The North Star Preview
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The North Star Conference is a ten team league that was controlled by Sacred Heart, Northern Freeze and WAO in 2022-23. How much will change in 2023-24? Join Prep Hoops this morning and we have a look! Conference Commentary Top…
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Continue ReadingThe North Star Conference is a ten team league that was controlled by Sacred Heart, Northern Freeze and WAO in 2022-23. How much will change in 2023-24? Join Prep Hoops this morning and we have a look!
Conference Commentary
Top Contenders: Northern Freeze, Sacred Heart, Warren Alavardo-Oslo, Goodridge/Grygla-Gatzke
Northern Freeze lost four of their five starters/all league honored players to graduation. That said, they have one starter back and all of their reserves plus they were the only team in the North with a winning record so they should be in a good spot once again. Even if they only have a couple seniors. Sacred Heart looks to have two of their top four players back plus a decent part of their role players. They should be in position to be the best in the league again and be a potential top ten team in state after winning 28 games last season. We think Warren Alavardo-Oslo can be a contender but they did take a pretty serious graduation hit. Northern Freeze and Sacred Heart did too but I think WAO’s may have been a bit stiffer. They have two key rotation players back so they should still be a good team with an outside shot at the title. Goodridge/Grygla-Gatzke is my pick to make a big jump. After winning 15 games last year they have the senior duo to make a run at things and if they defend, they can think about a shot at maybe winning getting 20 wins!
Compete with Most: Kittson County Central, Stephen-Argyle, Roseau, Red Lake County, Clearbrook-Gonvick
KCC has their second leading scorer back and a freshmen that has a chance to be a 4.5 year standout. They lost four of their top six from an 11-win team but should have enough to at least match last year’s success. Replacing the Kaden Vig scoring will be tough though. When it comes to Stephen-Argyle we know nothing: no rosters or stats anywhere online, they never submit anything to the Breakdown book, nothing on social media, nothing. All we know is they were 9-17 last year and lost their best player. Roseau has a frosh in Jordan Borowicz Jordan Borowicz 5'9" | PG Roseau | 2027 State MN who last year scored 23 points a game as an 8th grader, an impressive year one accomplishment on a 7-win team. He and fellow all league player Gunnar Lund (scored 19 a game) should have Roseau taking a step forward. Red Lake County has a lot of young talent that should be maturing. If they take the defensive step they can move into the contending role because the talent is there to be a really good team. Clearbrook-Gonvick has a couple solid guards back and should take a step forward.
Rebuilding: Badger/Greenbush-Middle River
BGMR won four games a season ago and graduated most of their production. Based on last year’s roster they will be without a senior this year so it’s a rebuild for the future at this moment.
23-24 North Star Conference Predictions
North
- Northern Freeze
- Kittson County Central
- Roseau
- Stephen-Argyle
- Badger/Greenbush-Middle River
South
- Sacred Heart
- Goodridge/Grygla-Gatzke
- Warren Alavardo-Oslo
- Red Lake County
- Clearbrook-Gonvick
Power Rankings
- Sacred Heart
- Goodridge/Grygla-Gatzke
- Northern Freeze
- Warren Alavardo-Oslo
- Red Lake County
- Clearbrook-Gonvick
- Kittson County Central
- Roseau
- Stephen-Argyle
- Badger/Greenbush-Middle River
Preseason All North Star Conference
First Team
Josiah Sundby Josiah Sundby 5'6" | PG Sacred Heart | 2024 State MN of Sacred Heart (sr)
Lewis Jones Lewis Jones 5'9" | PG Goodridge/Grygla-Gatzke | 2024 State MN of Goodridge/Grygla-Gatzke (sr)
Everett Nelson Everett Nelson 6'2" | SF Marshall County Central | 2025 State MN of Northern Freeze (jr)
Parker Erickson of Sacred Heart (jr)
Owen Chervestad Owen Chervestad 6'0" | PG Red Lake County | 2025 State MN of Red Lake County (jr)
Second Team
Blake Rychlock of Goodridge/Grygla-Gatzke (sr)
Jordan Borowicz Jordan Borowicz 5'9" | PG Roseau | 2027 State MN of Roseau (fr)
Connor Durden of Red Lake County (soph)
Hassani Bruton of Clearbrook-Gonvick (jr)
Ty Vig Ty Vig 6'5" | PF Kittson County Central | 2025 State MN of Kittson County Central (jr)
Third Team
Kaden Pierce Kaden Pierce 6'2" | SG Warren-Alvarado-Oslo | 2025 State MN of WAO (jr)
Ben Goudge of Clearbrook-Gonvick (sr)
Cade Knutsen of Northern Freeze (sr)
Greg Downs of Sacred Heart (jr)
Gunnar Lund of Roseau (sr)
Fourth Team
Noah Underdahl of Northern Freeze (sr)
Kellen Johnson of Kittson County Central (fr)
Adam McIntyre of WAO (sr)
Isaac Sunby of Sacred Heart (soph)
Will Gieseke of Red Lake County (soph)
Masen Swenson of Badger/Greenbush-Middle River (jr)