  The main key will be keeping leading scorer Cade McGraw (12 PPG) healthy at the point guard spot.  UMD commit Nick Katona (11.7 PPG) and Sam West are versatile forwards. Yonis Mohamud (7 PPG) can score in bunches from the shooting guard spot.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Shakopee 
  2. Eastview  
  3. Rosemount
  4. Lakeville North  
  5. Lakeville South 
  6. Eagan
  7. Farmington 
  8. Prior Lake 
  9. Apple Valley
  10. Burnsville 
Conference Overview:
Shakopee made the state tourney last year and has most of the roster back.  That makes them the pick here.  Eastview will reload and give them a stiff challenge.  The next 3 all tied for 3rd last season and that seems very plausible again as all return multiple pieces.  I'll put Rosemount at the top of the group thanks to their state qualification and return of Caleb Siwek.  Eagan loses experience but returns 2 top scorers and an experienced big. Combined with Farmington's losses, I'll flip-flop them in this year's standings.  Prior Lake has the best player of the rest. Apple Valley and Burnsville are in major rebuilds.

Conference MVP: Caleb Siwek - Rosemount

Underclassmen to watch:
  • Jeremy Sherlock - Burnsville
  • Jack Robison - Lakeville North
  • Isaac Snell - Shakopee
Conference Games to Watch
  • Eastview at Shakopee - Jan 28th
  • Shakopee at Eastview - Feb 24th
Non-Conference Games to Watch
  • Eastview at Chaska - Dec 3rd
  • Eastview vs Maple Grove - Dec 11th (Tipoff Classic)
  • Shakopee at Wayzata - Dec 14th
  • Eastview at Minnehaha - Dec 14th
  • Eastview vs Cretin-Derham Hall - Dec 30th (East Ridge Holiday Tourney)

2021-22 Suburban East Conference Preview

This is the 12th preview in my 2021-2022 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 (2020-21 season 18-6, 13-5 Conference, 3rd)
Senior PG Tre Holloman (20.3 PPG) returns as the lynchpin for last year's state runner up.  Nine seniors need to be replaced but the Raiders will reload with a couple of notable transfers.  Guard Donavhan Cain was a double figure scorer in Wisconsin last season.  Center Branden Melchior averaged double figures at Elk River last season.  That will take some of the scoring load off of Holloman and provide more balance.  Charlie Plum also returns to provide front line depth.

East Ridge Raptors (2020-21 season 12-7, 11-6 Conference, 4th)
Coach Josh Peltier needs to replace most of his front line.  The strength of the team will be the guards with St. Thomas commit Kendall Blue (15 PPG) and junior Alex Mattes (12.7 PPG).  Junior Pete Koland also returns at a guard spot. A talented sophomore class is behind them.  From that group, Brayden Carlson figures to be a key option to take up the interior minutes.

Forest Lake Rangers (2020-21 season 11-9, 10-8 Conference, 5th)
Kyle McDonald takes over the program making for a 3rd McDonald coaching in section 7AAAA.  He has to replace 6 of the top 7 scorers from last season.  Soph Owen Waldoch (4 PPG) should take up some of the slack from the loss of leading scorer Jordan Boysen (12.8 PPG) inside.  Nick Bartlett (11.2 PPG) returns to lead the perimeter group.  Ted Carey will be 1 option in the rotation.

Irondale Knights (2020-21 season 1-18, 1-17 Conference, 10th)
Former St. Bernard's point guard and St. Catherine's assistant Trent Davis is the new head coach.  He has 4 top scorers returning to work with.  DJ Anthony (9.6 PPG) and Drake Gomez (9.3 PPG) are 2 of those options.  Calvin Marcellus is a banger inside.  Juniors Max Herlofsky, Dane Dedominces and Cooper O'Brien are other rotation options.

Mounds View Mustangs (2020-21 season 16-4, 15-3 Conference, Tie 1st)
The Mustangs lineup is led by a quality perimeter duo.  Kobe Kirk (15.2 PPG) and Dylan Wheeler (12 PPG) were 2 of the top 3 scorers last season.  Both can handle and shoot it.  Ryan Edelman (4.5 PPG) returns to his screening and defending forward role.  Ben Erickson and Duncan Loegering look to step into the rotation.

Park Wolfpack (2020-21 season 11-10, 9-9 Conference, 6th)
High expectations this season with Minnesota commit Pharrel Payne (14.8 PPG) in the middle.  They are coming off a run to the section final last season.  Jamari Walker (7.5 PPG) returns with Payne on the front line.  Wings Evan Bearth (10.4 PPG), Brady Perryman, Jack Blumberg and Brayden Fick all return to the rotation.  The big question is what do they do at point guard.  Jayden Lane's experience, fearless mentality and 10 PPG at that spot will be sorely missed.

Roseville Raiders (2020-21 season 4-14, 4-13 Conference, 8th)
Roseville has to replace their 3 top scorers from last season.  That includes 10.1 PPG from leading scorer Elijah Burns up front.  Size will be the question mark with the entire frontcourt graduating.  Leighton Alvarez is a top option there.  The wings will be the strength with Keyon Broussard (6.6 PPG) and soph Ataa Adjetey-Mensah (4.8 PPG) returning.  Seniors Charlie Pearson and Cohen Rice will also see perimeter rotation time.

Stillwater Ponies (2020-21 season 4-15, 4-14 Conference, 9th)
Junior Max Shikenjanski (24.2 PPG) will once again run the show. He's coming off a monster summer season as the 16U MVP.  Tyler Tompkins (14.1 PPG) and center Sam Shikenjanski (7.7 PPG) need to be replaced.  Nobody else who returns averaged more than 4 PPG.  Nicholas Koehn (4 PPG) and Andrew Gustafson (3.9 PPG) return to the starting lineup and look to pickup some of that offense to help take the load off of Shikenjanski.

White Bear Lake Bears (2020-21 season 7-12, 7-11 Conference, 7th)
Former Osseo assistant Greg Burke takes over the program.  He has to replace Kanye Raheem's 13.9 PPG on the wing.  But the guard spots are still strong with juniors Jack Janicki (19.7 PPG) and Jack Misgen (9.2 PPG) coming back.  Janicki is one of the state's top juniors and Misgen is a quality shooter.  Seniors Alex Lockwood and Brock Taugner also return to the lineup.

