Kevin Anderson published a post the other day listing the top 5 scorers in D1 from each of the past 4 high school classes. Thanks, Kevin. It is great reading. It made me think that, well, these are the top 5 today, in a manner of speaking, and there are 5 Ms. Basketball finalists each year. How many of them are the same? How much has Ms. Basketball been predictive of college success?
Class of 2016
Not very.
The Ms. Basketball finalists were Nia Hollie, Hopkins and Michigan State; Taylor Koenen, Shakopee and North Carolina; Jamie Ruden, Rochester JM and Arizona State; Kiara Russell, Osseo and also Arizona State; and Abi Scheid, Elk River and Northwestern. Nia Hollie was Ms. Basketball.
The top 5 scorers in 2020 are Maddie Nelson, Dover-Eyota and Denver (20 ppg); Hannah Crymble, Champlin Park and Vermont (17); Koenen (15); Laura Bagwell-Katalinich, Holy Angels and Cornell (13); and Ashley Bates, Hopkins and Hampton (13). Also in double figures are Hannah Sjerven, Rogers and South Dakota; and Madison McKeever, Win-E-Mac (Kevin incorrectly attributed her to Ada-Borup; that was her sister Mariah who played at Ada, then went to Moorhead State).
Crymble was first team all-America East and defensive player of the year; Sjerven was both of those same things in the Summit. Bates was also defensive PoY for the 2nd time. Crymble is also the only 2016 to score in double figures four times. That's not to say they should have been Ms. Basketball finalists. They did their work in the mid-majors while the finalists all went high D1.
But if you wanted to pick 5 Ms. BB finalists from this class today, you'd consider taking Crymble and Sjerven ahead of Ruden (7 ppg), Russell (5) and Hollie (3). Granted, Ruden, Russell and Hollie played high D1, Crymble and Sherven didn't. Still, you'd have to think about it. You'd also take a good hard look at McKeever. Koenen and Scheid are the locks.
And if you were picking Ms. Basketball 2016 today, there's no question that Koenen would be the pick. She was the Star Tribune Metro PoY. The Ms. BB committee liked Hollie. I was writing for North Star Girls Hoops at that time, and we liked Koenen, too.
The real sickening thing in all of this, though, was Scheid's rejection by Gopher coach Merlene Stollings. Scheid pretty much begged the Gophers to let her walk on. No scholarship, just let me walk on. Stollings said no. So she went to Northwestern and the Wildcats tied for the Big 10 title and Scheid made 1st team all-Big 10.
Bagwell-Katalinich will be playing for the Gophers next year as a graduate transfer. It says here that she'll be a contributor.
Class of 2017
The Ms. Basketball finalists were Kiley Borowicz, Roseau and Moorhead State; Temi Carda, Lakeville North and Creighton; Gabi Haack, Elk River and Bradley; Rae Johnson, St. Michael-Albertville and Iowa State; and Chelsea Mason, Mountain Iron-Buhl and UMD.
The committee snubbed Kristin Scott of Kasson-Mantorville and Iowa State, and guess who is now the #1 scorer from this class? Scott at 14 ppg. Ms. BB Haack is second at 13, while Carda is also at 13. Rachel Ranke of Eastview and Kansas State is at 10, and Maddie Monahan, Glencoe-Silver Lake and Drake, is at 9.
Borowicz scored 14 ppg this year but is retiring from basketball due to arthritis. Johnson scored 9 ppg for Iowa State, while Mason never intended to play college ball, then relented for one year at UMD, then retired again.
I remember moving Haack into the top 10 of the North Star Girls Hoops ratings her sophomore year. Everybody said, "She's not that good." I moved her up to #5 her junior year and they said, "She's not that good." Then as a senior I moved her up to #3 and they said, "She's not that good." Then she led the Elks to a 32-0 record, a big upset of Hopkins and a state title. Voila! She won the Ms. Basketball award and I said, "She's not that good." (I liked Kristin Scott.) After having no D1 offers at the time, Bradley finally came through and she has more than paid off for the Braves.
Still, I thought the committee made a big mistake in snubbing Scott and if I could pick a Ms. BB 2017 today, I would still pick Kristin Scott.
Class of 2018
The Ms. Basketball finalists in 2018 were Sam Haiby, Moorhead and Nebraska; Heaven Hamling, Grand Rapids and Stephen F. Austin (but now NDSU); Sydney Lodermeier, Goodhue and Winona State; Maesyn Thiesen, Sauk Centre and UMD; and Megan Walstad, Eastview and Milwaukee.
The top 5 today are Monika Czinano, Watertown-Mayer and Iowa (16 ppg and 2nd team all-Big 10); Ayoka Lee, Byron and Kansas State (16, 1st team all-Big 12 and freshman of the year after redshirting last year); Emma Grothaus, Mahtomedi and Lehigh (10); Haiby (10); and Jaclyn Jarnot, Maranatha and North Dakota (9).
