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! Conference…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inThe 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!
Conference Commentary
Top Ten in State: Bloomington Jefferson, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Orono
Jefferson will be in that back end as a top ten team in Class AAAA even though most of their support around star
Daniel Freitag
Daniel
Freitag
6'1" | PG
Bloomington Jefferson | 2024
State
#76
Nation
MN
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,
Jalen Wilson
Jalen
Wilson
6'7" | SF
Benilde-St. Margaret's | 2025
State
MN
is in his third year of varsity basketball.
Top Ten in State Potential: Chanhassen
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 –
Max Woods
Max
Woods
5'11" | PG
Chanhassen | 2024
State
MN
who is one of the best lead guards in the state – and
Braden Barger
Braden
Barger
6'5" | SF
Chanhassen | 2023
State
MN
who scored 9/10 a game last season. Where they are this year all depends on how the depth forms.
Compete with Most: Waconia
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
Will Kirsch
Will
Kirsch
5'11" | PG
Waconia | 2026
State
MN
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
Ty Miller
Ty
Miller
6'5" | SF
Waconia | 2023
State
MN
and junior
Jackson Hayes
Jackson
Hayes
6'6" | SF
Waconia | 2024
State
MN
as wing scorers with size so Waconia has potential.
Rebuilding: St. Louis Park, New Prague, Chaska
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.
22-23 Conference Predictions
- Orono
- Benilde-St. Margaret’s
- Bloomington Jefferson
- Chanhassen
- Waconia
- Chaska
- St. Louis Park
- New Prague
Preseason All Metro West Conference
First Team
Daniel Freitag
Daniel
Freitag
6'1" | PG
Bloomington Jefferson | 2024
State
#76
Nation
MN
of Bloomington Jefferson (jr)
Isaiah Hagen
Isaiah
Hagen
6'3" | PG
Orono | 2023
State
MN
of Orono (sr)
Jalen Wilson
Jalen
Wilson
6'7" | SF
Benilde-St. Margaret's | 2025
State
MN
of Benilde-St. Margaret’s (soph)
Max Woods
Max
Woods
5'11" | PG
Chanhassen | 2024
State
MN
of Chanhassen (jr)
Kyle Kallenbach
Kyle
Kallenbach
6'0" | CG
Orono | 2023
State
MN
of Orono (sr)
Ty Miller
Ty
Miller
6'5" | SF
Waconia | 2023
State
MN
of Waconia (sr)
Second Team
Brady Wooley
Brady
Wooley
6'8" | PF
Orono | 2025
State
MN
of Orono (soph)
Will Kirsch Will Kirsch 5'11" | PG Waconia | 2026 State MN of Waconia (fr)
Braden Barger
Braden
Barger
6'5" | SF
Chanhassen | 2023
State
MN
of Chanhassen (sr)
Stefano Giovannelli of St. Louis Park (sr)
Jayden Daisy
Jayden
Daisy
6'4" | SG
Benilde-St. Margaret's | 2024
State
MN
of Benilde-St. Margaret’s (jr)
Third Team
Dawson Rief of Chaska (sr)
Jackson Hayes
Jackson
Hayes
6'6" | SF
Waconia | 2024
State
MN
of Waconia (jr)
Grant Gunderson Grant Gunderson 6'4" | CG Orono | 2023 State MN of Orono (sr)
Jaleel Donley
Jaleel
Donley
6'1" | PG
Benilde-St. Margaret's | 2025
State
MN
of Benilde-St. Margaret’s (soph)
Zach Close
Zach
Close
6'7" | PF
Orono | 2023
State
MN
of Orono (sr)
Fourth Team
Maddox Foss of Chaska (sr)
Anthony Thorman Anthony Thorman 6'7" | C Bloomington Jefferson | 2023 State MN of Bloomington Jefferson (sr)
Abu Keita
Abu
Keita
6'5" | SG
Benilde-St.Margaret's | 2025
State
MN
of Benilde-St. Margaret’s (soph)
Blake Mamalakis-Linderman of Bloomington Jefferson (sr)
Nolan Groves Nolan Groves 6'2" | PG Orono | 2025 State MN of Orono (soph)
Fifth Team
Jacob Hemann of New Prague (sr)
Noah Washa of New Prague (sr)
Gavin Luick of Bloomington Jefferson (sr)
Ron Lee of Benilde-St. Margaret’s (jr)
Xavier Lumpkin
Xavier
Lumpkin
6'0" | PG
Benilde-St. Margaret's | 2024
State
MN
of Benilde-St. Margaret’s (jr)