Section 6A Preview

<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">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.</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Here’s a look at Section 6A</span></p> <p><strong>Favorite: Henning</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The reigning state champs, the Henning Hornets went into the year ranked No. 1 and they’ve been as good as advertised. A loss to now-No.1 BOLD the day after a triple overtime win over a top-five team in Waterville-Elysian-Morristown is the only blemish on the record book and the Hornets have earned hard-fought wins over quality teams like Ada-Borup and all of the contenders in Section 6A. They have experience, they have terrific guards and they play a style that is hard to match up with because they are relentless in their pressure on both ends of the floor. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/isaac-fisher/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/isaac-fisher/">Isaac Fisher</a></a>, <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/blake-wallevand/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/blake-wallevand/">Blake Wallevand</a></a>, <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/parker-fraki/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/parker-fraki/">Parker Fraki</a></a> and Blaine Wallevand are all capable of taking over the game at any point and while they don’t have great size, they are able to overcome it because of their defensive pressure on the ball. And with the way they space the floor and attack downhill, very few teams are capable of keeping them out of the paint and out of transition. </span></p> <p><strong>Contender: West Central Area</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">If there’s a team that can knock the Hornets off before the state tournament, the West Central Area Knights are the most equipped. They are 21-2 with close losses to Osakis and Henning and have the kind of size, depth and experience required to make a lengthy postseason run. Gage Staples and Jack VanKempen form a formidable duo up front, presenting a challenge in the paint that few teams in the section can handle. Both guys are capable of delivering double-double production. Grant Bueckens and Jacob Bright are experienced, solid guards who can control the tempo and Bueckens in particular is one of the top on-ball guards when it comes to creating his offense and making plays. </span></p> <p><strong>In The Mix: Norman County East, Parkers Prairie</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Norman County East is always a tough out and the Titans have arguably the best big man in the section in junior big man <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/broden-lien/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/broden-lien/">Broden Lien</a></a>. The 6-foot-7 forward is having a monster year, averaging 24 points and 11 rebounds and can present all sorts of issues because of his multifaceted scoring ability. Junior guard Morgan Stueness is having an excellent season as well, averaging 12.5 points and 4.6 assists. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The Panthers have a good shot at eclipsing 20 wins on the season and will be a tough out because they are well-schooled on both ends of the floor. Alex Koep is one of the best scorers in the section. Micah Ahrens joins him in the backcourt, forming a terrific duo of guys who can create offense for themselves and their teammates. And Josh Helling has proven he can be dominant at times inside. </span></p> <p><strong>Watch Out For: Hancock, Ashby</strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Hancock continues to churn out solid teams and the guy who has been the biggest key is sophomore center Matt Thompson. He’s 6-foot-6 and is capable of dominating games against anybody. He’s a double-double machine. Junior guard Preston Rohloff is excellent on both ends of the floor and is one the best pure playmakers in the section. </span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ashby has taken some lopsided losses but the Arrows have 15 wins and have a chance to hit 20 if they can finish strong and win a couple games in the subsection tournament. Sophomore forward Hunter Norby and junior forward <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jaden-norby/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jaden-norby/">Jaden Norby</a></a> give them two go-to guys who can really take over stretches of a game. Jacob Cook joins them to form one of the best frontcourts in the section. </span></p>