Woodbury Royals (2020-21 season 17-4, 15-3 Conference, Tie 1st)
Woodbury has to replace 4 of their top 5 scorers.  That includes 3 double figure wing scorers led by Brad Cimperman and his 14.5 PPG.  Wing Blake Rohrer (9.7 PPG) should be the top option and easily move into double figures this season.  Guard James Maier (3.7 PPG) and forward Dom Cuoco (5.9 PPG) are the remaining players from last year's rotation.  Very limited experience after them.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Cretin-Derham Hall   
  2. East Ridge    
  3. Mounds View
  4. Park
  5. White Bear Lake
  6. Stillwater  
  7. Woodbury  
  8. Forest Lake  
  9. Irondale  
  10. Roseville
Conference Overview:
Its a strong year in the league with the top 6 scorers coming back.  Cretin-Derham Hall reloads and looks to make another run at a state title.  Behind them I see a great battle between East Ridge, Mounds View and Park.  I could justify those teams in any order.  White Bear Lake has the best 2 pieces out of the remaining teams and the best chance to jump into that 2nd group.  Stillwater has Max Shikenjanski but can they get him help out of their Princeton Point system.  Woodbury and Forest Lake will battle behind them.  Both have heavy losses from last season so its hard to put them in the top half.  Irondale and Roseville bring up the bottom again. 

Conference MVP: Tre Holloman - Cretin-Derham Hall

Underclassmen to watch: 
  • Mekhi Edwards - Cretin-Derham Hall
  • Brayden Carlson, Charlie Theis, Parker Wellman - East Ridge 
  • Owen Waldoch, Reid Olson - Forest Lake
  • Joey Fretheim - Mounds View
  • Ataa Adjetey-Mensah, Will Devries - Roseville
Conference Games to Watch
  • East Ridge at Cretin-Derham Hall - Dec 14th
  • Park at Cretin-Derham Hall - Dec 16th 
  • Stillwater at White Bear Lake - Dec 16th
  • Cretin-Derham Hall at East Ridge - Jan 28th
  • Cretin-Derham Hall at Park - Feb 3rd
  • White Bear Lake at Stillwater - Feb 3rd
Non-Conference Games to Watch
  • Cretin-Derham Hall vs Totino-Grace - Dec 11th (Tipoff Classic)
  • East Ridge vs Hopkins - Dec 11th (Tipoff Classic)
  • Cretin-Derham Hall vs Wayzata - Dec 18th (Big 12 Classic)
  • Cretin-Derham Hall vs Eastview - Dec 30th (E Ridge Holiday Tourney)
  • Wayzata at East Ridge - Feb 2nd
  • Cretin-Derham Hall at De La Salle - Feb 19th
  • East Ridge at Minneapolis North - Feb 19th

2021-22 NW Suburban Conference Preview

This is the 11th preview in my 2021-2022 season preview series.  In this preview, a look at the Northwest Suburban Conference. For a list of all the season previews and how they are done, click here.

Andover Huskies (2020-21 season 13-6, 9-4 Conference, Tie 3rd)
Assistant Jeremy Hable takes over the Husky program.  He has to replace double figure scorer Calvin Foy (13.4 PPG).  Juniors Sam Musungu (16.1 PPG) and Ben Kopetzki (14.6) have plenty of experience to build around on the perimeter.  Kopetzki is a tough as nails point guard, Musungu is a defender and slasher.  Sam Angell returns to man the inside.  Joey Mallet is another possible option there.  Very limited experience and firepower beyond the top 3.

Anoka Tornadoes (2020-21 season 0-19, 0-13 Conference, 14th)
Former Bethel assistant Jesse Jefferson is the new head coach.  He returns most of the roster including the 2 double figure scorers.  Guards Keenan Rodriguez (12.9 PPG) and Jaypheth Nyamari (11.5 PPG) will lead the offense.  Jacob Duetschman and Grant Chapman provide size inside.

Blaine Bengals (2020-21 season 6-12, 4-8 Conference, 9th)
Assistant Lance Pettis takes the reins of the program.  Top scorer Sam Olson (12.2 PPG) graduated but the next 3 scorers return.  Senior forward AJ Kaul (12.1 PPG), soph SG Ethan Pettis (8.9 PPG) and senior Isaac Moin (7.2 PPG) lead the returning roster.  Seniors Jack Pelkey and Joe Beckman also return to the rotation.

Centennial Cougars (2020-21 season 2-17, 1-12 Conference, 13th)
Continuing the assistants take over theme, Spencer Valdvogel is the new Centennial head coach.  Leading scorer Mason Lindsay (10.9 PPG) has graduated after being the only double figure scorer last season.  Soph guard Ty Burgoon averaged 8.9 PPG after moving up to varsity.  Reese Neudahl (6.4 PPG) returns on a wing.  Kevin Jansa returns to provide size inside.

Champlin Park Rebels (2020-21 season 21-1, 13-0 Conference, 1st)
Former Rebel Aaron Kloeppner takes over the program.  He has to replace the league's top 2 scorers and the top 6 Rebels scorers from last season.  Center Francis Nwaokorie and PG Josh Strong combined for over 40 PPG last season.  Wing Ayo Taki (2.8 PPG) is the top returnee.  Ethan Lukandwa is the only other member of the rotation coming back.  Seniors Lorenzo Andrews, Laju Denedo, Branden Shaffa, Leo Juusola and Alex Gamber along with soph Luke Graff should comprise most of the rest of the lineup.

Coon Rapids Cardinals (2020-21 season 9-12, 4-9 Conference, 10th)
The Cardinals have to replace a pair of double figure scorers from last season including PG Jordan Doe (11.2 PPG).  They have 3 double figure scorers returning from a balanced lineup.  Wing MJ Galimah (17 PPG), forwards Elijah Smith (14.8 PPG) and Matt Ellingson (11.2 PPG) all return to the rotation.  Griffin Thom and forward Alex Beck also return to the experienced rotation.  Plenty of length to deploy in their 1-3-1 zone.

Elk River Elks (2020-21 season 6-12, 3-8 Conference, 11th)
Elk River returns 3 starters.  Cade Osterman (14.7 PPG) and PG Parker Behne (11.5 PG) lead the offense.  PF Caleb Gillquist (8.2 PPG) returns as the leader of the front line.  He'll see more interior touches with Brandon Melchior (13.1 PPG) transferring to Cretin-Derham Hall.  Mason Mattingly is the only other experience returnee to the rotation.

Maple Grove Crimson (2020-21 season 13-10, 9-4 Conference, Tie 3rd)
The Crimson have to replace the solid wing duo of Morgan Moore (13 PPG) and Terence Anthony-Larmouth (9.3 PPG) plus versatile forward Caden Boettcher (11.6 PPG).  They also lose center Payton Mogire to Robbinsdale Armstrong.  PG Jon Haakenson returns after leading the team in scoring last year with 13.2 PPG.  His recovery from a fall injury will be a big item to watch.  Junior center Lincoln Palbicki (6.9 PPG) also returns to the starting lineup.  Junior guard Raoul Vaidya returns to the rotation and can also handle PG duties.  The rest of the rotation will be inexperienced due to 7 seniors graduating.