With Czinano and Lee eating up two high D1 conferences, they look like big oversights by the Ms. BB committee. I liked Haiby as PoY, the committee liked Walseth. Walseth scored 11 ppg as a freshman, then sat out this past year, I assume with an injury. Right now, today, the Ms. BB 2018 is still wide open among Czinano, Lee and Haiby, and Walseth is still in the running.
Class of 2019
Today's college freshmen who were Ms. BB finalists were Kacie Borowicz, Roseau and North Dakota; Dlayla Chakolis, Hopkins and Hampton; McKenna Hofschild, Prior Lake and Seton Hall; Frannie Hottinger, Cretin and Lehigh; and Sara Scalia, Stillwater and Minnesota.
The top 5 scorers this year were Lariah Washington, St. Cloud Apollo and Eastern Illinois (11 ppg); Scalia (11); Tori Nelson, Henry Sibley and South Dakota State (10); Borowicz (7); and Olivia Lane, Pequot Lakes and North Dakota (6).
Chakolis scored 4, Hofschild and Hottinger 2. Hofschild in particular deserves some additional adjustment time, playing at a high D1. But, it seems today that the committee erred in not picking Scalia, who is already in double digits at a high D1. Washington, meanwhile, was not highly regarded. Prep Hoops had her down in the 20s, which looks like a miss. And, the committee's snub of Tori Nelson also looks like a mistake though I wouldn't bet against Hottinger becoming a star. Right now she's stuck behind Grothaus in the Lehigh rotation.
10 Years from Now, These Will Look Like the Best High School Players 2016-2020
Center--Yokie Lee, Byron and Kansas State, 6-6, 2018
Forward--Monika Czinano, Watertown-Mayer and Iowa, 6-2, 2018
Wing--Taylor Koenen, Shakopee and North Carolina, 6-0, 2016
Point Guard--Sara Scalia, Stillwater and Minnesota, 5-9, 2019
Shooting Guard--Sam Haiby, Moorhead and Nebraska, 5-10, 2018
2nd Team
Center--Abi Scheid, Elk River and Northwestern, 6-2, 2016
Forward--Megan Walstad, Eastview and Milwaukee, 6-2, 2018
Wing--Tori Nelson, Sibley and South Dakota State, 6-1, 2019
Point Guard--Gabi Haack, Elk River and Bradley, 5-10, 2017
Shooting Guard--Maddie Nelson, Dover-Eyota and Denver, 6-0, 2016
3rd Team
Center--Kristin Scott, Kasson-Mantorville and Iowa State, 6-2, 2017
Forward--Laura Bagwell-Katalinich, Holy Angels and Cornell (and Minnesota), 6-2, 2016
Wing--Rachel Ranke, Eastview and Kansas State, 6-2, 2017
Point Guard--Temi Carda, Lakeville North and Creighton, 5-7, 2017
Shooting Guard--Ashley Bates, Hopkins and Hampton, 5-8, 2016
Honorable Mention
Center--Hannah Sjerven, Rogers and South Dakota, 6-3, 2016
Forward and Wing--Kiley Borowicz, Roseau and Moorhead State, 2017
Point Guard--Madison McKeever, WEM and South Dakota, 2016
Shooting Guard--Lariah Washington, St. Cloud Apollo and Eastern Illinois, 2019
Ms. Basketball 2016-2019 Taylor Koenen
Sunday, March 29, 2020
Sunday, March 15, 2020
Boys Fantasy Tournament Class A
In Class A we had 3 section champions crowned on Thursday night. Blooming Prairie beat Hayfield 59-51 in 1A to win just their 2nd state tournament berth ever and 1st since 1966. Perennial power and 5 time champion Southwest Minnesota Christian beat Central Minnesota Christian 71-64 in 2A. And in 6A defending state champ and #1 rated Henning beat West Central 57-45 to return to the tournament for just the 4th time.
So here are all of the tournament entries in our fantasy version of the 2020 Class A boys tournament.
Section 1A--Blooming Prairie 25-3 #8 QRF
Section 2A--We had 2 upsets in this loaded section on Monday night. #6 QRF New Ulm Cathedral beat #1 BOLD 82-68, and #5 Springfield beat #4 Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 70-66. So the section final Friday night had Cathedral (26-3) and Springfield (also 26-3 and the defending section champion). I have Springfield repeating over Cathedral 70-69 and now with a record of 27-3.
Section 3A--Southwest MN Christian 29-0 but only #9QRF!?
Section 4A--CHOF vs. Legacy was the final. Legacy 64-63 to advance at 25-4 and #16 QRF.
Section 5A--Nevis plays 14-14 Hinckley-Finlayson in the final. Nevis 77 Hinckley 41.
Section 6A--Henning 29-1 #3 QRF. BOLD gave Henning its only loss.
Section 7A--Nashwauk-Keewatin beats 3-time defending champion North Woods 73-68 to advance at 25-4 and #11 QRF.
Section 8A--Ada defeats Class Lake 76-62 to repeat as section champ. They're 28-1 and #2QRF.
