The Central Lakes Preview
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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…
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Continue ReadingLast 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 Tameron Ferguson Tameron Ferguson 6'2" | PG St. Cloud Tech | 2024 State MN . With his fierce attack scoring 30 points per game he will be on the Mr. Basketball watch list all year plus Mekhi Edwards Mekhi Edwards 6'8" | SF St Cloud Tech | 2024 State MN will help in a big way and Warsame Mahat Warsame Mahat 6'4" | SF St. Cloud Tech | 2024 MN 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 Keller Hanson Keller Hanson 6'4" | SG Sauk Rapids Rice | 2025 State MN and Hudson Omoke Hudson Omoke 6'2" | SF Sauk Rapids Rice | 2025 State MN (both sophomores last season), they added Spencer Swenson Spencer Swenson 6'6" | PF Sauk Rapids | 2025 State MN who had a great off-season, and a pair of solid freshmen have moved into the program. One of them being explosive 6’4 Isaiah Cook Isaiah Cook 6'5" | SF AZ Compass Prep | 2027 MN 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 Eli Hoelz Eli Hoelz 6'0" | PG Brainerd | 2024 State MN and developing big Luke Diem Luke Diem 6'7" | PF Brainerd | 2024 State MN . Rocori shouldn’t be overlooked with three starters back including Jack Boos Jack Boos 6'1" | PG Rocori | 2024 State MN .
Compete with Most: Fergus Falls
The Otters only won six games last year but they were playing a lot of promising underclassmen. Henry Bethel Henry Bethel 5'11" | PG Fergus Falls | 2025 State MN 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
- Alexandria
- Sauk Rapids-Rice
- Brainerd
- St. Cloud Tech
- Rocori
- Fergus Falls
- Sartell
- Willmar
- St. Cloud Apollo
Preseason All Central Lakes
First Team
Grayson Grove Grayson Grove 6'9" | PF Alexandria Area | 2024 State #171 Nation MN of Alexandria (sr)
Tameron Ferguson Tameron Ferguson 6'2" | PG St. Cloud Tech | 2024 State MN of St. Cloud Tech (sr)
Chase Thompson Chase Thompson 6'8" | PF Alexandria | 2025 State #216 Nation MN of Alexandria (jr)
Azayah Washington Azayah Washington 6'2" | PG St. Cloud Apollo | 2025 State MN of St. Cloud Apollo (jr)
Eli Hoelz Eli Hoelz 6'0" | PG Brainerd | 2024 State MN of Brainerd (sr)
Second Team
Keller Hanson Keller Hanson 6'4" | SG Sauk Rapids Rice | 2025 State MN of Sauk Rapids-Rice (jr)
Hudson Omoke Hudson Omoke 6'2" | SF Sauk Rapids Rice | 2025 State MN of Sauk Rapids-Rice (jr)
Jack Boos Jack Boos 6'1" | PG Rocori | 2024 State MN of Rocori (sr)
Brayln Steffensmeier of Alexandria (sr)
Henry Bethel Henry Bethel 5'11" | PG Fergus Falls | 2025 State MN of Fergus Falls (jr)
Third Team
Mekhi Edwards Mekhi Edwards 6'8" | SF St Cloud Tech | 2024 State MN of St. Cloud Tech (sr)
Warsame Mahat Warsame Mahat 6'4" | SF St. Cloud Tech | 2024 MN of St. Cloud Tech (sr)
Grant Tylutki Grant Tylutki 5'11" | PG Rocori | 2025 State MN of Rocori (jr)
Luke Diem Luke Diem 6'7" | PF Brainerd | 2024 State MN of Brainerd (sr)
Spencer Swenson Spencer Swenson 6'6" | PF Sauk Rapids | 2025 State MN of Sauk Rapids-Rice (jr)
Fourth Team
Mason Witt Mason Witt 5'11" | PG Alexandria | 2026 State MN of Alexandria (soph)
Jake Merseth Jake Merseth 6'0" | SG Brainerd | 2024 State MN of Brainerd (sr)
Dawson Roderick Dawson Roderick 6'1" | SG Alexandria | 2024 State MN of Alexandria (sr)
Andy Pedroza of Rocori (sr)
Garrett Gilbert Garrett Gilbert 6'5" | PF Brainerd | 2025 State MN of Brainerd (jr)
Fifth Team
Korde Roseman of Brainerd (jr)
Ryan Hirst Ryan Hirst 6'6" | SF Fergus Falls | 2025 State MN of Fergus Falls (jr)
Isaiah Cook Isaiah Cook 6'5" | SF AZ Compass Prep | 2027 MN of Sauk Rapids-Rice (fr)
Braydon Blonigen of Sartell (sr)
Maddox Lewis Maddox Lewis 6'3" | SF Sartell | 2026 State MN of Sartell (soph)
Talan Witt Talan Witt 5'10" | PG Alexandria | 2026 State MN of Alexandria (soph)