The Metro West Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Metro West race went down to the final week last year with Jefferson edging out Benilde St. Margaret's by a game and beating Chanhassen and Orono by two games. It's going to be another fun race this season!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Conference Commentary</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Ten in State:</strong>  Bloomington Jefferson, Benilde-St. Margaret's, Orono</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jefferson will be in that back end as a top ten team in Class AAAA even though most of their support around star [player_tooltip player_id='1151197' first='Daniel' last='Freitag'] has graduated. That said, there is size up front that will be good (Thorman), there is the 6th Man back (Mamalakis-Linderman), and a guard ready to step in (Luick). Orono and BSM are top five teams in Class AAA basketball Orono has a great combination of size, experience, and a strong young group of sophomores while BSM has the best group of sophomores in the state plus quality around them. BSM might be a titch young but much of that youth has experience, for example, [player_tooltip player_id='1572689' first='Jalen' last='Wilson'] is in his third year of varsity basketball. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Ten in State Potential</strong>: Chanhassen</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Storm will be a top 20 team but they do have to replace all but two spots in their varsity rotation. They do have their point guard - [player_tooltip player_id='1287439' first='Max' last='Woods'] who is one of the best lead guards in the state - and [player_tooltip player_id='962274' first='Braden' last='Barger'] who scored 9/10 a game last season. Where they are this year all depends on how the depth forms. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Compete with Most</strong>: Waconia</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Cats have the pieces to win, but you could have said that last year too when they went 12-15. Waconia does have a new point guard as freshman standout [player_tooltip player_id='1560741' first='Will' last='Kirsch'] moves over to Waconia from Holy Family (not a move in terms of home, move in terms of team to team) after scoring eight a game for the Fire. He will have senior [player_tooltip player_id='1223098' first='Ty' last='Miller'] and junior [player_tooltip player_id='1434056' first='Jackson' last='Hayes'] as wing scorers with size so Waconia has potential. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rebuilding:</strong> St. Louis Park, New Prague, Chaska</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>St. Louis Park surprised last year winning about six games more than people expected. That is the good news, the rough part is that most of their line-up was seniors. Chaska has a new coach and mostly a new line-up, but two solid senior guards. And New Prague could take a step forward from 4-23 but the size of that step doesn't seem like it will be too big. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>22-23 Conference Predictions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol><li>Orono</li><li>Benilde-St. Margaret's</li><li>Bloomington Jefferson</li><li>Chanhassen</li><li>Waconia</li><li>Chaska</li><li>St. Louis Park</li><li>New Prague</li></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason All Metro West Conference</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>First Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1151197' first='Daniel' last='Freitag'] of Bloomington Jefferson (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1189958' first='Isaiah' last='Hagen'] of Orono (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1572689' first='Jalen' last='Wilson'] of Benilde-St. Margaret's (soph)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1287439' first='Max' last='Woods'] of Chanhassen (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962230' first='Kyle' last='Kallenbach'] of Orono (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1223098' first='Ty' last='Miller'] of Waconia (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Second Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1484016' first='Brady' last='Wooley'] of Orono (soph)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1560741' first='Will' last='Kirsch'] of Waconia (fr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962274' first='Braden' last='Barger'] of Chanhassen (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Stefano Giovannelli of St. Louis Park (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1284155' first='Jayden' last='Daisy'] of Benilde-St. Margaret's (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Third Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dawson Rief of Chaska (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1434056' first='Jackson' last='Hayes'] of Waconia (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962314' first='Grant' last='Gunderson'] of Orono (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1572691' first='Jaleel' last='Donley'] of Benilde-St. Margaret's (soph)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1491768' first='Zach' last='Close'] of Orono (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Fourth Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Maddox Foss of Chaska (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1220361' first='Anthony' last='Thorman'] of Bloomington Jefferson (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1574215' first='Abu' last='Keita'] of Benilde-St. Margaret's (soph)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Blake Mamalakis-Linderman of Bloomington Jefferson (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1579885' first='Nolan' last='Groves'] of Orono (soph)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Fifth Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jacob Hemann of New Prague (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Noah Washa of New Prague (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gavin Luick of Bloomington Jefferson (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ron Lee of Benilde-St. Margaret's (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1284233' first='Xavier' last='Lumpkin'] of Benilde-St. Margaret's (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->