Section 1AA Preview

The Playoffs are right around the corner. With small-school section tournaments set to begin in the next few weeks, it’s time to turn our attention to the postseason. Section 1 has long been one of the toughest in Class AA and this year is no different. Three teams have spent a majority of the season ranked with two occupying legitimate “state title contender” space. There are Division I recruits, there are upperclassmen. There are athletic guards and strong big men. There are terrific coaches and a bevvy of styles. No matter how things shake out, Rochester will be a good place to be come the postseason. Here’s a look at Section 1AA Favorite: Caledonia/Lake City The Warriors earn ‘favorite’ status by the slimmest of margins over Lake City but both teams are legitimately good enough to not only win this section, but also the state championship. Caledonia beat Lake City in an earlier meeting (way back in December) and has gotten better with Sam Privet returning to the lineup. This team has passed every test, beating just about every other contender in this section. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/noah-king/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/noah-king/">Noah King</a></a> is finally a senior and just recently broke the school’s all-time scoring record. His game has evolved significantly over the years as he is now one of the best players in the state at controlling the game. He’s a terrific defender, facilitator and shot-creator and has played in huge games over the years. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/eli-king/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/eli-king/">Eli King</a></a> is a next-level athlete on the wing, who is one of the best two-way players in the state. He’s a terrific shooter and slasher and a nightmare to defend in transition, plus he can almost cancel out a team’s top scoring option. Privet missed time early in the year but has returned and gives the Warriors a legit force in the paint. And They’ve got a full cupboard of capable role players in Austin Klug, <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/casey-schultz/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/casey-schultz/">Casey Schultz</a></a>, <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/andrew-kunelius/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/andrew-kunelius/">Andrew Kunelius</a></a> and Jackson Koepke. Lake City won the section title a year ago and finished third in the state tournament, and is good enough to win the whole thing this time around. Nate Heise is the best player in the section. Finally a senior, Heise has graduated from premier sniper to complete all-around stud. His explosiveness has improved, he can score from all three levels on the floor and has a toughness and cache that you can count on in high-stakes outings. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/reid-gastner/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/reid-gastner/">Reid Gastner</a></a> is right there with him, using his four years of starting experience to develop into the perfect high-school Robin. He’s a terrific inside and outside scorer, an excellent decision-maker and more than capable of coming up with big plays when the going gets tough. Simply put: trust these two guys to take Lake City a long ways. They aren’t going to beat themselves and it’s going to require a monster effort to take them out. Justin and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jake-wohlers/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jake-wohlers/">Jake Wohlers</a></a> are outstanding complementary players who can break a game open with their shooting. And the Tigers excel on the defensive end of the floor. Don’t be surprised if Lake City slows things down and grinds teams to a pulp in the postseason. Contenders: Stewartville, Plainview-Elgin-Millville, La Crescent-Hokah Stewartville has been awesome all year but probably a step below Caledonia and Lake City in terms of overall juice. It’s been the <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/will-tschetter/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/will-tschetter/">Will Tschetter</a></a> show all year for the Tigers, as the junior big man has been one of the state’s leading scorers. He’s a monster on the glass, a terrific finisher inside and has the ball skills to knock down shots or beat guys off the dribble if given the opportunity. Junior guard Nolan Stier is a solid secondary scorer. PEM has 17 wins on the year and the Bulldogs shouldn’t be overlooked. They have been in just about every loss, losing by less than five points five times. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/blake-herber/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/blake-herber/">Blake Herber</a></a> is one of the best guards in the section and can take over a game with the best of them. Conner Schumacher and Gunner Ramthun are solid complementary players. La Crescent has one of the best frontcourt tandems in <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/luke-schwartzhoff/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/luke-schwartzhoff/">Luke Schwartzhoff</a></a> and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/zach-todd/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/zach-todd/">Zach Todd</a></a>. Those two have been starters for a long time and through a lot of good moments. The Lancers have shown they are good enough to hang with anybody in the section and while some of the perimeter guys aren’t as grizzled, this team can beat people up on the defensive end of the floor and in the paint. Watch Out For: St. Charles, Goodhue, Rochester Lourdes, Lewiston-Altura St. Charles started slow early in the year and has taken off in a big way in the second half of the year. The junior tandem of <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/drew-maloney/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/drew-maloney/">Drew Maloney</a></a> and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kooper-vaughn/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/kooper-vaughn/">Kooper Vaughn</a></a> is as good as it gets. Vaughn is a scoring machine averaging 29 points per game who has seemingly limitless range but also has improved as a shot-creator, defeating irresponsible closeouts. Maloney is a jack-of-all-trades swingman, averaging 15 points, nine rebounds and four assists. These guys were key components in last year’s run to the section final game. Senior guard Sam Lewis has enjoyed a breakout season, averaging better than 15 points per game. After a couple down years, Goodhue has come back in a big way. The Wildcats have already eclipsed 20 wins on the year and while they haven’t played the contenders in the section outside of the Hiawatha Valley League, their style of play and toughness on both ends of the floor give them ingredients for an upset. Senior wing <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/sam-opsahl/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/sam-opsahl/">Sam Opsahl</a></a> is a multipurpose utility wing who can defend at a high level, create his own shot, score in the halfcourt and make plays. Freshman guard Will Opsahl looks like the next stud at Goodhue and guys like Conor O’Reilly and Jason Gorman excel in complementary roles. Rochester Lourdes doesn’t have great depth or balance, but Collin Meade is a matchup nightmare for teams because of his combination of size and skill. He’s putting up 21 points per game and can keep the Eagles in a game. They’ve sputtered against the upper-echelon teams in the section, but they are dangerous if they are a lower seed. Lewiston-Altura has 20 wins on the year but is ranked in the 30s in the QRF. The Cardinals likely sit somewhere in the 8-10 seeding range of the section standings, which means they’ll have an uphill climb to stay long in the postseason, but they’ve got a pair of stud sophomores in Thomas Menk and Collin Bonow and a stud senior wing in <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/gunner-reed/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/gunner-reed/">Gunner Reed</a></a>.