The Central Lakes Preview

Last season Brainerd won the league by a game over Alexandria with St. Cloud Tech a couple games behind in pursuit. We expect those three in the race again along with Sauk Rapids-Rice who is rapidly becoming more dangerous.     Conference Commentary   Top Ten: Alexandria, St. Cloud Tech   Alexandria's full season of using big, skilled talent and quick, smart guards in their extended zone pushed them to the final four last year and with only two players lost from their rotation (solid role players) they should be in a great spot again for another final four run. If not more. Tech will have one of the top scoring options in the state in [player_tooltip player_id='1284214' first='Tameron' last='Ferguson']. With his fierce attack scoring 30 points per game he will be on the Mr. Basketball watch list all year plus [player_tooltip player_id='1293963' first='Mekhi' last='Edwards'] will help in a big way and [player_tooltip player_id='2025472' first='Warsame' last='Mahat'] was solid as a junior. Tech will start the year in that 10-11 area in the preseason Class AAA rankings.   Top Ten Potential: Sauk Rapids-Rice, Brainerd, Rocori   The Storm only won 11 games last year, so how are they in this chatter? They bring back their top two players in [player_tooltip player_id='1579917' first='Keller' last='Hanson'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1579918' first='Hudson' last='Omoke'] (both sophomores last season), they added [player_tooltip player_id='1617798' first='Spencer' last='Swenson'] who had a great off-season, and a pair of solid freshmen have moved into the program. One of them being explosive 6'4 [player_tooltip player_id='2107219' first='Isaiah' last='Cook'] who played for well known AZ Compass Prep last year before moving to Sauk Rapids. Brainerd has four pieces back from last year's rotation that won the league led by [player_tooltip player_id='1293972' first='Eli' last='Hoelz'] and developing big [player_tooltip player_id='2362566' first='Luke' last='Diem']. Rocori shouldn't be overlooked with three starters back including [player_tooltip player_id='2175459' first='Jack' last='Boos'].   Compete with Most: Fergus Falls   The Otters only won six games last year but they were playing a lot of promising underclassmen. [player_tooltip player_id='1586881' first='Henry' last='Bethel'] will be one of the better guards in the league.   Rebuilding: Sartell, Willmar, Apollo   Sartell lost all but one guy from their rotation from a seven win team, and Willmar lost everything from their rotation (they won 11 games). Both are pretty much starting fresh. Apollo was winless in the league last season and dealt with a 1-24 season where they lost games by 22 points a night. They should improve but it's still a rebuild.     23-24 Conference Predictions   <ol> <li>Alexandria</li>   <li>Sauk Rapids-Rice</li>   <li>Brainerd</li>   <li>St. Cloud Tech</li>   <li>Rocori</li>   <li>Fergus Falls</li>   <li>Sartell</li>   <li>Willmar</li>   <li>St. Cloud Apollo</li> </ol>     Preseason All Central Lakes   First Team   [player_tooltip player_id='1284138' first='Grayson' last='Grove'] of Alexandria (sr)   [player_tooltip player_id='1284214' first='Tameron' last='Ferguson'] of St. Cloud Tech (sr)   [player_tooltip player_id='1572690' first='Chase' last='Thompson'] of Alexandria (jr)   [player_tooltip player_id='1574216' first='Azayah' last='Washington'] of St. Cloud Apollo (jr)   [player_tooltip player_id='1293972' first='Eli' last='Hoelz'] of Brainerd (sr)     Second Team   [player_tooltip player_id='1579917' first='Keller' last='Hanson'] of Sauk Rapids-Rice (jr)   [player_tooltip player_id='1579918' first='Hudson' last='Omoke'] of Sauk Rapids-Rice (jr)   [player_tooltip player_id='2175459' first='Jack' last='Boos'] of Rocori (sr)   Brayln Steffensmeier of Alexandria (sr)   [player_tooltip player_id='1586881' first='Henry' last='Bethel'] of Fergus Falls (jr)     Third Team   [player_tooltip player_id='1293963' first='Mekhi' last='Edwards'] of St. Cloud Tech (sr)   [player_tooltip player_id='2025472' first='Warsame' last='Mahat'] of St. Cloud Tech (sr)   [player_tooltip player_id='1579924' first='Grant' last='Tylutki'] of Rocori (jr)   [player_tooltip player_id='2362566' first='Luke' last='Diem'] of Brainerd (sr)   [player_tooltip player_id='1617798' first='Spencer' last='Swenson'] of Sauk Rapids-Rice (jr)     Fourth Team   [player_tooltip player_id='2118449' first='Mason' last='Witt'] of Alexandria (soph)   [player_tooltip player_id='2362572' first='Jake' last='Merseth'] of Brainerd (sr)   [player_tooltip player_id='1450112' first='Dawson' last='Roderick'] of Alexandria (sr)   Andy Pedroza of Rocori (sr)   [player_tooltip player_id='2104474' first='Garrett' last='Gilbert'] of Brainerd (jr)     Fifth Team   [player_tooltip player_id='1625009' first='Korde' last='Roseman'] of Brainerd (jr)   [player_tooltip player_id='2103377' first='Ryan' last='Hirst'] of Fergus Falls (jr)   [player_tooltip player_id='2107219' first='Isaiah' last='Cook'] of Sauk Rapids-Rice (fr)   Braydon Blonigen of Sartell (sr)   [player_tooltip player_id='1560795' first='Maddox' last='Lewis'] of Sartell (soph)   [player_tooltip player_id='2118495' first='Talan' last='Witt'] of Alexandria (soph)

Last season Brainerd won the league by a game over Alexandria with St. Cloud Tech a couple games behind in pursuit. We expect those three in the race again along with Sauk Rapids-Rice who is rapidly becoming more dangerous.