The Seeds and Matchups
1. Henning draws Legacy. Last year Henning rode roughshod over everybody, forcing turnovers by the bushel basket. But that was mostly guard Sam Fisher, who is now gone. But, Henning remains very quick, maybe not as explosive but with more depth than a year ago. Senior guards Peter Frakl, Blaine Wellevand and Isaac Fisher lead the way but, hey, forward Brandon Trana, who scored 5 ppg in the regular season, scored 19 in a section game. Lots of weapons.
2. Ada draws Nash-Kee. Contrary to popular opinion, Ada is not a one-man band, but Mason Miller is one big, big man and scores 21 ppg. But, 6-0 guard Preston Gwin adds 18. Like Henning, they've got just one loss. Henning lost to BOLD, Ada lost to...Henning. 4 guys scored in double figures for Nash-Kee, so they're no pushover.
3. Southwest Christian draws Nevis. How does a 5-time state champion go undefeated and finish #9 in QRF. Wow. But, OK, they only played one ranked team all year, that being Central MN Christian. They won both times. 6 guys averaged in double figures for Southwest Christian. Absolutely a threat. Meanwhile, Nevis had 4 guys in double figures led by Eddie Kramer at 21.
4. Blooming Prairie plays Springfield. High scoring Isaac Fink is gone for Springfield, but Decker Scheffler assumed the mantle, scoring 28 ppg, while Mitch Buerkle added 20.
5. Springfield
X. Legacy Christian
X. Nash-Kee
X. Nevis
1st Round
Henning 80 Legacy 56
Ada 70 Nash-Kee 67
Southwest Christian 71 Nevis 58
Springfield 65 Blooming Prairie 62
Semis
Nash-Kee and Blooming Prairie advance in the consolation bracket.
Henning 70 Ada 64
Southwest Christian 70 Springfield 69
Finals
5th--Blooming Prairie 63 Nash-Kee 61
3rd--Springfield 70 Ada 69
Championship Henning 69 Southwest Christian 63. Henning repeats.
All-Tournament
Peter Frakl, Blaine Wellevand and Isaac Fisher--Henning
Cade Fey, Avery Pater--Southwest Christian
Decker Scheffler--Springfield
Mason Miller--Ada
Gabe Hagen--Blooming Prairie
Jager Nash--Nash-Kee
Eddie Kramer--Nevis
Saturday, March 14, 2020
Boys Fantasy Tournament Class AA
Two section champions were crowned on Thursday--#5 QRF Caledonia beat Stewartville 71-53 is 1AA, and #18 Jackson County Central beat Minnewaska in 3AA 69-60.
2AA--#6 Waseca was set to play #29 Jordan. I like Waseca 79-55.
4AA--#27 Concordia and #40 Cristo Rey Jesuit had advanced to the final. I like Cristo 70-64. Cristo Rey gave St. Croix Prep their 1st loss of the season in the semis 66-61. Cristo is just 15-13 but that was a message.
5AA--#1 Minneapolis North would have handled #10 Blake in the final 75-66.
6AA--#12 Melrose 63 #15 Mora 58.
7AA--#13 Esko 76 #25 Pierz 59.
8AA--#4 Perham 60 #2 Fergus 57.
The Seeds and Matchups
1. Caledonia 28-1 and 5-1 vs. the top 15 teams, and #5 QRF.
2. Perham 28-0 and 3-0, #1 QRF.
3. Waseca 25-5, 6-4, #6.
4. Minneapolis North 21-8, 2-7 and #1 QRF.
5. Melrose 23-6 and 1-1 and #12 QRF.
X. Cristo Rey 15-13, 2-4 and #40.
X. Esko 21-7 and 0-2, #13 QRF.
X. Jackson CC 20-7, 0-4 and #18.
#1 Caledonia vs. Cristo Rey Jesuit
#4 Mpls. North vs. #5 Melrose
#2 Perham vs. Esko
#3 Waseca vs. Jackson CC
First Round
Caledonia would easily dispatch Cristo Rey 93-47.
Minneapolis North 70 Melrose 57.
Perham 75 Esko 61.
Waseca 80 Jackson 63. Waseca defeated Jackson 94-78 in December in the Big South Showcase.
Semi-Finals
Melrose wins easily, and Esko by 2 in consolation.
Caledonia 80 Minneapolis North 79 (OT).
Perham 65 Waseca 61. Perham goes into my fantasy final undefeated.
Finals
5th--Esko 63 Melrose 62.
3rd--Minneapolis North 72 Waseca 70.
Championship--Caledonia 71 Perham 67. Caledonia is just #7 in QRF.
All-Tournament 5
Noah King, Caledonia, 6-2, senior, G
Rudy Voss, Jackson, 6-2, senior, G
Finn Diggins, Perham, 6-5, junior, C
Andrew Morgan, Waseca, 6-8, junior, F
Davon Townley, Mpls. North, 6-7, junior, F
2AA--#6 Waseca was set to play #29 Jordan. I like Waseca 79-55.
