Class A: Top Duos to Watch
Class A has a lot of returning talent this upcoming season and with so many good teams, there will be a lot of competition. There is a lot of returning talent in seemingly every corner of the state. Here are some of the best duos heading into the winter:
North Woods: The Grizzlies might be the best team in Class A and they’ll be gunning for a third-straight trip to the state tournament — and more. Cade Goggleye’s been a star for the Grizzlies for a while now and put up 22 points and eight assists (plus five steals) as a junior. He was solid over the summer with Comets and should be primed for a big senior year. Trevor Morrison developing into a reliable interior presence was a big key for North Woods last year as he produced a consistent 12-15 points per night. As he heads into his upperclass years, don’t be surprised if he’s flirting with 20-10 — though North Woods blowing teams out on a regular basis means deflated bulk stats.
Minnesota Valley Lutheran: MVL won 17 games a year ago with a number of young players and the Chargers should be strong again this winter. They’ve got a bonafide go-to guy in senior wing Jake Kettner. Kettner averaged better than 15 points as a sophomore and put up 22 points and eight rebounds and 5.5 assists last season. His running mate is junior guard Jace Morotz who averaged 11 points, five rebounds and three assists as a sophomore.
Russell-Tyler-Ruthton: RTR loses its top two scorers but returns an awfully good duo in the Hansen brothers. Cooper Hansen stuffed the stat sheet on the regular basis to the tune of 11 points, seven rebounds and five assists night while Carter Hansen put up 11.5 points, just less than six rebounds and four assists while supplying top-notch defense.
Springfield: Springfield is another club on the short list of legitimate state title contenders at this point and a superstar backcourt of Isaac Fink and Decker Scheffler is the main cause for optimism. Fink put 23-10-6 as a junior while Scheffler averaged 17 points and four assists. Those two will continue to take on major offensive roles and engineer an offense that will likely average more than 80 points per game.
Randolph: The Rockets might be a sneaky pick to make a decent run in Section 1A this winter after winning 19 games a year ago thanks a host of talented returners. Carsyn Gunderson averaged 17 points per game in the frontcourt while Nick Drinken averaged a double-double with points and assists as just a sophomore.
Minneota: The Vikings should be one of the best teams in Class A this winter and while they’ve got a lot of returning talent and depth, the Hennen brothers, Thomas and Jacob, give them two reliable high-enders. Thomas averaged 20 points and five rebounds as a junior while Jacob put up better than 15 and six as just a freshman.