The Arrowhead Big Conference Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Arrowhead has become a pretty talented league and Cherry has been the class of it but can somebody close the gap this year?</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Conference Commentary</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Ten in State</strong>: Cherry</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Cherry will not be four or five deep in the starting five like they have been the last several years but they will still be very good as they have two of the elite players in Class A in [player_tooltip player_id='2126128' first='Isaiah' last='Asuma'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1601068' first='Noah' last='Asuma']. Throw in a couple seniors that played spot minutes last year, and then a couple young guys and you still have a big favorite.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Contenders</strong>: Ely, Deer River</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ely is a small but good team that won 17 games last year and brings back most of their players including [player_tooltip player_id='2121361' first='Jack' last='Davies'] who scored 21 points per game. Ely looks like a team that can take a step this season and maybe try and compete with Cherry for the top spot. Deer River still looks like a team that should be the top contender here as they have a lot of good players that have been waiting in the wings. There are some Deer River players that are going to pop some big numbers after waiting their turns. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Compete with Most</strong>:  Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin, Mt. Iron Buhl</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin is the ultimate ex-factor. They are a team that is combined after one of them won 15 games and the other won seven. Both teams were returning all league players so combining them should make the teams stronger, especially with [player_tooltip player_id='2100912' first='Stephen' last='McGee'] who is one of the best finishers in the paint and shot blockers in the state. If they get the guard play they could be very good, but will they have that? And what will the chemistry be of these combined teams that still don't have a coach we hear. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mt. Iron Buhl is usually good and they could be again, but they lost their top three scorers and four starters overall. Will the program just slide into what they are or will there be a rough spot or two? Tough to know coming into the year. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rebuilding</strong>: Mesabi East, International Falls, Chisholm</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Chisholm is another team we aren't quite certain on as they were so senior dominated last year. The majority of their production was seniors and then a few juniors (now seniors) who played a smaller reserve role. Mesabi East lost four starters including an all league player so they have spots to fill whole International Falls has more back than just about anybody. But they also struggled last year to win games as they won just two. The chance is there for the Broncos to take a step forward. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>25-26 Conference Predictions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Arrowhead Power Rankings</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(1) Cherry</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(2) Deer River</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(3) Ely</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(4) Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(5) Mt. Iron-Buhl</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(6) Chisholm</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(7) Mesabi East</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>(8) International Falls</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Arrowhead Conference</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>First Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2126128' first='Isaiah' last='Asuma'] of Cherry (Jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1601068' first='Noah' last='Asuma'] of Cherry (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2100912' first='Stephen' last='McGee'] of Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2121361' first='Jack' last='Davies'] of Ely (Sr) </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Lawrence Bowstring of Deer River (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Second Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Drew Johnson of Ely (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Warren McClouden of Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2569251' first='Kevin' last='Doerr'] Jr of Deer River (Jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Izaiah Alto of Mt Iron-Buhl (Jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Simeon Wells of Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Third Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Peter White Jr of Deer River (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kellan Isaacs of Deer River (Soph)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kalub Brown of Cherry (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carter Line of International Falls (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wyatt Tedrick of Ely (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Fourth Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dajuan Edstrom of Mesabi East (Jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Damari Jensen of Deer River (Jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nicholas Schultz of International Falls (Jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ian Kimmes of Cherry (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Max Bautch of Cherry (Fr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->