The St. Paul City Preview
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St. Paul Johnson bested St. Paul Highland Park by a game to earn the conference title last season. What does the St. Paul City Conference look like in 2023-24? We have a look today! Conference Commentary Top Contenders: Central, Highland…
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Continue ReadingSt. Paul Johnson bested St. Paul Highland Park by a game to earn the conference title last season. What does the St. Paul City Conference look like in 2023-24? We have a look today!
Conference Commentary
Top Contenders: Central, Highland Park, Johnson
Central was 15-9 a season ago and finished third in the league with a 9-3 conference record. They return two of their three best players but Central does lose three starters. The Minutemen are a top contender for this league with one of the best returning players in the league in Allan Lankfard Allan Lankfard 6'1" | SG St. Paul Central | 2025 State MN Jr.
Highland Park was a one score loss to Central away from tying Johnson for the league title. Highland Park beat Johnson once, they knocked off Central in that other game, and they bring back four of their five starters and are looking for more this year. The Scots are also a veteran team so this should be a really exciting race this year in the St. Paul City.
I’m really excited for this race this year because last year there was a ltight race, because there are three pretty good teams, and because St. Paul Johnson coach Colin Moore Colin Moore 5'10" | PG St. Paul Johnson | 2027 State MN put it down for everybody to see in the Breakdown book when he said “we will win a lot of games shock a lot of people plus all of (our) players take pride in defense and playing with heart”. Love that! Coach has laid down the confidence for a team that did graduate three of their top four scorers. Johnson does welcome back Daejohn Thomas Daejohn Thomas 6'6" | SF Saint Paul Johnson | 2024 State MN who was at East Ridge as a junior but at Johnson as an underclassmen (and now as a senior too). Thomas and Turner are going to be a very, very physical pair in the frontcourt and they are playing ball pressuring guards.
Compete with Most: Como Park, Harding
Como Park will be better this year as they return all but one player from last year’s rotation (one graduated senior from last year’s team). The Cougars return their top four scorers. Is that enough to be a contender? That might be asking a bit much but they will be a better team. Harding was 6-6 in the league putting them in the middle. They also won half of their 24 games overall, and of course they bring back half of their top six scorers. And I could see Harding beating right in the middle of the league again.
Rebuilding: Humboldt, Washington
Last year Humboldt had a new coach, they had a lot of young players and while they did win two league games they did take lumps losing games by 23 points a night. They had a very interesting mix of juniors and 8th graders last season and a couple seniors. The experience gained should help them take a step. Washington was winless in a dozen St. Paul City games but they did go 9-7 in non league games which was good for them.
23-24 St. Paul City Conference Predictions
- Johnson
- Highland Park
- Central
- Harding
- Como Park
- Humboldt
- Washington
Preseason All St. Paul City Conference
First Team
Kenneth Turner Kenneth Turner 6'5" | PF St Paul Johnson | 2026 State MN of Johnson (soph)
Daejohn Thomas Daejohn Thomas 6'6" | SF Saint Paul Johnson | 2024 State MN of Johnson (sr)
Xavier May Xavier May 6'4" | SF Highland Park | 2024 State MN of Highland Park (sr)
Allan Lankfard Allan Lankfard 6'1" | SG St. Paul Central | 2025 State MN Jr of Central (jr)
Ai’John Douglas Ai’John Douglas 5'9" | PG St. Paul Harding | 2025 State MN of Harding (jr)
Second Team
Andrew Bacigalupi Andrew Bacigalupi 6'4" | SF Highland Park | 2024 State MN of Highland Park (sr)
Mason Aarness Mason Aarness 5'11" | SG St. Paul Como Park | 2024 State MN of Como Park (sr)
Yared Yohannes Yared Yohannes 6'1" | SG Highland Park | 2025 State MN of Highland Park (jr)
Dhimani Tucker of Johnson (sr)
Charles Duncan Charles Duncan 6'4" | SF Robbinsdale Armstrong | 2025 State MN of Highland Park (jr)
Third Team
Pierre Stewart of Harding (sr)
Jalani Mays Jalani Mays 5'7" | PG St. Paul Johnson | 2024 MN of Johnson (sr)
Eli Moseman Eli Moseman 6'0" | SG St. Paul Central | 2026 State MN of Central (soph)
Albert Wellington of Humboldt (sr)
Luqman Ibrahim Luqman Ibrahim 6'1" | PG St. Paul Harding | 2024 State MN of Harding (sr)
Fourth Team
Dejuan Jones of Como Park (jr)
Ja’Hari Hill of Como Park (jr)
Eliezer Lopez-Henriquez of Central (sr)
Jonathan Santiago of Washington (sr)
Nathanael Chea of Harding (jr)