Osseo Orioles (2020-21 season 11-9, 8-5 Conference, Tie 7th)
Coach Tim Theisen has to replace 2 of his top 3 scorers.  That includes Minnesota commit Josh Ola-Joseph (16.7 PPG) who was the leading scorer last season.  The uber athletic forward is off to prep school for his senior season.  Benard Omooria (10.3 PPG) and Tyriece Waits (8.4 PPG) return at the guard spots.  Blessed Barhayiga (7.4 PPG) returns at center.  Seniors Lewis Cargeor and Owen Dukowitz are experienced role guys that Osseo plugs in every year.  Trey Smith and soph Isaiah Johnson could also jump into the rotation.

Park Center Pirates (2020-21 season 15-6, 9-4 Conference, Tie 3rd)
The beat goes on for coach James Ware and the Pirates.  They have the top returning scorer in the league, Minnesota commit Braedon Carrington (18.1 PPG), at a guard spot.  Ayouba Berthe and Leo Torbor are athletic wings that return.  They also pick up wing Cody Pennebaker who scored 22.8 PPG at St. Francis last season.  James Spencer will do the dirty work in the middle.  Junior JJ Ware is the other experienced returnee.

Robbinsdale Armstrong Falcons (2020-21 season 12-8, 8-4 Conference, 6th)
Former Maranatha and Totino-Grace head coach Rob Ware has been given the reins of the program.  He needs to replace the 2 double-figure scorers from last season.  Guard D'sean Larkins and shooter Dylan Inniger combined for over 35 PPG last season.  Seniors Jamez Garner (7.4 PPG) and Peyton Newburn (8.2 PPG) return as top guards.  Devin Jones, junior Owen Skram (6.9 PPG) and soph Seth Newburn also return to the rotation.  Maple Grove transfer Payton Mogire takes over in the middle.

Rogers Royals (2020-21 season 5-14, 2-11 Conference, 12th)
Wing Michael Olowo (10.9 PPG) is the biggest lost from the rotation.  Guards Peyton Belka (17.9 PPG) and junior Easton Whitcomb (8.3 PPG) return to lead the offense.  Alex Bowman and Mitchell Jezierski return to the starting lineup.  Lefty Nick Gleason returns to the rotation and can provide some shooting.  They'll need to find size to replace Carter Daun (4.8 PPG) inside.

Spring Lake Park Panthers (2020-21 season 12-7, 8-5 Conference, Tie 7th)
The top 3 scorers from last season need to be replaced.  They combined for 39 PPG last season.  Breakout forward Logan Kinsey (9.4 PPG) will lead the way this season.  He'll play his college ball at Minnesota-Moorhead.  Nick Ojile (5.5 PPG) and Stephen Kesti will join him on the front line.  In the backcourt, Payton Thomsen (8.1 PPG) is a quality shooter.  Senior Jackson Weier will see time at the point guard spot.

Totino-Grace Eagles (2020-21 season 16-5, 11-2 Conference, 2nd)
Leading scorer CJ O'Hara (13.4 PPG) is now at Hopkins.  Another double figure scorer Devin Burger (10.7 PPG) has graduated along with plenty of quality depth.  Still plenty of riches for coach Nick Carroll.  Iowa St commit Demarion Watson (12.6 PPG) and Tommy Humphries (9.8 PPG) man the wings.  Junior Taison Chatman (12.6 PPG) returns at the point.  Byron transfer Ahjany Lee will man the inside along with Patrick Bath.  Bath can play a stretch 4 with both on the floor.  RJ Spencer and PJ Ebeling are options in the rotation as well.

Predicted Order of Finish

North Division

  1. Maple Grove
  2. Andover    
  3. Coon Rapids 
  4. Champlin Park 
  5. Blaine
  6. Centennial
  7. Anoka
West Division
  1. Totino-Grace 
  2. Park Center
  3. Osseo 
  4. Robbinsdale Armstrong  
  5. Spring Lake Park 
  6. Rogers
  7. Elk River 

Conference Overview:
After using a single round-robin schedule last season, the league reverts to its usual 2 division North and West format.  The league features 6 new head coaches this season.  As has been the case in recent memory, the North division is far weaker than the West division.  Division powers Champlin Park and Maple Grove have plenty of holes to fill but annually seem to reload.  Maple Grove with 2 solid guards and a tough matchup inside coming back makes them my favorite.  I'll move Andover up to second after their finish last season and 2 top guys returning.  Coon Rapids also moves up with most of their roster returning.  Champlin Park is a major wildcard here with a new coach and rebuilt roster.  Blaine has a couple of pieces to work with so I'll put them ahead of rebuilding Centennial and Anoka.

In the West, Totino-Grace and Park Center are state championship contenders in the top 2 classes and have to be the favorites.  I see Osseo having different chemistry and a redemption season after 2 straight seasons that weren't up to Osseo standards.  They'll get a stiff test from Armstrong and Spring Lake Park.  Spring Lake Park is strong up front and always tough at home, they'll be dangerous.  Elk River and Rogers are a notch below and will battle to stay out of the cellar.

Conference MVP: Braeden Carrington - Park Center   

Underclassmen to watch: 

  • Anthony Howze - Anoka 
  • Ethan Pettis - Blaine
  • Ty Burgoon - Centennial
  • Luke Graff - Champlin Park
  • Isaiah Johnson - Osseo
  • Seth Newburn - Robbinsdale Armstrong
  • Zy'lierre Stewart- Totino-Grace
Conference Games to Watch
  • Andover at Maple Grove - Jan 11th
  • Park Center at Totino-Grace - Jan 21st
  • Maple Grove at Toino-Grace - Jan 27th
  • Maple Grove at Andover - Feb 4th
  • Totino-Grace at Park Center - Feb 18th
  • Park Center at Maple Grove - Feb 24th
Non-Conference Games to Watch
  • Hopkins at Maple Grove - Dec 7th
  • De La Salle at Park Center - Dec 9th
  • Totino-Grace vs Cretin-Derham Hall - Dec 11th (Tipoff Classic)
  • Park Center vs Wayzata - Dec 11th (Tipoff Classic) 
  • Maple Grove vs Eastview - Dec 11th (Tipoff Classic)
  • De La Salle at Totino-Grace - Dec 18th (Big 12 Classic)
  • Minnehaha at Park Center - Dec 18th 
  • Chicago Whitney Young (IL) at Totino-Grace - Jan 8th

2021-22 Metro West Conference Preview

This is the 10th preview in my 2021-2022 season preview series.  Its now time for the big schools with the mostly class AAAA leagues are now on the list of previews.  In this preview, a look at the expanded Metro West Conference.  For a list of all the season previews and how they are done, click here.