4AA--#27 Concordia and #40 Cristo Rey Jesuit had advanced to the final. I like Cristo 70-64. Cristo Rey gave St. Croix Prep their 1st loss of the season in the semis 66-61. Cristo is just 15-13 but that was a message.
5AA--#1 Minneapolis North would have handled #10 Blake in the final 75-66.
6AA--#12 Melrose 63 #15 Mora 58.
7AA--#13 Esko 76 #25 Pierz 59.
8AA--#4 Perham 60 #2 Fergus 57.
The Seeds and Matchups
1. Caledonia 28-1 and 5-1 vs. the top 15 teams, and #5 QRF.
2. Perham 28-0 and 3-0, #1 QRF.
3. Waseca 25-5, 6-4, #6.
4. Minneapolis North 21-8, 2-7 and #1 QRF.
5. Melrose 23-6 and 1-1 and #12 QRF.
X. Cristo Rey 15-13, 2-4 and #40.
X. Esko 21-7 and 0-2, #13 QRF.
X. Jackson CC 20-7, 0-4 and #18.
#1 Caledonia vs. Cristo Rey Jesuit
#4 Mpls. North vs. #5 Melrose
#2 Perham vs. Esko
#3 Waseca vs. Jackson CC
First Round
Caledonia would easily dispatch Cristo Rey 93-47.
Minneapolis North 70 Melrose 57.
Perham 75 Esko 61.
Waseca 80 Jackson 63. Waseca defeated Jackson 94-78 in December in the Big South Showcase.
Semi-Finals
Melrose wins easily, and Esko by 2 in consolation.
Caledonia 80 Minneapolis North 79 (OT).
Perham 65 Waseca 61. Perham goes into my fantasy final undefeated.
Finals
5th--Esko 63 Melrose 62.
3rd--Minneapolis North 72 Waseca 70.
Championship--Caledonia 71 Perham 67. Caledonia is just #7 in QRF.
All-Tournament 5
Noah King, Caledonia, 6-2, senior, G
Rudy Voss, Jackson, 6-2, senior, G
Finn Diggins, Perham, 6-5, junior, C
Andrew Morgan, Waseca, 6-8, junior, F
Davon Townley, Mpls. North, 6-7, junior, F
Boys Fantasy Tournament: Class AAAA
There will be no boys tournament in 2020 for the 1st time in 108 years. We've had World War I, World War II, the killer flu of 1919, 9-11, all kinds of stuff but never have they ever canceled the tournament until now.
So we had I think 16 section finals completed last Wednesday and Thursday, but we had 16 more section finals cancelled last Friday night, so 48 teams had not lost in their sections. Our fantasy tournament will have to figure out who would have won that 2nd set of 16 section titles, what the seeds would have been, and who would have won if they were only going ahead with it.
Class AAAA
The Sections
Section 1 #1 Lakeville South and #2 Rochester Mayo made it to the finals. South is #9 statewide and Mayo #23 so South was the fave. Reid Patterson leads the way for South while the improvement of sophomore Andrew Mast is a bonus. The Madsen boys, Gabe and Mason, lead the way with 45 points between them, while junior guard Michael Sharp is most-improved. The game would have been played in Rochester so I'll take Mayo 67-66.
Section 2 Here 28-0 #1 Eden Prairie was getting ready to play Shakopee when things went to heck, and they got that game at home. I like EP 76-67.
Section 3 #1 and #2, Eastview and Lakeville North, would have played in 3AAAA. Eastview has Steven Crowl and a solid supporting cast. You had to like Eastview maybe 75-69.
Section 4 Cretin beat East Ridge 51-48 on a last-second 3 to advance to the state tournament.
Section 5 Park Center was #1 and Spring Lake Park #2, and both made it to the finals. Park Center was always the fave in 5AAAA while Spring Lake Park is one of the biggest surprises in AAAA this year. Park Center beat SLP 69-62 and 70-59 so three on a match? No, I'll stay with Park Center
69-60.
Section 6 Hopkins beat Cooper 71-60.
Section 7 Cambridge-Isanti beat Duluth East 81-73.
Section 8 Maple Grove edged Buffalo 54-52.
The Seeds
1. Eden Prairie 28-0
2. Eastview 24-4
3. Cretin 25-4
4. Park Center 23-5
5. Hopkins 24-5
X. Lakeville South 21-7
X. Cambridge 24-4
X. Maple Grove 23-5
The Matchups
#1 Eden Prairie vs. Cambridge
#4 Park Center vs. Hopkins
#2 Eastview vs. Lakeville South
#3 Cretin vs. Maple Grove
First Round
Last year Cambridge was unseeded and drew #1 Hopkins. This year the Cambridge girls were unseeded and drew #1 Hopkins. Now the Cambridge boys are unseeded and draw #1 again. Eden Prairie 81 Cambridge 65.
