The Gopher Preview
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Hayfield and Maple River have been in control of the Gopher Conference for a few years now. There will be changes in 2023-24! Conference Commentary Top Ten Potential: Maple River, Kenyon-Wanamingo Maple River has a few players returning from their…
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Continue ReadingHayfield and Maple River have been in control of the Gopher Conference for a few years now. There will be changes in 2023-24!
Conference Commentary
Top Ten Potential: Maple River, Kenyon-Wanamingo
Maple River has a few players returning from their main group plus they have a nice core of young players coming back. This might be a bridge season but Maple River is still a top 20 level team in Class AA basketball. Kenyon-Wanamingo is a top 20 team in Class A basketball with Zach Mason returning along with a few others from a 19 win teams.
Compete with Most: Bethlehem Academy, Hayfield, Triton, Blooming Prairie, USC, JWP
Hayfield lost all their big pieces so they won’t be quite the big name they have been as a title contender, but they are still going to be a good team. There are a couple solid role players back ready to hold up the name. JWP is one to keep an eye on as Memphis James Memphis James 6'0" | SG JWP | 2024 State MN will be fighting with Daxter Lee Daxter Lee 5'11" | PG New Richland Hartland Ellendale Geneva | 2024 MN for league MVP. JWP has several pieces back and should be better. Also ready to take another step should be Triton, Blooming Prairie, and Bethlehem Academy.
Rebuilding: Randolph, NRHEG, WEM, Medford
Randolph is always a solid program but they have much to replace. Lee is really good for NRHEG for but they won only three games last season. WEM is a proud program in a rut.
23-24 Conference Prediction
East
- Kenyon-Wanamingo
- Hayfield
- Bethlehem Academy
- Triton
- Randolph
- Blooming Prairie
West
- Maple River
- USC
- Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton
- NRHEG
- Waterville-Elysian-Morristown
- Medford
Overall
- Maple River
- Kenyon-Wanamingo
- USC
- Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton
- Hayfield
- Bethlehem Academy
- Triton
- Randolph
- Blooming Prairie
- NRHEG
- Waterville-Elysian-Morristown
- Medford
Preseason All Gopher Conference
First Team
Memphis James Memphis James 6'0" | SG JWP | 2024 State MN of Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton (sr)
Daxter Lee Daxter Lee 5'11" | PG New Richland Hartland Ellendale Geneva | 2024 MN of NRHEG (sr)
Hudson Dillon Hudson Dillon 6'4" | CG Bethledem Academy | 2024 State MN of Bethlehem Academy (sr)
Pierce Petersohn Pierce Petersohn 6'5" | SG Triton | 2026 State MN of Triton (soph)
Aaron Pawlitschek of Maple River (sr)
Second Team
Trent Jellum of Hayfield (sr)
Zach Mason of Kenyon-Wanamingo (sr)
Jonathan Martinez of USC (sr)
Gabe Hein of Blooming Prairie (sr)
Colton Steberg of Kenyon-Wanamingo (sr)
Third Team
Isaac Fjerstad of Hayfield (sr)
Wyatt Birr Wyatt Birr 6'4" | PF Maple River | 2025 State MN of Maple River (sr)
Daulton Bauer Daulton Bauer 5'7" | PG JWP | 2026 State MN of Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton (soph)
Brady Kittleson of Blooming Prairie (jr)
Jayce Leonardo of Triton (sr)
Zach Trio Zach Trio 5'10" | PG Maple River | 2026 State MN of Maple River (soph)