Benilde St. Margaret's Red Knights (2020-21 season 8-9, 4-7 Conference, 4th)
Coach Damien Johnson has a strong perimeter group.  Bemidji State commit Daniel Ijadimbola (12.7 PPG) and Sam Best return on the wings.  PG Maddox Alipate (11.6 PPG) returns to run the show.  They were the top 3 scorers a season ago.  That group also adds transfer Ryan Warren from Eden Prairie.  On the inside, freshman Jalen Wilson comes over from Breck to be the top interior option.

Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars (2020-21 season 11-9, 7-5 Conference, 3rd)
Jefferson loses most of their thin rotation including 2 of their 3 double figure scorers.  Soph Daniel Freitag (10.2 PPG) leads the offense.  He picked up offers from Minnesota and Wisconsin in the offseason.  Senior Aidan Atkins (8.2 PPG) is the only other returnee of note.  They again rely on slow tempo and execution.

Bloomington Kennedy Eagles (2020-21 season 2-16, 1-11 Conference, 7th)
PG Amarion Hanspard  (13.5 PPG) is a big loss from last season.  They also lose freshman Jaleel Donley (7.1 PPG) to Hopkins.  Senior post Christopher Martin (8.9 PPG) returns to lead the offense.  Juniors Marques Monroe and  Tajon Pearson returns to the lineup.  Seniors Ramone Walker and Dalton Smazal will also see significant minutes.

Chanhassen Storm (2020-21 season 3-10, 3-7 Conference, 5th)
Soph PG Max Woods leads the returning roster with 10.3 PPG last season.  Seniors Will Schleicher, Patrick Brick, Jaxon McDonald and Eli Sweeney return to the rotation.  Juniors wings Grant Muffenbier and Braden Barger also return and should be other main scoring options.  Eden Prairie transfer Christian Batchlor could also see minutes.

Chaska Hawks (2020-21 season 14-4, 11-1 Conference, Tie 1st)
Chaska has to replace the league's top scorer Luke Strazzanti (14.2 PPG) and 2 other double figure scorers.  The Hawks will be strong up front with center Brady Nicholson (9.2 PPG) and forward Jakobe Lyles (7.2 PPG) as the top returning scorers.  Matt Kallman and Cameron Walle figure to see time as the perimeter replacements.  But there is no real experience returning there.

New Prague Trojans (2020-21 season 5-14, 3-11 Wright County East Conference, 8th)
Leading scorer Andrew Nerud (14.1 PPG) graduated taking away the top scorer and main interior option.  Guards Ethan Chromy (11.4 PPG) and Matthew Kudrle man the guard spots.  Soph Carter Wilson backs them up.  Jaxon Short figures to take over Nerud's duties inside.

Orono Spartans (2020-21 season 9-9, 7-6 Wright County East Conference, Tie 3rd)
The Spartans lose their leading scorer Graham Beltrand (12.6 PPG) and a couple of solid interior options in Connor Chappell and Andrew Mandel.  They still have a strong core coming back though.  Senior shooter Sebastian Loder (8.6 PPG) is the top returning scorer.  Senior PG Cohen Kellogg also joins that strong group transferring in from Minnetonka.  Juniors Isaiah Hagen (8.5 PPG), Kyle Kallenbach and Grant Gunderson add to the strong perimeter group.  Seniors Jack Kopesky and Jake Farrell also return to the rotation.  Size is a question mark.

Robbinsdale Cooper Hawks (2020-21 season 15-3, 11-1 Conference, Tie 1st)
Cooper loses 3 important pieces from last year's roster including PG Bo Powell (10.2 PPG).  Davion Evans (13.3 PPG) was the team leader in scoring last season.  He leads a strong group coming back.  Prince Appiah, Joseph Russell and David Connors all also return as athletic forwards.  Point guard play and outside shooting are questions.  But they'll use their pressure defense to generate offense.

St. Louis Park Orioles (2020-21 season 3-13, 3-8 Conference, 6th)
Wing Paris Johnson (14 PPG) is the league's top returning scorer.  Blake Anderson and Will Dvorak also return to the starting lineup.  Evan Donesky and junior Stefano Giovannelli also return to the rotation.  Last year's 2 primary ballhandlers have graduated so keep an eye on point guard play.

Waconia Wildcats (2020-21 season 12-7, 8-5 Wright County East Conference, 2nd)
Former De La Salle assistant Dan Rubischko gets another crack at running a program.  Forward Spencer Swanson (20.1 PPG) and his interior presence will be sorely missed.  Joe Meath looks to be a primary candidate to replace his spot.  The scoring will be picked up by a solid group of perimeter returnees.  Noah Bonick (9.9 PPG), junior Ty Miller (8.2 PPG) and Wally Wisniewski (6.8 PPG) all return to the starting lineup with the ability to knock down shots.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Benilde-St. Margaret's  
  2. Robbinsdale Cooper  
  3. Chaska
  4. Orono
  5. Waconia
  6. Bloomington Jefferson
  7. Chanhassen  
  8. St. Louis Park
  9. New Prague
  10. Bloomington Kennedy 

Conference Overview
The largest set of league changes in the metro happens here.  New Prague, Orono and Waconia all join from the Wright County with dominoes falling from there.   I think Benilde St. Margaret's guards plus the addition inside of Jalen Wilson give them the most complete package in the league so I'll take them at the top.  That breaks the streak of Hawks winning the league every year which is only fitting with the new era of the league being ushered in.

Behind them you have a large group of quality teams with Chaska, Cooper, Orono and Waconia.  Chaska on the strength of their bigs.  Cooper on the strength of their athletes.  Orono has experience and can score it.  Waconia has to figure out inside play too but their strong perimeter play keeps them in the top half.  Then a drop off to everybody else.  Jefferson has the system and a star in Daniel Freitag so I'll take them next.  Chanhassen and St. Louis Park will battle them for that spot.  Then New Prague and Kennedy fight to stay out of the cellar.
 