Park Center beat Hopkins 85-70 on Day One, then lost their mo in January, but then won 13 of 14 on the way in. It's hard to picture the Pirates being the Royals by 15 again at this time of the year. Hopkins started out losing to Park Center and Shakopee but lost only to Eden Prairie and DeLaSalle after that. Last year the Royals won it all with 4 losses, so who knows what might have happened. I like Hopkins 70 Park Center 69.
Eastview started 20-2 and finished 4-2. South started 10-0 and finished 11-7. South won by 1 at Eastview in January, and lost to the Lightning by 7 at home in March. Eastview finished in a 3-way tie for 1st in the South Suburban at 15-3 while South faded to 11-7. You gotta like Eastview 72-65.
You gotta like Cretin in game #4, I'll say 76-63.
Sem-Finals
Park Center and Maple Grove advanced in the consolation bracket.
EP beat Hopkins 82-68 and 81-75. 3 on a match? I'd be nervous if I were EP. I'd like to have lost one somewhere along the way. It's tough enough at #1 without being unbeaten besides. Still, it would be a big upset if Hopkins won this one. I'll take EP 71-66.
Cretin vs. Eastview is a bona fide tossup. Cretin is athletic and young. Eastview is a great offensive team, not as good on the defensive side of the ball. Eastview has a big size advantage with 6-11 Steve Crowl. J'Vonne Hadley at 6-7 is Cretin's biggest starter and he is an elite player, too. Cretin guard Tre Holloman may give his team a similar edge on the perimeter though Eastview guards Ryan Thissen and Jaylen James are solid, too. Cretin's Amari Carter is a solid shooter, too. So this would have been a great game. I like Cretin 71-68.
Finals
5th Place Park Center 66 Maple Grove 65
3rd Place Eastview 80 Hopkins 77
Championship Eden Prairie 75 Cretin 74
All-Tournament 5
Drake Dobbs, Eden Prairie, senior, guard
Steven Crowl, Eastview, senior, forward
Kerwin Walton, Hopkins, senior, guard
Dain Dainja, Park Center, senior, post
John Henry, Eden Prairie, senior, forward
So we had I think 16 section finals completed last Wednesday and Thursday, but we had 16 more section finals cancelled last Friday night, so 48 teams had not lost in their sections. Our fantasy tournament will have to figure out who would have won that 2nd set of 16 section titles, what the seeds would have been, and who would have won if they were only going ahead with it.
Class AAAA
The Sections
Section 1 #1 Lakeville South and #2 Rochester Mayo made it to the finals. South is #9 statewide and Mayo #23 so South was the fave. Reid Patterson leads the way for South while the improvement of sophomore Andrew Mast is a bonus. The Madsen boys, Gabe and Mason, lead the way with 45 points between them, while junior guard Michael Sharp is most-improved. The game would have been played in Rochester so I'll take Mayo 67-66.
Section 2 Here 28-0 #1 Eden Prairie was getting ready to play Shakopee when things went to heck, and they got that game at home. I like EP 76-67.
Section 3 #1 and #2, Eastview and Lakeville North, would have played in 3AAAA. Eastview has Steven Crowl and a solid supporting cast. You had to like Eastview maybe 75-69.
Section 4 Cretin beat East Ridge 51-48 on a last-second 3 to advance to the state tournament.
Section 5 Park Center was #1 and Spring Lake Park #2, and both made it to the finals. Park Center was always the fave in 5AAAA while Spring Lake Park is one of the biggest surprises in AAAA this year. Park Center beat SLP 69-62 and 70-59 so three on a match? No, I'll stay with Park Center
69-60.
Section 6 Hopkins beat Cooper 71-60.
Section 7 Cambridge-Isanti beat Duluth East 81-73.
Section 8 Maple Grove edged Buffalo 54-52.
The Seeds
1. Eden Prairie 28-0
2. Eastview 24-4
3. Cretin 25-4
4. Park Center 23-5
5. Hopkins 24-5
X. Lakeville South 21-7
X. Cambridge 24-4
X. Maple Grove 23-5
The Matchups
#1 Eden Prairie vs. Cambridge
#4 Park Center vs. Hopkins
#2 Eastview vs. Lakeville South
#3 Cretin vs. Maple Grove
First Round
Last year Cambridge was unseeded and drew #1 Hopkins. This year the Cambridge girls were unseeded and drew #1 Hopkins. Now the Cambridge boys are unseeded and draw #1 again. Eden Prairie 81 Cambridge 65.
Park Center beat Hopkins 85-70 on Day One, then lost their mo in January, but then won 13 of 14 on the way in. It's hard to picture the Pirates being the Royals by 15 again at this time of the year. Hopkins started out losing to Park Center and Shakopee but lost only to Eden Prairie and DeLaSalle after that. Last year the Royals won it all with 4 losses, so who knows what might have happened. I like Hopkins 70 Park Center 69.
Eastview started 20-2 and finished 4-2. South started 10-0 and finished 11-7. South won by 1 at Eastview in January, and lost to the Lightning by 7 at home in March. Eastview finished in a 3-way tie for 1st in the South Suburban at 15-3 while South faded to 11-7. You gotta like Eastview 72-65.
