The Up and Comers – Top Five Sections
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What will be the toughest sections in the state of Minnesota this year? Prep Hoops offers our opinion on this year’s most grueling runs to state. Here are the “five” toughest sections in the state coming into the year. Is…
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Continue ReadingWhat will be the toughest sections in the state of Minnesota this year? Prep Hoops offers our opinion on this year’s most grueling runs to state.
Here are the “five” toughest sections in the state coming into the year. Is it truly the five toughest? And what do you mean toughest?
It’s not truly the five toughest because I wanted to get a chance to speak on what I think was the toughest section at all four classes in the state. So it’s mostly the toughest although Class AAAA has about four sections that have several top ten in state caliber squads.
Also, the term toughest is defined as a combo of toughest road to state from start to finish AND toughest teams to get though in the section. One section may be tough because the final four will be very talented while another may be the toughest because all games will be difficult.
4AAAA. When it comes to the one through eight seeding of Section 4AAAA, this is likely the state’s toughest section. Every team in 4AAAA is in the top 40 of the Prep Hoops AAAA power rankings with three teams ranked in the top 15 and four teams ranked in the top 25. There’s a good chance that seven of the eight teams in the section could have winning records plus you will have a title that game that could include East Ridge, Cretin-Derham Hall, and/or Woodbury, and may even include Tartan, St. Paul Central, or White Bear Lake. It’s wide open but talented.
4AAA. The reason that 4AAA is the toughest in the state is that it has arguably the two most talented teams in Minnesota – Minnehaha Academy and Totino-Grace – plus a third top five team in Class AAA in Columbia Heights. The first round of section games in 4AAA won’t be close but round two will include a game between two of the three teams mentioned above meaning likely the best section semi-final game this year. And that could be followed by the most anticipated game of the year. If you are TG, CH, or MA, your goal is to avoid that 2/3 game.
5AAAA or 2AAAA. I had a hard time picking here. I think 2AAAA has the deeper section because predicted bottom two squads Jefferson and Chanhassen will be tougher match-ups in the first round than two of Centennial, Roseville, and Irondale are expected to be this year. The 2AAAA grouping has three top 15 squads in Chaska, Edina, and Shakopee but the 5AAAA top group is deeper. With Champlin Park, Park Center, Spring Lake Park, Osseo, and Mounds View all in 5AAAA, that makes this group a bit tougher in the top part than 2AAAA. The 4/5 game of 5AAAA is something all the teams will want to avoid. The uncertain parts of 2AAAA are Eden Prairie and Prior Lake as so much has changed there (Tonka may be the most interesting team to track).
6AA. When looking over the Class AA sections there were some strong contenders for toughest but I’m going with Section 6AA. Melrose is a state title contender, Mora and Annandale are top ten level teams, and Albany and Eden Valley-Watkins have the talent to make for tough evenings. Melrose has the most talent as a team, Annandale has the best combo of guards and size, and EVW has the best player in Joshua Strait. I’m going with 6AA as the state’s toughest beating out the depth of Section 1AA. That 1AA group will get most the attention with Eli King Eli King 6'2" | PG Caledonia | 2022 State #151 Nation MN and Will Tschetter Will Tschetter 6'8" | PF Stewartville | 2021 State #96 Nation MN but 6AA has a deeper group of top talent.
7A. Usually the toughest section is 2A as they often have five teams that are ranked in the top ten in the state and another three or four that are top 15-20 worthy. The southern Minnesota group has three top ten teams this year but 7A edges them out. Why? Five of the state’s top 20 squads are in 7A. North Woods will push for at least a share of the section crown for the 5th straight year but they will be met by strong challenges from Nashwauk-Keewatin, Fon du Lac Ojibwe, Deer River, and Mt Iron-Buhl.