Conference MVP: Maddox Alipate - Benilde-St. Margaret's

Underclassmen to watch:  

  • Jalen Wilson, Xavier Lumpkin, Jayden Daisy - Benilde-St. Margaret's
  • Daniel Freitag - Bloomington Jefferson
  • Max Woods -  Chanhassen 
  • Carter Wilson - New Prague
  • Anthony Jones - Robbinsdale Cooper
Conference Games to Watch
  • Chaska at Robbinsdale Cooper - Jan 4th
  • Chaska at Benilde-St. Margaret's - Jan 11th
  • Benilde-St. Margaret's at Robbinsdale Cooper - Jan 27th
  • Robbinsdale Cooper at Chaska - Feb 4th
  • Benilde-St. Margaret's at Chaska - Feb 11th
  • Robbinsdale Cooper at Benilde-St. Margaret's - Mar 1st
Non-Conference Games to Watch
  • Mound-Westonka at Benilde-St. Margaret's - Dec 7th
  • De La Salle at Benilde-St. Margaret's - Dec 21st
  • Benilde-St. Margaret's vs Richfield - Dec 30th (Capitol City Classic)

2021-22 Metro East Conference Preview

This is the 9th preview in my 2021-2022 season preview series.  This preview is for the Metro East Conference.  For a list of all the season previews and an explanation of how the previews are generated, click here.

Hastings Raiders (2020-21 season 8-10, 7-8 Conference, 5th)
Another year of heavy losses for the Raiders as 5 of the 6 scorers have graduated.  That includes 4 double figure scorers led by PG Japhe Gudissa (13.8 PPG).  Guard Michael Mitchell is the top returnee at 13.4 PPG.  Nobody else averaged more than 4 PPG last season.  Senior Axel Arnold and junior guard Kelvin Maher are the remaining experience.

Hill-Murray Pioneers (2020-21 season 2-14, 1-11 Conference, 9th)
Sam Yanz (13 PPG) was the main offensive option last season.  He has transferred to Tartan.  Center Eddie Reece (6.1 PPG) and lefty Rashad McKinley (5.9 PPG) will lead the offense.  Fellow senior Max Nicholson provides another scoring option.  Jack Schoenecker and Joseph Koch also return to the rotation.

Mahtomedi Zephyrs (2020-21 season 13-5, 10-4 Conference, 3rd)
Mahtomedi has juniors Will Underwood and Owen Carlson back to anchor the offense.  Underwood led the league in scoring last season at 23.6 PPG from his PG spot.  Carlson chipped in with 12.9 PPG on the wing.  Kole McKeown also returns after seeing major minutes.  The rest of the lineup is inexperienced.

North Polars (2020-21 season 6-10, 6-7 Conference, 6th)
The Polars have to replace 2 significant scorers in Murl Smith (16.6 PPG) and LaRon Thomas (12.6 PPG).  Forward Kendarius Daily will be a top option for the offense this season.  Plenty of interchangeable options for the rest of the roster.  Nino Johnson and D'Marion Suttles are 2 senior options there.  Juniors Javon Jackson and Ishmael Powell also return.

St. Thomas Academy Cadets (2020-21 season 3-11, 2-9 Conference, 7th)
Minnesota hoops legend Khalid El-Amin takes over the program. He has to replace his leading scorer and top big man Ryan Chamberlain (13.1 PPG).  Senior Nathan Johnson (8.8 PPG) should fill that role nicely.  The rest of the lineup is experienced perimeter players.  Juniors Michael Kirchner (10.6 PPG), Michael Thompson (8.2 PPG), Jack Chamberlain (8.2 PPG) aren't the biggest or most athletic guards but they've played 2 years and can shoot it.  Junior wing Anthony Bickford also returns with 2 years of experience.

Simley Spartans (2020-21 season 8-6, 7-5 Conference, 4th)
Guard Breyton Buysman (18.5 PPG) has graduated after being one of the league's top scorers.  Versatile wing RJ Jioklow (12.6 PPG) will be relied on to carry the offense.  Seniors Devin Robinson and Kevin Wormer return to the starting lineup at the SG and PF spots respectively.  Matt Kuefler also returns to the rotation.  Sophs Connor Binley and Tapio Niemioja should be rotation contributors too.

South St. Paul Packers (2020-21 season 19-2, 15-1 Conference, 1st)
The defending league champs are the front runner again.  As one of the top teams in AAA, they'll look to improve on last year's loss in the section final.  Forward Marquise Gleb (12.2 PPG) is the only notable loss from that roster.  PG Alonzo Dodd is a triple double waiting to happen every night and is the super charged engine to the explosive SSP offense.  Wings Devin Newsome (17 PPG) and Shawn West-Zimpel (15 PPG) can fill it up too.  Who mans the interior is the main question.

Tartan Titans (2020-21 season 13-5, 11-4 Conference, 2nd)
Coach Mark Klingsporn has to replace his inside out duo of Dewayne Thompson and Curtis Favors.  They combined for almost 25 PPG last season.  Forward D'Marco Chelley (9.2 PPG) leads the remaining roster.  Seniors Marko Vuckomanovich and AJ Burns provide solid wing options along with Hill-Murray transfer Sam Yanz.  This season will be the biggest question mark at point guard that the Titans have had in a long time.

Two Rivers Warriors (2020-21 season 3-14, 2-12 Conference, 8th)
Two Rivers is the new name for the former Henry Sibley high school.  Leading scorer Ethan Russell (10.4 PPG) graduated.  Soph wing Jaden Morgan (9.4 PPG) leads the returning cast.  Tre Michaels slots in at a guard spot.  Adam Lail and soph Max Mogelson provide interior options.  Eric Lail also returns to the lineup.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. South St. Paul 
  2. Tartan
  3. Mahtomedi  
  4. Simley  
  5. North 
  6. St. Thomas Academy     
  7. Two Rivers
  8. Hastings  
  9. Hill-Murray 
Conference Overview
South St. Paul stands alone at the top.  Tartan and Mahtomedi will be a good battle for 2nd.  Both will grind you out but Tartan does it on defense while Mahtomedi will do it with offensive execution.  Simley and North should battle behind them for the next 2 spots with their returnees.  The bottom half is going to struggle.  St. Thomas, Hastings and Henry Sibley Two Rivers could finish in any configuration.  Hill-Murray just doesn't have the firepower so I don't see them moving up.

Conference MVP: Alonzo Dodd - South St. Paul

Underclassmen to watch: 
  • Aiden Hammond - North St. Paul 
  • Luke Dobbs - St. Thomas Academy
  • Connor Binley, Tapio Niemioja - Simley 
  • Gavin Pendergast - South St. Paul
  • Jaden Morgan, Max Mogelson - Two Rivers
Conference Games to Watch
  • Mahtomedi at South St. Paul - Jan 4th
  • Tartan at South St. Paul - Jan 18th
  • South St. Paul at Tartan - Feb 18th
  • South St. Paul at Mahtomedi - Mar 4th
Non-Conference Games to Watch
  • Mahtomedi at Mounds View - Dec 3rd
  • Richfield at Tartan - Dec 7th
  • South St. Paul vs Mankato East - Dec 11th (Tipoff Classic)
  • South St. Paul at Park of Cottage Grove - Dec 21st
  • Tartan at Hopkins - Dec 21st
  • South St. Paul vs Richfield - Dec 29th (Capitol City Classic)
  • South St. Paul vs Minneapolis South - Dec 30th (Capitol City Classic)
  • Mound-Westonka at South St. Paul - Jan 15th

2021-22 Minneapolis City Conference Preview

This is the 8th preview in my 2021-2022 season preview series.  We stay in city boundaries with the Minneapolis City Conference.  For a list of all the season previews, click here.