You gotta like Cretin in game #4, I'll say 76-63.
Sem-Finals
Park Center and Maple Grove advanced in the consolation bracket.
EP beat Hopkins 82-68 and 81-75. 3 on a match? I'd be nervous if I were EP. I'd like to have lost one somewhere along the way. It's tough enough at #1 without being unbeaten besides. Still, it would be a big upset if Hopkins won this one. I'll take EP 71-66.
Cretin vs. Eastview is a bona fide tossup. Cretin is athletic and young. Eastview is a great offensive team, not as good on the defensive side of the ball. Eastview has a big size advantage with 6-11 Steve Crowl. J'Vonne Hadley at 6-7 is Cretin's biggest starter and he is an elite player, too. Cretin guard Tre Holloman may give his team a similar edge on the perimeter though Eastview guards Ryan Thissen and Jaylen James are solid, too. Cretin's Amari Carter is a solid shooter, too. So this would have been a great game. I like Cretin 71-68.
Finals
5th Place Park Center 66 Maple Grove 65
3rd Place Eastview 80 Hopkins 77
Championship Eden Prairie 75 Cretin 74
All-Tournament 5
Drake Dobbs, Eden Prairie, senior, guard
Steven Crowl, Eastview, senior, forward
Kerwin Walton, Hopkins, senior, guard
Dain Dainja, Park Center, senior, post
John Henry, Eden Prairie, senior, forward
The Final Top 10: Class A
In Class A, the 4 1st round winners are head and shoulders above the field, but what's the right order. How would it have played out if it had been played?
1. Minneota 31-1, #1 seed, 5-1 vs. the top 15. Minneota is of course the defending state champion. Their only loss was to Goodhue in a rematch of last year's Class A final, won by Minneota 40-31. But Goodhue is in Class AA now, and Goodhue beat state tournament entries Cromwell, BBE and Red Lake and beat Southwest Christian twice. You have to believe that Minneota was going to repeat.
2. Cromwell 29-2 and 7-2 vs. the top 15. Cromwell of course lost to Minneota just 49-47 and finally got that long-anticipated playoff win over Mountain Iron-Buhl. Taya Hakamaki scored 34 in the 1st round against BBE and Cromwell beat BBE a lot more easily than Minneota did. It's not a given that Cromwell would have beaten Henning, but they had a real shot at winning the title.
3. Henning 29-2 and 1-0 against the top 15. Didn't face the competition that Minneota and Cromwell played. That doesn't mean they couldn't win but it does mean that in the absence of results on the court, a person can't find enough evidence that they would.
4. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 27-4 and 4-0. Beat Blooming Prairie twice, Sleepy Eye St. Mary's and Heritage, but lost 3 straight in Jan.-Feb. Another team that could have gone all the way. This would have been a great couple of final rounds. But Minneota and Cromwell have a little better resume.
5. Mountain Iron-Buhl 23-7 and 4-6. Lost to Cromwell but beat Heritage.
6. Heritage Christian 22-8 and 2-5. Missed Taylie Scott even more than I would have thought.
7. Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 27-3 and 2-1. Lost to BBE in the section final.
8. Mayer Lutheran 23-6 and 2-3.
9. Sleepy Eye St. Mary's 25-3 but 0-1.
10. Hills-Beaver Creek 22-3 and 2-1.
Class A Big 5
Taya Hakamaki, Cromwell, senior, guard
Ellie Dague, Henning, junior, guard
Madi Mathiowetz, Sleepy Eye St. Mary's, sophomore, guard
Abby Hennen, Minneota, junior, guard
Shaily Hakamaki, Cromwell, senior, guard
1. Minneota 31-1, #1 seed, 5-1 vs. the top 15. Minneota is of course the defending state champion. Their only loss was to Goodhue in a rematch of last year's Class A final, won by Minneota 40-31. But Goodhue is in Class AA now, and Goodhue beat state tournament entries Cromwell, BBE and Red Lake and beat Southwest Christian twice. You have to believe that Minneota was going to repeat.
2. Cromwell 29-2 and 7-2 vs. the top 15. Cromwell of course lost to Minneota just 49-47 and finally got that long-anticipated playoff win over Mountain Iron-Buhl. Taya Hakamaki scored 34 in the 1st round against BBE and Cromwell beat BBE a lot more easily than Minneota did. It's not a given that Cromwell would have beaten Henning, but they had a real shot at winning the title.
3. Henning 29-2 and 1-0 against the top 15. Didn't face the competition that Minneota and Cromwell played. That doesn't mean they couldn't win but it does mean that in the absence of results on the court, a person can't find enough evidence that they would.
4. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 27-4 and 4-0. Beat Blooming Prairie twice, Sleepy Eye St. Mary's and Heritage, but lost 3 straight in Jan.-Feb. Another team that could have gone all the way. This would have been a great couple of final rounds. But Minneota and Cromwell have a little better resume.
