Section 4AA Preview
Playoffs?!? The playoffs are right around the corner. With small-school section tournaments set to begin next week, it’s time to turn our attention to the postseason. See Previous Section Previews Here Class A Section 1AA Section 2AA Section 3AA Here’s…
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Continue ReadingPlayoffs?!? The playoffs are right around the corner. With small-school section tournaments set to begin next week, it’s time to turn our attention to the postseason.
See Previous Section Previews Here
Here’s what you need to know about Section 4AA
Section 4AA has been owned by Minnehaha for a while now and it doesnt look like that will be changing this year as the Redhawks are arguably the best team in the state regardless of class. They’ve got incredible talent and when motivated, they can beat anybody.
Favorite: Minnehaha
This one is obvious as Minnehaha Academy is the heavy favorite to win another state title. The Redhawks have far and away the most talent of any team at the Class AA level and when they are engaged, there isn’t a team in this section that can beat them.
Jalen Suggs is well-known at this point. Chet Holmgren’s come on big time with a huge sophomore year and he’ll continue to garner national recognition this summer and beyond and Prince Aligbe is a budding star as just a freshman. Donovan Smith and Kaden Johnson round out the rotation as solid perimeter defenders.
This is a team that should win another state title.
In the Mix: Cristo Rey Jesuit, St. Croix Prep
With all that said, there are still some good teams in Section 4AA. Minnehaha will likely win the thing but that won’t take away from the talented outfits like Cristo Rey Jesuit and St. Croix Prep.
Both teams have ultra-talented guards and depth in the lineup to make games really interesting.
The Lions have five double-figure scorers and great balance. Daniel McCarrell leads the way at 16.2 points per game and Addison Metcalf and Nolan Grubisch chip in 14 apiece. They’ve got a chance to exceed 20 wins with a strong finish.
Cristo Rey Jesuit has a trio of star guards that provide a lot of the heavy lifting on the offensive end as James Sommer and Erick and Derek Burgess combine to average better than 52 points per game. Sommer leads the way, putting up 24 points and nearly nine rebounds. Erick Burgess is also quite the stat-stuffer, averaging 15.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists.
Teams to Watch: Minneapolis Edison, Trinity School
Minneapolis Edison has turned in a solid season and could finish with 16-18 wins depending on how the Tommies finish the regular season. They’ve got a great offensive group with five starters that can take over a stretch in any given game plus good depth. They’ve got a young team that is showing signs of a lot of promise.
Trinity School has a terrific duo in Ben Maslow and Anthony Rumpza. Those two combine to average nearly 35 points per game and the Tri Hawks have a chance to win 20 games with a couple of wins in their confence tournament along with a win or two in the section tourney.