Edison Tommies (2020-21 season 9-3, 7-2 Conference, 2nd)
The Tommies have to replace the top 2 scorers in the league in wings Jabari Langley (24.7 PPG) and Johnny Spencer (18.1 PPG).  Liban Tushar (10.5 PPG) and junior forward Micah Young (7.2 PPG) lead the returning roster.  Junior guard Damari Lalley and senior Alie Donzo will also see plenty of time.

North Polars (2020-21 season 15-2, 9-0 Conference, 1st)
Larry McKenzie's program has won 60 straight league games and that doesn't figure to stop this season.  PG Willie Wilson (16.1 PPG) returns after leading the team in scoring last season.  Meiko Anderson (9.5 PPG), Mario Sanders and Jacob Butler all return on the wings.  The interior size of Marcus Owens and league MVP Davon Townley (15.2 PPG) will be greatly missed.  St. Anthony transfer Gani Stevens should step right into that center spot after averaging double figures last year.

Patrick Henry Patriots (2020-21 season 4-8, 4-6 Conference, 5th)
The Patriots return Karon Abdullah and Ajani Mcrae at guard spots.  Tay Hawkins also returns on the wing.  Forward Denzil Walker's scoring punch will be missed.

Roosevelt Teddies (2020-21 season 1-12, 0-11 Conference, 7th)
The Teddies struggles figure to continue this season.  They lose much of the minimal scoring punch that they had last season. Guard Quinton Brown (6.7 PPG) will be one of the primary options.  Soph Avery Wells will also see time.

South Tigers (2020-21 season 7-8, 6-5 Conference, 4th)
Sophs Jerome Williams (16.4 PPG) and De'Mari Larkins (8.1 PPG) return at the guard spots to lead the offense.  Junior DeWayne Givens (7.2 PPG) will join them.  Camren Smith (7.4 PPG) is another wing option.  Forward Chiang Ring (9.1 PPG) is the top front court option and a shot blocker inside.  Soph Christian Henderson will also see time inside.

Southwest Lakers (2020-21 season 9-8, 7-5 Conference, 3rd)
Wing Cam Holter returns after spending a year at Holy Angels.  The Lakers also return 5 of their top 6 scorers from last season.  Hakeem Ford (8.6 PPG) and Gabe Senseman-Cassidy (12.1 PPG) comprise a strong front line.  Preston Engen (10.3 PPG), Andrew Gregerson and Caden Sullivan are the core of experienced guards.

Washburn Millers (2020-21 season 3-9, 3-7 Conference, 6th)
Washburn returns their top 5 scorers from last season so there will be plenty of experience.  Soph post Kyle Jorgensen was the team leader in scoring at 8.1 PPG last season.  Jake Husaby, Rein Maegi, Cass Ramberg and Donovan Smith all averaged between 6 and 7 PPG last season.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. North
  2. Southwest   
  3. South  
  4. Washburn  
  5. Henry    
  6. Edison
  7. Roosevelt

Conference Overview
North is still loaded and the heavy favorite.  Southwest and South should be a good battle for 2nd. They played 2 close games last season.  I'll take seniors over sophomores there.  Washburn also returns a ton so I'll take them as the best of the rest.  Henry and Edison have significant losses in the next tier.  Roosevelt's big league losing streak figures to continue.

Conference MVP: Willie Wilson - North

Underclassmen to watch:  

  • Datrell McCrimmon - North
  • Avery Wells - Roosevelt
  • Jerome Williams, Chiang Ring, De'Mari Larkins, Camren Smith, Christian Henderson, Temi Omotoyinbo - South
  • Kyle Jorgenson - Washburn
Conference Games to Watch
  • Southwest at South - Jan 27th
  • North at Southwest - Feb 8th
  • North at South - Feb 17th
  • South at Southwest - Mar 1st
Non-Conference Games to Watch
  • South vs De La Salle - Dec 11th (Tipoff Classic) 
  • South vs Park of Cottage Grove - Dec 29th (Capitol City Classic)
  • South vs South St. Paul - Dec 30th (Capitol City Classic)
  • De La Salle at North - Jan 8th
  • Brookfield East (WI) at North - Jan 22nd (Border Battle) 
  • Hopkins at North - Jan 25th
  • East Ridge at North - Feb 19th
  • Wayzata at North - Feb 28th

2021-22 St. Paul City Conference Preview

This is the 7th preview in my 2021-2022 season preview series.  Now that the private schools are mostly covered, its on to public schools.  We start with the city leagues and St. Paul goes first.  For a list of all the season previews and how they are generated, click here.

Central Minutemen (2020-21 season 11-3, 10-2 Conference, Tie 1st)
Central needs to replace 3 double figure scorers.  That includes wings Kaden Doram (13.1 PPG) and Gavin Gothard (10.6 PPG).  Senior PG Gideon Musabyimana (14.7 PPG) returns after leading the team in scoring.  Wing Jaylen Cardenas and Jakobe Baer-Taki are also seniors returning to the rotation.  Freshman Allan Lankford (4.4 PPG) and junior Ka'jon Jordan provide quality depth.

Como Park Cougars (2020-21 season 2-11, 2-10 Conference, 6th)
The Cougars return the league's top scorer in forward Donavan Clinton (21.1 PPG) along with just about everybody else from last year.  Amir Plair (12.9 PPG), Dylan Aarness and soph Mason Aarness provide the size.  The guards are small but quick led by Donnell Gibson and Jountay Kibble.

Harding Knights (2020-21 season 5-8, 5-7 Conference, 5th)
Harding has to replace their entire starting lineup.  That includes wing Salmen Ahmed (13.8 PPG) and power forward Alex Addai (13.4 PPG).  Adnaan Mohamed is the top returning scorer at 5.2 PPG.  Junior guards Veli Benjamin (5.2 PPG) and Robert Htoo also return to the rotation.  Jahaud Brown is the top returning option inside.

Highland Park Scots (2020-21 season 10-3, 10-2 Conference, Tie 1st)
Highland Park has to replace almost everyone from last year's conference champions.  That was a very successful group that won the Twin Cities freshman game and then finished with a league title.  They'll also have a new coach with Jesse McCann moving on to be the AD at Washington.  Junior Dillon Foster and senior Aden Langer are the 2 players returning.

