The Lake Preview
The Lake Conference has long been considered the toughest league in the state of Minnesota. Change continues to go through the league but talent is still very solid. Conference Commentary State Title Contender – Wayzata, Hopkins But Wayzata only won…
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Continue ReadingThe Lake Conference has long been considered the toughest league in the state of Minnesota. Change continues to go through the league but talent is still very solid.
Conference Commentary
State Title Contender – Wayzata, Hopkins
But Wayzata only won 11 games last year! This is true. But Hopkins doesn’t have the star power! Sure. But then again Class AAAA basketball is as wide open as we’ve seen, plus the Trojans are talent stacked and will likely enter the year healthy this season. And Hopkins may not have a nationally ranked stud like Kerwin Walton Kerwin Walton 6'6" | SF Hopkins | 2020 State #62 Nation MN or Zeke Nnaji, but they are still very talented. In fact Wayzata has the guard combo (Berkland, Beeninga, Williams) mixed with D1 size (Heide and Bjerke) plus bench depth to bring home the title. They are actually my pick to win the title. Hopkins will enter the season as a top five squad with Treml leading the way, Nnaji and Chisely with size up front, Xavier White Xavier White 6'6" | SF Hopkins | 2021 State MN on the verge of a huge season, and Tristian Lee defending everything.
Top Ten in State – Edina
The Hornets are big ( Bastian Swinney Bastian Swinney 6'7" | C Edina | 2021 State MN , Dane Lusty Dane Lusty 6'7" | C Edina | 2022 State MN , and Brady Helgren Brady Helgren 6'8" | C Edina | 2022 State MN ), they are young and talented (Helgren, Lusty, Sammy Presthus, Gabe Jobe, Easton Breyfogle Easton Breyfogle 6'1" | SG Edina | 2023 MN ), and they are experienced (Swinney, Helgren, Presthus, and Marcus Crawford Marcus Crawford 6'3" | PG Edina | 2021 State MN ). Edina is a top ten team and if they find the chemistry they have as good of a chance as any to make a run in a wide open Class AAAA.
In-Between – Minnetonka
The Skippers will be young, but very talented. They were 12-15 last season but will be better this year. How much better? Tonka will certainly start the year as a top 15-20 team and could climb that ladder. With guards like junior Cohen Kellogg Cohen Kellogg 6'0" | PG Orono | 2022 State MN , sophomore Jalen Cain Jalen Cain 6'3" | SF Minnetonka | 2023 State MN , sophomore Ibrahim El-Amin Ibrahim El-Amin 5'10" | PG Minnetonka | 2023 State MN , and sophomore Alex Jones Alex Jones 6'1" | SG Minnetonka | 2023 State MN , the Skippers can put four guards on the floor as tough any in this league. It’s the best group of young guards in this league.
Compete with Most – Eden Prairie, Buffalo
The Eagles have Cole Tiran Cole Tiran 5'10" | PG Eden Prairie | 2021 State MN and Will Foster Will Foster 6'1" | SG Eden Prairie | 2021 State MN returning so there is some experience there. Tiran will be a nice D3 basketball player in the future plus Ryan Warren Ryan Warren 6'2" | SG Eden Prairie | 2022 State MN is going to have a good year. The guards of EP will be solid, but they have gone through a big change. Buffalo also lost a really nice senior class that unfortunately didn’t live up to what they had hoped for with Aidan Bouman heading to school early and Tony Dahl Tony Dahl 6'3" | SF Buffalo | 2020 State MN getting hurt. Antonio Bluiett Antonio Bluiett 6'2" | PG Buffalo | 2022 State MN is one of the best players in the league and there are some solid players up front (Zach Zrust and Will Pool Will Pool 6'3" | SF Buffalo | 2022 State MN ) as well as in the backcourt ( Carter Jackson Carter Jackson 6'0" | SG Buffalo | 2022 State MN ) that will keep the Bison tough.
Rebuilding – STMA
If we are being totally honest, I think STMA has the talent to be a solid basketball team. Johnny Tennyson Johnny Tennyson 6'3" | SG STMA | 2022 State MN is a really good junior guard and we saw a lot of STMA seniors have nice summers. But STMA had some pretty good players last year and they went 0-12 in the Lake, and 8-20 overall. With a lot of players stepping into varsity for the first time they are a team rebuilding a line-up, and when you had 0 league wins last year, I have to say it’s rebuilding.
20-21 Conference Predictions
- Wayzata
- Hopkins
- Edina
- Minnetonka
- Eden Prairie
- Buffalo
- STMA
Preseason All Lake
First Team
Carter Bjerke Carter Bjerke 6'9" | C Wayzata | 2022 State MN of Wayzata (Jr)
Camden Heide Camden Heide 6'7" | SF Wasatch Academy | 2022 State #129 Nation UT of Wayzata (Jr)
Jaelen Treml Jaelen Treml 6'4" | SF Hopkins | 2021 State MN of Hopkins (Sr)
Xavier White Xavier White 6'6" | SF Hopkins | 2021 State MN of Hopkins (Sr)
Kody Williams Kody Williams 6'0" | PG Wayzata | 2021 State MN of Wayzata (Sr)
Second Team
Eddie Beeninga Eddie Beeninga 6'1" | PG Wayzata | 2021 State MN of Wayzata (Sr)
Antonio Bluiett Antonio Bluiett 6'2" | PG Buffalo | 2022 State MN of Buffalo (Jr)
Brady Helgren Brady Helgren 6'8" | C Edina | 2022 State MN of Edina (Jr)
Elvis Nnaji Elvis Nnaji 6'8" | C Hopkins | 2022 State #215 Nation MN of Hopkins (Jr)
Sammy Presthus of Edina (Jr)
Third Team
Drew Berkland Drew Berkland 5'11" | PG Wayzata | 2022 State MN of Wayzata (Jr)
Jalen Cain Jalen Cain 6'3" | SF Minnetonka | 2023 State MN of Minnetonka (Soph)
Ibrahim El-Amin Ibrahim El-Amin 5'10" | PG Minnetonka | 2023 State MN of Minnetonka (Soph)
Johnny Tennyson Johnny Tennyson 6'3" | SG STMA | 2022 State MN of STMA (Jr)
Cole Tiran Cole Tiran 5'10" | PG Eden Prairie | 2021 State MN of Eden Prairie (Sr)
Fourth Team
Andrew Chisley Andrew Chisley 6'6" | PF Hopkins | 2021 State MN of Hopkins (Sr)
Marcus Crawford Marcus Crawford 6'3" | PG Edina | 2021 State MN of Edina (Sr)
Cohen Kellogg Cohen Kellogg 6'0" | PG Orono | 2022 State MN of Minnetonka (Jr)
Tristan Lee Tristan Lee 6'2" | PG Hopkins | 2021 State MN of Hopkins (Sr)
Ryan Warren Ryan Warren 6'2" | SG Eden Prairie | 2022 State MN of Eden Prairie (Jr)
Fifth Team
Will Foster Will Foster 6'1" | SG Eden Prairie | 2021 State MN of Eden Prairie (Sr)
Carter Jackson Carter Jackson 6'0" | SG Buffalo | 2022 State MN of Buffalo (Sr)
Alex Jones Alex Jones 6'1" | SG Minnetonka | 2023 State MN of Minnetonka (Soph)
Bastian Swinney Bastian Swinney 6'7" | C Edina | 2021 State MN of Edina (Sr)
Zach Zrust of Buffalo (Jr)