The Northwest Suburban 2 Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Park Center/Totino-Grace/Osseo round robin was outstanding last season and we expect it to be outstanding once again. We jump into the Northwestern Suburban second division today.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Conference Commentary</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Ten in State</strong>:&nbsp; Park Center, Totino-Grace, Osseo</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oh? So I have to pick one? I have to pick between the defending state champions from last year? The two preseason number ones for this year? The teams that split their games versus one another this year? And do it without getting the evil eye from everybody associated with the program that sees #2 by their name? And it's not like both teams would have an "obvious" reason why they should be the choice right? (Sarcasm). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The simple fact is that the games of the year will be the two Park Center vs Totin-Grace games. The crowds will be packed, the gyms thick with talent. The intensity will be high level. And it will be high school basketball at its finest when it comes to competition and talent. But oh.... I have to pick? </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Let me distract you again. [player_tooltip player_id='962198' first='Taison' last='Chatman'] is headed to Ohio State. [player_tooltip player_id='962199' first='CJ' last='O'Hara'] is the best uncommitted senior in Minnesota. [player_tooltip player_id='962203' first='Tommy' last='Humphries'] is headed to Furman. [player_tooltip player_id='1172835' first='Casmir' last='Chavis'] was offered by West Virginia. [player_tooltip player_id='1284143' first='Isaiah' last='Johnson'] has picked up four D1 offers this fall. [player_tooltip player_id='1284106' first='Chiang' last='Ring'] is the state's top shot blocker. [player_tooltip player_id='1223070' first='Patrick' last='Bath'] is the second best unsigned senior. [player_tooltip player_id='962202' first='JJ' last='Ware'] is another top unsigned senior. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oh you still want me to pick? Fine. Since Park Center beat Totino-Grace in the most recent game so I give them the slightest of edges coming in. Oh wait, Park Center lost ALL of their starters last season and Totino-Grace has three of their starters back? So the Eagle should have more chemistry on day one?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Back to square one.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>And with that said, don't forget about Osseo who beat TG last year giving Park Center the one game lead to win the league last year which is pry a reason to give the Pirates a slight edge as they beat Osseo twice. "BUT RYAN IT'S a NEW YEAR". Sorry guys, I am grasping at straws here. And then I finished the preseason all conference list and think the Eagles might be a tad deeper in guys eight, nine and ten meaning if there is an injury or two they have an edge. So... I DONT KNOW.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Can't wait for the games!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Back to Osseo, do not throw them off to the side. This is a team that will have one of the toughest guard groups to deal with in the metro plus agile and athletic size. And [player_tooltip player_id='1220406' first='Trey' last='Smith'] of course who I think was a major steal by UMD. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Ten in State Potential</strong>: Armstrong</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Falcons have the talent to be a sneak into the top ten at some point type of team. They have good players at each age and I really think that [player_tooltip player_id='1284213' first='Seth' last='Newbern'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1140532' first='Owen' last='Skram'] are about to have breakout seasons. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Compete with Most</strong>: Elk River</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Elk River is the next team that I think will sneak up and grab somebody. Could be Armstrong, could be Osseo even. They have a really good senior in [player_tooltip player_id='1221143' first='Cade' last='Osterman'] and a nice group of players coming up in their system. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rebuilding:</strong> Rogers, Spring Lake Park</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Spring Lake Park is another team with really good talent coming up although very little experience returning from a team that went from a top ten squad to one win in the second NW division. Yes the Panthers were 1-11 against teams in the second group of the Northwest Suburban. Take that, a new coach, mostly new rotation and it's the start of a rebuild, with a familiar coach though. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>22-23 Conference Predictions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol><li>Park Center/Totino-Grace (YEP, I side stepped it)</li><li>Osseo</li><li>Armstrong</li><li>Elk River</li><li>Spring Lake Park</li><li>Rogers</li></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason All Northwest Suburban 1 Conference</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>First Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962198' first='Taison' last='Chatman'] of Totino-Grace (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962203' first='Tommy' last='Humphries'] of Totino-Grace (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962199' first='CJ' last='O'Hara'] of Park Center (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1172835' first='Casmir' last='Chavis'] of Park Center (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1284106' first='Chiang' last='Ring'] of Park Center (jr)</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='1223070' first='Patrick' last='Bath'] of Totino-Grace (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1220406' first='Trey' last='Smith'] of Osseo (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1284143' first='Isaiah' last='Johnson'] of Totino-Grace (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='962202' first='JJ' last='Ware'] of Park Center (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1284125' first='De'Mari' last='Larkins'] of Osseo (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Third Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1284213' first='Seth' last='Newbern'] of Armstrong (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1221143' first='Cade' last='Osterman'] of Elk River (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1140532' first='Owen' last='Skram'] of Armstrong (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Zylerre Stewart of Totino-Grace (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1549538' first='Jackson' last='Fowlkes'] of Park Center (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Fourth Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1284229' first='Ty' last='Swanson'] of Osseo (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1220415' first='Kaden' last='Cook'] of Park Center (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1288748' first='Tyler' last='Wagner'] of Totino-Grace (soph)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carson Haack of Elk River (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>TJ Omotoyinbo of Osseo (soph)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Fifth Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1491758' first='Joe' last='Burgess'] of Park Center (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1560740' first='Dothan' last='Ijadimbola'] of Totino-Grace (fr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Temi Denedo of Osseo (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1074963' first='Beau' last='Johnson'] of Spring Lake Park (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Drew Kuempel of Armstrong (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1574227' first='Chase' last='Watley'] of Totin-Grace (soph)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->