Humboldt Hawks (2020-21 season 7-7, 6-6 Conference, 4th)
It looks to be a rebuilding year for Humboldt.  Guard Xavier Garcia (19.9 PPG) and wing Brian Williams (15.2 PPG) were the 2 big scoring threats.  They've both graduated along with most of the roster.  Unknown what they have returning but it looks like experience will be a major concern.

Johnson Governors (2020-21 season 9-4, 9-3 Conference, 3rd)
The Govs lose their top 2 scorers including guard Julian Hodges (12.9 PPG).  Seniors Ishmael David (10.9 PPG) and Christian Jones (10.5 PPG) are the top returnees.  Guard Rickhi Graham also returns.  Soph forward Daejohn Thomas provides an option inside.  Fellow sophomore Jalani Mays will also see rotation time.

Washington Eagles (2020-21 season 1-13, 0-12 Conference, 7th)
Washington loses 2 of their 3 double figure scorers.  That includes center La'Kendrick Reed (13.8 PPG) and guard Ka'von Trotter (11.8 PPG).  Junior guard Tyquan Allen (12.5 PPG) leads the returning roster.  Hamza Kadir (7.3 PPG) will see time on a wing.  Soph guard Jonathan Santiago will see an expanded role.

Predicted Order of Finish

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

Conference Overview:
Central has won or shared the last 3 league titles.  Johnson dominated the league before that.  These 2 are far and away the top 2 in the league.  Then a significant dropoff to the rest of the league.  Como Park has the most talent coming back out of the rest of the teams.  But the only team they've beaten the last 2 season was last year's Washington team that was winless in the regular season.  Then the graduation losses hit everybody else and make the bottom of the league really ugly.  The next group of 3 could go in any order.  I'll pick Humboldt at the bottom as they have the least returning. 

Conference MVP: Gideon Musabyimana - Central

Underclassmen to watch: 

  • Allan Lankford - Central
  • Mason Aarness - Como Park
  • Daejohn Thomas, Jalani Mays - Johnson
  • Johnathan Santiago - Washington
Conference Games to Watch
  • Johnson at Central - Jan 7th
  • Central at Johnson - Feb 1st
Non-Conference Games to Watch
  • Park at Central - Dec 3rd
  • Twin Cities Academy at Johnson - Dec 14th 
  • Minneapolis South at Central - Dec 21st
  • Central vs Mound-Westonka - Dec 29th (Capitol City Classic)
  • Twin Cities Academy at Central - Jan 20th

 

2021-22 Tri-Metro Conference Preview

This is the 6th preview in my 2021-2022 season preview series.  Week 2 of this season's preview series begins with a look at the Tri-Metro Conference.  For a list of all the season previews and how they are generated, click here.

Academy of Holy Angels Stars (2020-21 season 8-11, 5-9 Conference, 5th)
Senior guard Emmett Johnson averaged 11.7 PPG.  He's the lone returning double-figure scorer.  Terrance Roberts also returns at a guard spot.  Rob Issa and Aiden Smith are returning forward options.  Junior PF Joe Miller should see expanded time as the inside threat.  Cam Holter (8.6 PPG) has returned to Minneapolis Southwest plus Bryce Boyd (12.3 PPG) graduated.  Those were 2 of the top 3 scorers from last season and both played on the wing.

Brooklyn Center Centaurs (2020-21 season 1-16, 0-14 Conference, 8th)
Junior guard Quayvant Douglas had a monster season averaging 28.1 PPG.  But with minimal help around him, the Centaurs only won 1 game.  The only other double figure scorer, Ben Weyhee (16.4 PPG), has graduated  Forward Christopher Taylor is the top option up front.  Terryon Rogers and Michael Albertson are perimeter options .

Columbia Heights Hylanders (2020-21 season 12-3, 10-2 Conference, 1st)
Coach Willie Braziel is primed for another top notch season with his Hylanders.  He returns just about everybody from his rotation.  That includes the dynamic wing duo of Hassan Kamara (17.1 PPG) and Muja Burton (17 PPG).  Inside they return Donnavin Hinsz (14.9 PPG) and hopefully get Spencer Alvarez back from injury.  Terrence Brown (7.3 PPG) returns to run the show. 
 
De La Salle Islanders (2020-21 season 15-6, 10-4 Conference, 4th)
Last season was the worst De La Salle conference season since 2008-2009Coach Travis Bledsoe has to replace 2 of his 3 double-figure scorers from last season plus a top wing.  But he still has a strong perimeter group to work with.  Junior Nasir Whitlock (13.9 PPG) provides the most scoring punch and is coming off a strong summer.  Sophomores Casmir Chavis (6.9 PPG) and Randy McClendon (5.3 PPG) will be anchors of the rotation as well.  Seniors Amir Everett (6.1 PPG) and Kyle Johnson will also see plenty of time.  Losing the 16.3 PPG of Dartmouth signee Cade Haskins will hurt as much defensively as he was the only semblance of any size in the lineup last season.

Fridley Tigers (2020-21 season 8-10, 4-9 Conference, 5th)
Fridley loses 4 starters and 2 double figure scorers from last season.  Senior shooting guard Eli Nelsen (13.2 PPG) was the leading scorer last season.  Senior forward Devin Williams (8 PPG) emerged as an inside threat last season.  I expect his numbers to go up noticeably this season.  Limited options behind them.  Guard MJ Newton and forward Daniel Pobupa will also see rotation time.

Richfield Spartans (2020-21 season 16-5, 11-3 Conference, 2nd)
The star perimeter duo of Lamar Grayson (23.2 PPG) and Ryan Miles (13.4 PPG) needs to be replaced from last season's state semifinal team.  Bruising PF Jaden Wollmuth (14 PPG) and PG Mitchell January (11.2 PPG) return to anchor the lineup.  They provide a formidable inside out duo.  Senior Jaedyn Patterson will be a wing option.  Very limited experience after those players.

St. Anthony Huskies (2020-21 season 5-14, 4-10 Conference, 7th)
St. Anthony has to replace its top 3 scorers.  That includes leader Max Kachman (12.4 PPG) who graduated and breakout forward Gani Stevens (11.2 PPG).  Stevens is now at Minneapolis North.  Junior guards Nathan Lucas (7.2 PPG) and Caydin Hauser (6.2 PPG) are the top returning players in the rotation.  Fellow juniors Caden Rodkewich and Joe Randle will see significant rotation minutes as well.  

