Section 2AAAA 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 2 is without a doubt, the best in the state. With three 20-win teams plus another with 18 wins that has played arguably the toughest schedule in the state, this section has four legitimate contenders that are capable of winning multiple games in the state tournament. Here’s a look at Section 2AAAA Favorite: Eden Prairie The Eagles have been ranked No. 1 for a majority of the season and head into the postseason a perfect 26-0. This senior class has been the pillar of a lot of success in recent years at Eden Prairie and the expectations were high coming into this year - and after a down season a year ago, they’ve exceeded those expectations in a big way. The quartet of four-year varsity regulars starts with point guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/drake-dobbs/">[player_tooltip player_id="846109" first="Drake" last="Dobbs"]</a>, who has graduated from off-ball sniper to orchestrator of the operation. He leads the team in scoring at 19 points per game and his ability to control the game is matched by very few across the state. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/john-henry/">[player_tooltip player_id="721835" first="John" last="Henry"]</a>’s a do-it-all utility wing player who can space the floor, get to the paint, make plays for his teammates and defend just about any position on the court. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/connor-christensen/">[player_tooltip player_id="846111" first="Connor" last="Christensen"]</a> is another big wing who impacts the game in a variety of ways, excelling off the ball with his ability to space the floor, finish at the rim, make plays and defend all over the court. And <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/austin-andrews/">[player_tooltip player_id="846114" first="Austin" last="Andrews"]</a> is a matchup nightmare because he can score in the paint, handle the ball in the mid and high post areas, shoot a little bit and he’s got a nose for the ball on the glass. Throw in high-quality rotation guys like [player_tooltip player_id="721967" first="Miles" last="Frisch"], <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/will-foster/">[player_tooltip player_id="774912" first="Will" last="Foster"]</a> and Chris Nyland and this team is as close to complete as any in the state. Contender: Shakopee, Prior Lake, Chaska The Sabers earned the No. 3 seed in the section with 21 wins during the regular season. It’s a senior-laden group with one of the best backcourts in the state in [player_tooltip player_id="721855" first="Will" last="Cordes"] and Caleb Truvenga and senior forward <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/charlie-katona/">[player_tooltip player_id="846112" first="Charlie" last="Katona"]</a> is one of the best swingmen in the section. Cordes is the tone-setter on both ends of the floor, controlling the tempo and balancing facilitating with scoring offensively while routinely defending top scorers on the opposing teams on the other. Druvenga’s a multi-level scorer on the wing who has the size and strength to bully his way to the rim or shoot over the top. And Katona is a big, smooth combo-forward who can handle the ball, get to the rim, shoot from deep and finish over size. Bruce Lockwood is a strong defender. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/aaron-bosley/">[player_tooltip player_id="721939" first="Aaron" last="Bosley"]</a> is a reliable complementary guard and sophomore forward <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/nick-katona/">[player_tooltip player_id="850728" first="Nick" last="Katona"]</a> gives the Sabers some size and skill up front. Chaska earned the No. 2 seed in the section thanks to a 23-win regular season. The Hawks have an excellent rotation of big, athletic, two-way wings and size up front. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/luke-strazzanti/">[player_tooltip player_id="532600" first="Luke" last="Strazzanti"]</a> and [player_tooltip player_id="846120" first="Zach" last="Lea"] are the two top perimeter scorers, combining to average about 25 points per game while supplying terrific defense. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jack-frick/">[player_tooltip player_id="774803" first="Jack" last="Frick"]</a>, Spencer Goez and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ben-kallman/">[player_tooltip player_id="549459" first="Ben" last="Kallman"]</a> round out the perimeter rotation. All five of those guys are capable of guarding up and down a lineup and making plays. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/mahad-faisal/">[player_tooltip player_id="721980" first="Mahad" last="Faisal"]</a>’s had a breakout season in the frontcourt, averaging 13 points per game and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/brady-nicholson/">[player_tooltip player_id="850714" first="Brady" last="Nicholson"]</a> is a solid complementary forward who can defend and rebound his area. Prior Lake is the No. 4 seed in the section and is heading into the postseason on fire as winners of eight games in a row. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/dawson-garcia/">[player_tooltip player_id="532352" first="Dawson" last="Garcia"]</a> is the best player in the section and can single handedly take over a game. He’s averaging 31 points and 10 rebounds, knocking down 40 percent of his 3-pointers (one more than five attempts per game), getting to the free throw line at a high rate and drawing incredible amounts of attention. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/tyree-ihenacho/">[player_tooltip player_id="721843" first="Tyree" last="Ihenacho"]</a>’s had a terrific season as well, stuffing the stat sheet to the tune of 12 points, eight rebounds and six assists per game. He’s a terrific two-way player and one of the few guys who has consistently scored throughout the season. After those two, the Lakers need to get solid play from the complementary guys like Malcon Jones, Dylan Bair and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/tommy-mestnik/">[player_tooltip player_id="774911" first="Tommy" last="Mestnik"]</a>. Watch Out For: Edina, Minnetonka Edina went 13-13 in the regular season and while the Hornets have a tough first round draw against Shakopee, they’ve got the talent reminiscent of a higher seed. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/jacob-hutson/">[player_tooltip player_id="846108" first="Jacob" last="Hutson"]</a> is a force down low and can control a game from the paint to give the Sabers problems. The sophomore guard duo of <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/brady-helgren/">[player_tooltip player_id="850735" first="Brady" last="Helgren"]</a> and Sammy Presthus has been very good and the Hornets have solid balance with guys like <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/marcus-crawford/">[player_tooltip player_id="774926" first="Marcus" last="Crawford"]</a>, <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/bastian-swinney/">[player_tooltip player_id="774757" first="Bastian" last="Swinney"]</a> and Chandler Reeck. The Skippers will face Prior Lake in the first round and while they’ll be a heavy underdog in that matchup, they’ve got enough talent and experience to handle tough competition. Cam Steele is one of the best big men in the state and can pile up points as well as anybody. His ability to score from the low post, step away from the basket and shoot or create for himself plus get to the glass and manufacture points. JT Gaffney and [player_tooltip player_id="846143" first="Riley" last="O’Connor"] have had solid senior seasons and Jalen Cain looks like one of the best freshmen in the state.