5. Mountain Iron-Buhl 23-7 and 4-6. Lost to Cromwell but beat Heritage.
6. Heritage Christian 22-8 and 2-5. Missed Taylie Scott even more than I would have thought.
7. Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 27-3 and 2-1. Lost to BBE in the section final.
8. Mayer Lutheran 23-6 and 2-3.
9. Sleepy Eye St. Mary's 25-3 but 0-1.
10. Hills-Beaver Creek 22-3 and 2-1.
Class A Big 5
Taya Hakamaki, Cromwell, senior, guard
Ellie Dague, Henning, junior, guard
Madi Mathiowetz, Sleepy Eye St. Mary's, sophomore, guard
Abby Hennen, Minneota, junior, guard
Shaily Hakamaki, Cromwell, senior, guard
The Final Top 10: Class AA
OK, this is a little tougher than AAAA and AAA, where they had played another round deeper into the tournament and I had more games as guidance to what the final outcome might have been. On the other hand, with the #2, #3 and #4 seeds all losing, there's not too much question about who is #1. So, here goes. My unofficial state champion and #1 in Class AA is....
1. Rochester Lourdes 28-2. Now I admit to being a bit of a skeptic regarding Lourdes. I picked New London to win the tournament, but that wasn't going to happen. And I have to admit that Lourdes was 8-2 against the top 15 teams in AA. Part of that is the good luck to play in Section 1 where you have the greatest concentration of top 15 caliber teams. Others might have gone 8-2 but didn't have the chance to try. (For the record, the 2nd most wins was 5 by Sauk Centre, while the second best W-L percent vs. the top 15 was Providence at 3-1.) So, while I am not blown away by Lourdes roster--obviously, after Alyssa Ustby--there is no compelling reason to pick anybody else at #1.
2. New London-Spicer 29-2. Taking the full season into account, the competition for #2 is Sauk, Pelican and Fergus, but New London beat Sauk and Pelican beat Fergus head to head in the post-season. So that leaves Pelican, and New London played a lot better than Pelican in the 1st round and beat a tougher opponent in the consolation semis. Sauk was 5-4 vs. the top 15, Pelican 2-1, Fergus 3-3, New London just 2-2. But, none of them blew the doors off. So, despite one loss, New London was the best of the 4 in the post-season.
3. Waseca 25-6 and 4-4 vs. the top 15. OK, statistically, Sauk, Pelican and Fergus are still the next best teams, but Waseca beat Pelican so badly that I can't go with Pelican over Waseca. Sauk lost twice. So that leaves Waseca. They lost at Lourdes by 5. New London, Sauk, Pelican and Fergus were not going to win the state title if the tournament had proceeded. Waseca might.
4. Sauk Centre 28-4 and 5-4 vs. the top 15. They shot the ball so terribly against Providence that I think they would beat Providence 3 out of 5. On the other hand, if the tournament had gone ahead, Sauk was not going to win. Providence still could. I get that.
5. Providence 25-6 and 3-1 vs. the top 15. They probably got more out of their talent level at state than any of these teams, well, except Waseca.
6. Pelican Rapids 30-1 and 2-1.
7. Albany 27-3 and 2-3. They beat Sauk to get the #1 seed, then lost to Sauk by 16 in the section final.
8. Duluth Marshall 26-5 but just 1-3 against the top 15, the "1" being in the state QF over New London 60-55.
9. Fergus Falls 25-5 and 3-3. Lost to Pelican by 2 in the section.
10 (tie). Goodhue 26-4 and Lake City 22-6. Lake City lost a QF upset in the section while Goodhue got to the final and had Lourdes beat. But Lake City also beat Goodhue during the regular season.
Honorable Mention--Pine City 26-3, Proctor 23-4.
1. Rochester Lourdes 28-2. Now I admit to being a bit of a skeptic regarding Lourdes. I picked New London to win the tournament, but that wasn't going to happen. And I have to admit that Lourdes was 8-2 against the top 15 teams in AA. Part of that is the good luck to play in Section 1 where you have the greatest concentration of top 15 caliber teams. Others might have gone 8-2 but didn't have the chance to try. (For the record, the 2nd most wins was 5 by Sauk Centre, while the second best W-L percent vs. the top 15 was Providence at 3-1.) So, while I am not blown away by Lourdes roster--obviously, after Alyssa Ustby--there is no compelling reason to pick anybody else at #1.
2. New London-Spicer 29-2. Taking the full season into account, the competition for #2 is Sauk, Pelican and Fergus, but New London beat Sauk and Pelican beat Fergus head to head in the post-season. So that leaves Pelican, and New London played a lot better than Pelican in the 1st round and beat a tougher opponent in the consolation semis. Sauk was 5-4 vs. the top 15, Pelican 2-1, Fergus 3-3, New London just 2-2. But, none of them blew the doors off. So, despite one loss, New London was the best of the 4 in the post-season.
