Class AAA Title Contender Series: Richfield

<p>The Richfield Spartans made the jump from 6-21 in 2018-19 to 23-6 last season.  A 17-game improvement flipping their win total to their loss total and earning the section title.  And they will be even better this season. </p> <p><strong>Key Wins in 19-20 (23-6)</strong>: Holy Angles, St. Croix Lutheran, Columbia Heights, Edison, Simley</p> <p><strong>Oops:  </strong>Tartan, Kennedy, S St. Paul, DeLaSalle, Columbia Heights</p> <p><strong>Moving On</strong>:  [player_tooltip player_id="955898" first="Jeff" last="Moore"] was an all league double figure scoring guard that gave the Spartans basically six starting caliber players last season.  Moore’s graduation means the Spartan depth takes a hit.  Richfield also graduated Amir Evans, a guard that the Spartans used from their deeper bench. </p> <p><strong>Returning Starters</strong>: As we just said, Richfield had six starting caliber guys last year and while Moore graduated, the mix of size, posts, shooting, and guards is strong for a team looking to make a run.  Often handling the ball will be leading scorer <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774836" first="Lamar" last="Grayson"]</strong>, a 19 point per game six foot senior scorer with the talent to play make.  On one side will be Richfield’s top senior prospect <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="774779" first="Ryan" last="Miles"]</strong>, a 6-foot-5 skilled player that passes the ball well and can hit shots from many angles.  The other wing will be <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958679" first="Mitchell" last="January"]</strong>, a 6-foot-4 junior coming off an excellent sophomore year when he scored 13 points a game.  Then you have the bigs:  6-foot-7 senior <strong>Isaiah Casey-Hammond</strong> and 6-foot-6 junior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958660" first="Jaden" last="Wollmuth"]</strong>.   Both bigs averaged 4-5 scores a game last year and both averaged about eight boards a contest.  And both are much improved this off-season.  Richfield can go 6’4-6’5-6’6-6’7 around Grayson meaning they have a lot of quality size plus it’s a skilled, versatile talent that we’ve watched a lot this summer in AAU, and all of them have improved.  </p> <p><strong>Reserves Playing a Bigger Role:  </strong>Three senior guards played off the bench last year and should have a chance to step into handle when one of the starters sits.  <strong>Malachai Peterson, Evan Gray, </strong>and<strong> Kobie Daoheauang</strong> each played last season and their experience - whichever one/ones earn the role - will be vital as they can handle and allow Grayson to play some off the ball as well.  Also, junior forward <strong>Jaedyn Patterson</strong> was another player that came off the bench and saw some time last year.  He’s a wing that will add depth. </p> <p><strong>Potentials from the JV:  Chance Heddle </strong>is a 6-foot-5 senior that can give Richfield some more frontcourt depth while the junior class has guards that can challenge the group of seniors for backcourt time.  <strong>Ejnar Hewitt </strong>and<strong> Bryce Joerger</strong> both played guard as sophomores for the JV.  </p> <p><strong>Final Thoughts</strong>:   Richfield is the heavy favorite in Section 3AAA but it’s a tough league to battle through.  Holy Angles will be good again with a top junior lead guard and big, skilled wings.  St. Croix Lutheran is a senior stacked group that should have a big year and South St. Paul came into the school year as arguably the most talented team in the section.  I would argue that since Max Wilson transferred to Hopkins, Richfield now has the edge in experience, talent, and size even though the Packers have the best player in the section in [player_tooltip player_id="958636" first="Alonzo" last="Dodd"].  If the Spartans get through this section for the section straight year, I could see them in the Class AAA state field with the Minnehaha Academy/Totino-Grace/Columbia Heights section winner, the Mankato East/Marshall section winner, the Austin/Byron section winner, DeLaSalle, and Hibbing (yes that is five groups, the 4/5 state game will be excellent). </p>