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Columbia Heights 
  2. De La Salle
  3. Richfield
  4. Holy Angels
  5. Fridley 
  6. St. Anthony 
  7. Brooklyn Center    
Conference MVP: Muja Burton - Columbia Heights

Conference Overview:
St. Croix Lutheran departs for the Skyline Conference leaving only 7 teams in the Tri-Metro.  Columbia Heights should be near the top of the AAA poll all season and are the clear favorite.  De La Salle and Richfield will be a quality battle for second.  De La Salle with more experience returning so I'll take the Islanders to rebound a bit from last season.  Holy Angels is the clear best of the rest.  Fridley and St. Anthony battle for the next spot.  I'm going to pick the Tigers since I got these 2 flipped last season and St. Anthony is young.  Brooklyn Center continues to rebuild.

Underclassmen to watch: 
  • Jency Davis, Quaylin Hardrict - Columbia Heights
  • Casmir Chavis, Randy McClendon- De La Salle
Conference Games to Watch
  • De La Salle at Columbia Heights - Jan 11th 
  • Richfield at Columbia Heights - Jan 18th
  • Columbia Heights at De La Salle - Feb 4th
  • Columbia Heights at Richfield - Feb 10th
Non-Conference Games to Watch
  • De La Salle at Park Center - Dec 9th 
  • Minneapolis South at  De La Salle - Dec 11th (Tipoff Classic)
  • Maranatha at Columbia Heights - Dec 13th 
  • Robbinsdale Cooper at De La Salle - Dec 14th
  • De La Salle at Totino-Grace - Dec 18th (Big 12 Classic)
  • De La Salle at Benilde-St. Margaret's - Dec 21st
  • Richfield vs South St. Paul - Dec 29th (Capitol City Classic)
  • De La Salle at Minneapolis North - Jan 8th 
  • Columbia Heights vs Minneapolis South - Jan 22nd (at Burnsville)
  • Cretin-Derham Hall at De La Salle - Feb 19th
  • Columbia Heights at Minnehaha - Feb 24th
  • Wayzata at De La Salle - Feb 24th
  • Hopkins at De La Salle - Mar 1st

2021-22 IMAC Preview

This is the 5th preview in my 2021-2022 season preview series.  Week 1 of the 2021-22 Season Preview Series ends with a look at the Independent Metro Athletic Conference (IMAC).  For a list of all the season previews and how they are done, click here.

Blake Bears (2020-21 season 15-3, 6-1 Conference, 2nd)
The 3 amigos for Blake have graduated.  But the Bears should be able to replace much of that 30+ PPG.  The ball-handling duties become the question mark.  Soph Grayson Okoronkwo was the team leader in scoring at 16.2 PPG.  Lefty wing Theo Liu was second at 14.6 PPG.  Soph Dane Borene provides an option on the front line.

Breck Mustangs (2020-21 season 9-9, 3-4 Conference, 4th)
PG Jaren Morton (11.2 PPG) needs to be replaced.  Wing Jimmy Koch averaged 12.8 PPG to lead the team.  Juniors Waziri Lawal (10.5 PPG) and Will Walker (11.6 PPG) also return after averaging double-figures. Losing freshman Jalen Wilson to Benilde-St. Margaret's leaves a hole in the middle.  They'll have experienced depth with seniors Tommy Hofer and Danny Suggs.  Freshmen Teddy Koch and Kris Baker should also see time.

Minnehaha Academy Redhawks (2020-21 season 20-1, 2-0 Conference, 1st)
Minnehaha starts to return to earth with the graduations of Chet Holmgren, Hercy Miller and Isaiah Davis.  Add in the departure of Donovan Smith to prep school and possible early departure of Chase Carter to Michigan St for football.  That leaves the cupboard as bare as its been in a long time for the Redhawks.  But don't feel too bad for them.  High major recruits Mercy Miller at the point and wing Prince Aligbe (11.2 PPG) lead the returnees.  Juniors Leroy Barnes and Rolyns Aligbe are options to fill the rotation.

Mounds Park Academy Panthers (2020-21 season 1-14, 0-6 Conference, 6th)
Mario Reese comes over from an assistant gig at Nova Classical Academy to lead the program.  The top 2 scorers have graduated.  That leaves only 1 player who averaged more than 4.3 PPG last year.  That's sophomore guard Trey Kent-Landrum.  Soph Jay Green (4.1 PPG) will see minutes at the point guard spot.

Providence Academy Lions (2020-21 season 13-8, 5-4 Conference, 3rd)
Shooter Sam Schroeder and his team high 13.9 PPG need to be replaced.  The guard duo of Liam Carney and Jimmy Fafinski will lead the way.  Depth behind them is a question.  Mark McCarthy (8.9 PPG) returns to lead the front line.  He can also step out and shoot the 3.  Dylan Perrill and Alvin Mokua also return up front

St. Paul Academy Spartans (2020-21 season 9-8, 2-3 Conference, 5th)
The Spartans need to replace the league's top scorer in shooter Adam Holod (22.8 PPG) The rest of the starting lineup returns.  Senior guards Brandt Baskerville (11.5 PPG) and Clarke Baskerville (11.1 PPG) will lead the offense.  Charlie Johnson and Greg Forsberg man the front line.  Soph Tyson Hayes may be another offensive option.

Predicted Order of Finish

  1. Minnehaha
  2. Blake
  3. Providence   
  4. Breck
  5. St. Paul Academy 
  6. Mounds Park Academy 
Conference Overview
I'll take Minnehaha as they still have 2 stars to take over games in the league.  Blake and Providence should be a good battle for 2nd.  Neither team will be terribly deep but both will execute their offense. Breck could very easily jump into that top group with plenty returning as well.  St. Paul Academy losing the top scorer in the league has to drop.  Mounds Park Academy continues a rebuild.

Conference MVP: Prince Aligbe - Minnehaha

Underclassmen to watch:  
  • Grayson Okoronkwo, Dane Borene - Blake
  • Teddy Koch, Kris Baker - Breck
  • Mercy Miller - Minnehaha
  • Trey Kent-Landrum, Jay Green - Mounds Park Academy
  • Tyson Hayes - St. Paul Academy
Conference Games to Watch
  • Minnehaha at Blake - Feb 3rd
 Non-Conference Games to Watch
  • Minnehaha vs Minneapolis North - Dec 11th (Tipoff Classic)
  • Eastview at Minnehaha - Dec 14th
  • Minnehaha at Park Center - Dec 18th
  • Blake vs Morris - Dec 11th (Tipoff Classic) 
  • Minnehaha at Wayzata - Jan 11th
  • Blake at Mound-Westonka - Jan 18th
  • Minnehaha vs WI Lutheran - Jan 22nd (Border Battle)
  • Twin Cities Academy at Blake - Feb 16th
  • Park at Minnehaha - Feb 19th
  • Holy Family at Minnehaha - Feb 22nd
  • Columbia Heights at Minnehaha - Feb 24th
  • Duluth East at Minnehaha - Mar 4th