Section Outlook: Section 6AAA
Section basketball is kicking off this week for the big schools. Here are some things to know about Section 6AAA:
Favorite: DeLaSalle
The Islanders have won five state titles in a row. It’s gotten to a point where until someone else wins, they earn favorite status.
This year’s team certainly has the horses to not only get to the state tournament, but also win the title again as Goanar Mar’s long been one of the top players in the state and is on the short list for Mr. Basketball. He averaged 21 points per game on the year and can guard all five positions effectively. Gabe Kalscheur gives them an excellent second scorer and his ability to knock down shots from distance helps space the floor for a bevy of athletic guards including Tyrell Terry and Dominic Bledsoe.
The Islanders have certainly played in their share of hotly-contested games throughout the year and they’ve got arguably the best coach in the state. There’s not a whole lot not to like about this team heading into the postseason.
In the Hunt: Orono, Delano
If there are teams in Class AAA that can push DeLaSalle, once again, it appears as though the best tests might come during the section tournament.
Orono might be the second best team in Class AAA and seem to be peaking at the end of the year. Five of the Spartan’s seven wins to end the season were against New Prague, Big Lake, Marshall and Delano.
They check all the boxes. Colton Codute and Max Bjorklund give them a dynamic — albeit smallish — backcourt, Thomas Lecy, Griffen Sage and Jack Anderson can all knock down shots from deep and Jarvis Thomas is a two-way force inside.
Delano looked like a top-five type team for most of the year before sputtering down the stretch with four losses in the final six games.
The Tigers certainly have a shot in any game thanks to star point guard Calvin Wishart. Wishart is one of the top prospects in the entire 2018 class and has been magnificent all season, averaging 27.5 points per game. He’s much more than just a scoring machine as he’s an impact defender and controls the tempo of games as well as any player around.
Derek Techam joins him in the backcourt and he’s a player to watch in the 2019 class, averaging 12 points per contest. Nick Cayler and Keegan O’Neill form a solid front court. Cayler is the bruiser inside while O’Neill (a player to watch in the 2018 class) has more of a perimeter based skillset.
Teams to watch: Minneapolis Patrick Henry, Waconia
A team that went into the year with high expectations, Minneapolis Patrick Henry apparently slow-cooked the bit. After a loss to Jordan sent the Patriots to 13-7, they won their final six games including wins over Delano and Minneapolis Washburn.
The Patriots have a lot of balance with guys like Jordan Lynn, Lamar Wood and Terell Smith all averaging at least 12 points per game. Lynn is excellent at the point guard spot and can create shots for himself and his teammates thanks to his ability to get into the paint. Wood is an active big man who can score without needing a lot of plays drawn up for him and Smith averaged 14.5 points per game over his final 10 games.
Early in the year it looked clear that the Patriots relied heavily on their pressure and havoc style and against good teams, that pressure wasn’t going to win them games. It will be interesting to see if they’ve grown from that.
Waconia made a strong push at the end of year too and certainly appears to be a team nobody wants to play. After a 7-10 start to the year, the Wildcats finished 8-1 and won games against elite teams like Delano, Waseca and Orono.
Nick Fulford and Charlie Grove give the Wildcats two excellent guards and both guys are players to watch for a few years. Both guys are very good 2018 talents and should draw a lot of college interest this upcoming summer. Dillon Whittaker is a good inside presence for them too. PJ Hayes is a freshman playing big minutes in their rotation as well. So the Wildcats are good now and could be even better next year.
Section Outlook
If DeLaSalle does in fact go on to win a sixth consecutive state title, the Islanders will have earned it by winning not only three games in the state tournament but two games over likely top-10 teams in their own section. If there’s a team that could unseat them, Orono has a good of a shot as any team given their collection of talent.
Delano didn’t end the year well but Calvin Wishart is as good as any player in the section. Patrick Henry has no shortage of athletes that can muck a game up for a team like Orono and while Waconia might not have the high-end talent those top four teams do, the Wildcats are well-coached, disciplined and ended the year on a tear.
Ultimately it’s hard to pick against DeLaSalle because Mar, Kalscheur and Dave Thorson are elite.