3. Waseca 25-6 and 4-4 vs. the top 15. OK, statistically, Sauk, Pelican and Fergus are still the next best teams, but Waseca beat Pelican so badly that I can't go with Pelican over Waseca. Sauk lost twice. So that leaves Waseca. They lost at Lourdes by 5. New London, Sauk, Pelican and Fergus were not going to win the state title if the tournament had proceeded. Waseca might.
4. Sauk Centre 28-4 and 5-4 vs. the top 15. They shot the ball so terribly against Providence that I think they would beat Providence 3 out of 5. On the other hand, if the tournament had gone ahead, Sauk was not going to win. Providence still could. I get that.
5. Providence 25-6 and 3-1 vs. the top 15. They probably got more out of their talent level at state than any of these teams, well, except Waseca.
6. Pelican Rapids 30-1 and 2-1.
7. Albany 27-3 and 2-3. They beat Sauk to get the #1 seed, then lost to Sauk by 16 in the section final.
8. Duluth Marshall 26-5 but just 1-3 against the top 15, the "1" being in the state QF over New London 60-55.
9. Fergus Falls 25-5 and 3-3. Lost to Pelican by 2 in the section.
10 (tie). Goodhue 26-4 and Lake City 22-6. Lake City lost a QF upset in the section while Goodhue got to the final and had Lourdes beat. But Lake City also beat Goodhue during the regular season.
Honorable Mention--Pine City 26-3, Proctor 23-4.
The Final Top 10: Class AAA
In the absence of an official champion, who was the best team in AAA. OK, that's easy. Here are the final top 10.
1. DeLaSalle 26-4, including 9-2 against the top 15 in AAA and AAAA. Won 2 state tournament games by a whopping 55 points.
2. Becker 28-2. Granted, they didn't play a 1st-class schedule, going 2-1 against the top 15 prior to state. But, at state, they beat 2 top 15 teams by 21 and 8.
3. Simley 28-3 and 7-3 against the top 15.
4. Holy Angels 23-7, just 2-3 against the top 15, and just 1-2 prior to state. Being located in the metro, they really should be playing a tougher schedule.
5. Marshall 27-1 and 3-1 against the top 15. The only loss was to Waconia by 11 in the section final, but they also beat Waconia by 4 during the regular season.
6. Waconia 20-11 and 3-7 vs. the top 15 including 0-5 against top 15 AAAA opponents. Split with Marshall. And, while they won a state tournament game, they did not play well at state, needing OT to beat a cold-shooting Red Wing team and the losing to Becker by 21.
7. Red Wing 26-4 and 4-4. Did not look good at state.
8. Alexandria 23-8 and 1-2. Did not play a tough schedule but did play well at state, staying with 8 of Becker (13 points better than Waconia) and beating Red Wing by 12.
9. Austin 21-7 and 3-4. Several key injuries down the stretch. Split with Red Wing.
10. Hill-Murray 21-8 and 4-2.
Honorable Mention--St. Paul Como 21-5 and won its 6th straight Twin City game. Hermantown was 26-5 and made it to state and drew #1 and #3.
Class AAA Big 5
Kiani Lockett and Nurjei Weems, DeLaSalle
Julia Bengtson, Becker
Frankie Vascellero, Holy Angels, 40 pts vs. Hermantown at state
Jordyn Hilgemann, Marshall or Ella Grove, Alexandria
1. DeLaSalle 26-4, including 9-2 against the top 15 in AAA and AAAA. Won 2 state tournament games by a whopping 55 points.
2. Becker 28-2. Granted, they didn't play a 1st-class schedule, going 2-1 against the top 15 prior to state. But, at state, they beat 2 top 15 teams by 21 and 8.
3. Simley 28-3 and 7-3 against the top 15.
4. Holy Angels 23-7, just 2-3 against the top 15, and just 1-2 prior to state. Being located in the metro, they really should be playing a tougher schedule.
5. Marshall 27-1 and 3-1 against the top 15. The only loss was to Waconia by 11 in the section final, but they also beat Waconia by 4 during the regular season.
6. Waconia 20-11 and 3-7 vs. the top 15 including 0-5 against top 15 AAAA opponents. Split with Marshall. And, while they won a state tournament game, they did not play well at state, needing OT to beat a cold-shooting Red Wing team and the losing to Becker by 21.
7. Red Wing 26-4 and 4-4. Did not look good at state.
8. Alexandria 23-8 and 1-2. Did not play a tough schedule but did play well at state, staying with 8 of Becker (13 points better than Waconia) and beating Red Wing by 12.
9. Austin 21-7 and 3-4. Several key injuries down the stretch. Split with Red Wing.
10. Hill-Murray 21-8 and 4-2.
Honorable Mention--St. Paul Como 21-5 and won its 6th straight Twin City game. Hermantown was 26-5 and made it to state and drew #1 and #3.
Class AAA Big 5
Kiani Lockett and Nurjei Weems, DeLaSalle
Julia Bengtson, Becker
Frankie Vascellero, Holy Angels, 40 pts vs. Hermantown at state
Jordyn Hilgemann, Marshall or Ella Grove, Alexandria
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)