The Metro West Preview
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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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Continue ReadingThe 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 Breck | 2024 State #142 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 6'8" | PF Benilde-St. Margaret's | 2025 State #230 Nation 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 6'1" | 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 Breck | 2024 State #142 Nation MN of Bloomington Jefferson (jr)
Isaiah Hagen Isaiah Hagen 6'3" | PG Orono | 2023 State MN of Orono (sr)
Jalen Wilson Jalen Wilson 6'8" | PF Benilde-St. Margaret's | 2025 State #230 Nation 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 6'9" | C Orono | 2025 State #187 Nation MN of Orono (soph)
Will Kirsch Will Kirsch 6'1" | 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" | SF Benilde-St.Margaret's | 2025 State MN of Benilde-St. Margaret’s (soph)
Blake Mamalakis-Linderman of Bloomington Jefferson (sr)
Nolan Groves Nolan Groves 6'4" | CG Orono | 2025 State #259 Nation 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 MN of Benilde-St. Margaret’s (jr)