Postseason Preview: Section 7AA
Section basketball is just around the corner and as the season comes to a close, it’s time to start looking at individual sections. Here’s the lowdown on Section 7AA: Favorite: Esko The Eskomos have come out of Section 7AA…
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Section basketball is just around the corner and as the season comes to a close, it’s time to start looking at individual sections.
Here’s the lowdown on Section 7AA:
Favorite: Esko
The Eskomos have come out of Section 7AA four years in a row and they should be favored to get out of the section again this year. The 7-foot-2 junior center Adam Trapp is a game-changer as he commands an incredible amount of attention inside and can dominate a game defensively. His presence allows all of Esko’s guards to play hard and tight defense on the perimeter because they know he’ll erase a lot of shots inside.
And the Eskomos have good guards around him as Quinn Fischer, Ryan Pantasar and Isaak Blue all provide solid outside shooting to space the floor.
Esko has a number of wins over very good teams mixed in with dominant wins over the rest of the Polar League and only two losses (two Caledonia and St. Cloud Cathedral) to some of the top teams in the state.
Until a team knocks them off, they should be favored to get to the state tournament. And when they get there, they are equipped to do well.
Contenders: Virginia, Crosby-Ironton
If the Eskomos are going to get to state for the fifth straight year, they’ll have to earn it as they’ll likely have to go through two top-15 teams on their way there.
Virginia is the top team in Subsection 2 and if there’s a team that can contend with Esko’s size, it’s the Blue Devils. Ethan Youso is one of the top players in the 2018 class and averages 19 points and 11 rebounds. Bryce Kennedy joins him up front to give the Blue Devils a pair of 6-foot-7 forwards who can score and rebound.
Nate Fink and Tom Norman give the team a pair of snipers from the outside and Drew Aho is one of the top point guards in the section.
Crosby-Ironton gave the Eskomos a run in the section final game last year and the Rangers could be in position to meet them again in the subsection final game this time around.
Armed with a dominant defense and plenty of scoring depth, the Rangers have the component pieces to contend with the Eskomos. Jack Silgen is a game-changing combo-forward, averaging 18 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists and the guy that’ll be tasked with trying to handle Trapp inside is future North Dakota State football player Noah Gindorff. The 6-foot-6 post averages 17 points and 13 boards to go along with four blocks.
Evan Edmundson, Trey Jacobs and Silgen can all knock down 3-pointers as well, which gives the Rangers plenty of firepower. They combine that with stifling defense and while they haven’t been tested a whole lot this year, they’ve got enough experience and talent to make a deep run.
In the mix: Hickley-Finlayson, Proctor, Greenway
Hinckley-Finlayson’s given Crosby-Ironton and Virginia competitive games but lost to both teams. The Jaguars have the most explosive offense in the section, averaging 82 points per game and they combine that with pretty good defense too. Tyler Visser is a solid forward and Kolten Furey and Trevor Johnson are two of the top guards.
The Jaguars can pile up points in a hurry and while a lot of the good teams won’t let them play as fast as they’d like or get the shots they always want, they’ve got enough offensive talent to put a scare into anyone.
Proctor might earn the second seed in Subsection 2 despite only 14 wins on the year. The Rails have hope to advance deep thanks in large part to an excellent collection of guards. That starts with senior point guard Bryden Urie, who sets the tone for the whole team as the leading scorer and assist man. John and Jacob Pioro round out an excellent guard trio and Brody Eldien gives the Rails a solid inside presence.
Greenway is one of the youngest teams in the section but has enjoyed a solid year so far. Jace Hansen-Cochran and Dylan DeChampeau are the team’s top two players but both are underclassmen. So the Raiders might not have quite enough to advance deep into the section tournament, but they are certainly a team to keep an eye on in the future. Any experience they gain now can be a big bonus.
Section Standings
Section 7AA – SS1
- Esko
- Crosby-Ironton
- Hinckley-Finlayson
- Pequot Lakes
- Moose Lake-Willow River
- Barnum
- Pillager
- Aitkin
Section 7AA – SS2
- Virginia
- Proctor
- International Falls
- Greenway
- Mesabi East
- Two Harbors
- Eveleth-Gilbert
- Duluth Marshall