Class AAA Title Contender Series: Holy Angels

<p>Holy Angles return their PG ([player_tooltip player_id="850716" first="Emmett" last="Johnson"]) and top wing ([player_tooltip player_id="957198" first="Bryce" last="Boyd"]) so the Stars were still going to be good but the addition of [player_tooltip player_id="958645" first="Camden" last="Holter"] helps the squad in an even bigger way.  They expect to contend. </p> <p><strong>Key Wins in 19-20 (19-10):  </strong>Columbia Heights, Cristo Rey, St. Anthony, South St. Paul, St. Croix Lutheran</p> <p><strong>Oops</strong>: Richfield, Blake, Kennedy, Waconia, DeLaSalle</p> <p><strong>Moving On:  </strong>The Stars lost three senior starters to graduation including their top player last year Matt Banovetz who led the team in scoring and rebounding plus was a really good passer.  All league honorably mentioned Nate Kesti and Connor O’Rourke were the other pair of starters and both were versatile contributors.  That’s three of the top scorers on the team from a season ago.  </p> <p><strong>Returning Starters</strong>:  Junior point guard <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="850716" first="Emmett" last="Johnson"]</strong> is playing his 4th season of varsity basketball this year.  He’s scored nearly 900 points entering his upperclassmen years which is tough in itself and even tougher in big school basketball.  Johnson is a true point guard who believes in creating shots for others but he can produce his own offense as well.  The other returning starter is 6-foot-5 wing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="957198" first="Bryce" last="Boyd"]</strong>, a senior that scored just under a dozen points a contest last year.  Boyd has improved as a shooter and the Stars use him in the combo forward role meaning he can run the floor and do things on the wing but also use that size/length to help the frontcourt as well.  </p> <p><strong>Reserves Playing a Bigger Role:   </strong>The Stars have a junior backcourt that is quick and now experienced.  Both <strong>Terrence Roberts Jr a</strong>nd<strong> Aidan Smith</strong> played key roles off the bench a season ago and both are likely to pair with Johnson making the backcourt dangerous.  I’d expect one of them to start and the other to be in the 6th man role (although the Stars could go big if Pierce and one of the posts are ready).  Roberts is a bit shorter than Smith and quicker while Smith is more physical, but quick himself.  </p> <p>There were a number of games where the Stars played 11 guys.  Included in that 11 was now 6-foot-3 senior big <strong>Theo Doran</strong>.  Doran is a 200 pound post that was also the quarterback of the football team.  He will be one of the players the Stars hope can work inside freeing Boyd to be his versatile self.  Another talent that saw time a season ago was 6-foot-4 shooter <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="962247" first="Gavin" last="Pierce"]</strong>.  Pierce is a high percentage shooter that should step into a bigger role as a sophomore. </p> <p><strong>Transferring In</strong>. The depth of the Stars received a massive boost when All Minneapolis City Conference 6-foot-3 2022 <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="958645" first="Camden" last="Holter"]</strong> transferred from Minneapolis Southwest to Holy Angles. The athletic and versatile Holter scored 14 points a game for the Lakers and will now step into a starting role and give the Stars support in a number of areas.  Holter is a fast rising player in the junior class and will pair well with Johnson for the next two years (Johnson also played in the Minneapolis City Conference at Washburn before transferring to AHA).  </p> <p><strong>Potentials from the JV:  </strong>Another post option will be 6-foot-5 sophomore <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="962267" first="Joe" last="Miller"] IV</strong>, a player with a good frame and nice hands and footwork.  Miller can face-up and hit shots, face-up and attack to his right, and is coming off an outstanding football season as a quality outside linebacker. Miller saw a bit of varsity hoops time last year during competitive game action but was mostly a JV player.  The size of 6-foot-5 senior <strong>Sam Mellas</strong> may be needed as well and keep an eye on 6-foot-2 sophomore <strong>Jaylen Boehm Peterson</strong>. </p> <p><strong>Final Thoughts</strong>.  Section 3AAA has really toughened up over the years and this year had Richfield, South St. Paul, Holy Angles, and St. Croix Lutheran.  It’s a tough group of teams and while Richfield is the favorite, AHA will not give up many compliments to their rivals from just down the road.  Last year when the teams played Richfield beat the Stars by two scores each game.  Remember though, AHA beat South St. Paul in the playoffs last season so they will be in the mix. </p>