The Sweet 16 Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The annual Sweet 16 is this weekend at the College Of St. Benedict and we have the match-ups for the Saturday-Sunday event. Here are those games </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Part of Bracket</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Minneapolis South (21-10) vs Blaine (22-8).</strong> The Tigers led by [player_tooltip player_id='2435232' first='Jumair' last='Wright'] will be a top five team in Class AAA starting next season. Wright is one of the best lead guards in the state and [player_tooltip player_id='2409303' first='Ramadan' last='Ibrahim'] and big [player_tooltip player_id='3510466' first='Laviance' last='Gales'] return with him. Between the three of those players South returns 52 points a game. Like South, Blaine went to state last year but the Bengals are more of a top 25-30 area team in Class AAAA entering the winter after losing three starters. [player_tooltip player_id='2782403' first='Henry' last='Semans'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2417551' first='Gavin' last='Olson'] return though making Blaine a 7AAAA contender.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Pequot Lakes (30-2) vs Upsala (24-8).</strong> These are both state tournament teams from a season ago with Pequot being one of the top contenders to win Class AA next year (along with Minnehaha Academy, North and Goodhue). [player_tooltip player_id='2127213' first='Tollef' last='Birkeland'], [player_tooltip player_id='2395557' first='Gus' last='McKenna'], [player_tooltip player_id='3594077' first='Samuel' last='Afagwu'], and [player_tooltip player_id='2128248' first='Rock' last='Holubar'] all return plus [player_tooltip player_id='2395830' first='Oliver' last='McKenna'] is back and healthy. Upsala returns four starters from a state team led by [player_tooltip player_id='2441789' first='Samuel' last='Laliberte']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Andover (19-10) vs St. Cloud Apollo (19-8). </strong> Andover return two starters plus four others that played some varsity last season for a 19 win team. We have them ranked 31st in Class AAAA coming into the season. As for Apollo we have them ranked tenth in Class AAA heading into this year. This is a team that has a D2 offered frontcourt player in [player_tooltip player_id='2569233' first='De'Anthony' last='Sells'], a do everything bigger guard in Trevoer Terfehr, and a shooter in [player_tooltip player_id='3579605' first='Goay' last='Hoth']. [player_tooltip player_id='2128206' first='Eli' last='Ahlstrom'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2417287' first='Mike' last='Fields'] are the top returning players for Andover. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Farmington (19-10) vs Pelican Rapids (23-6).</strong> Farmington will be one of the biggest teams in the state and that size will be looked at closely in the traditional Class AAAA vs Class A game that this event provides. The Tigers have 6'9 [player_tooltip player_id='2126447' first='Briggs' last='Sheridan'] who we hear is about to make a college choice, 6'6 250 pound [player_tooltip player_id='2126465' first='Tommy' last='Schabert'], and 6'5/6'6 Thomas LeDuc who had a great summer. The Tigers are the 10th ranked team in AAAA coming into the season. Pelican Rapids lost their top two scorers but they have three starters back plus two 6'5 reserves. Only one of those reserves played in the rotation last year (Andon Risum) but they have some size play Grady Larson and [player_tooltip player_id='2843790' first='CJ' last='Fahje'] return. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Bottom Part of Bracket</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Minnehaha Academy (26-5) vs Hopkins (21-8). </strong> Yes, the two most talented teams in the event are playing in the first round in a Class AAAA vs Class AA battle. It's a top five team from last year and entering this year in Hopkins, and the state champ from AA and the preseason number one in Class AA in the Redhawks. [player_tooltip player_id='2416947' first='Ayden' last='Green'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2419994' first='Carter' last='Cupito'] vs [player_tooltip player_id='2560534' first='Tre' last='Moore'], [player_tooltip player_id='2524650' first='Kwatamah' last='Silikpoh'], and Waleed is awesome backcourt stuff, and [player_tooltip player_id='2436914' first='Kellen' last='Troup'] taking on [player_tooltip player_id='3689664' first='Zeke' last='Gilbert'] should be fun. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Hibbing (20-9) vs JWP (30-4).</strong> Hibbing returns just about everything from last year's team including [player_tooltip player_id='2126126' first='Ray' last='Brau'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2979877' first='Jack' last='Bottoms']. They will be a top ten team coming into the Class AAA season. JWP will go through some changes because graduation but they will still be top ten level with all state [player_tooltip player_id='2386616' first='Gavin' last='Bauer'] leading the way along with [player_tooltip player_id='2815258' first='Gavin' last='Weedman']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>St Cloud Tech (14-14) vs Rushford-Peterson (24-4)</strong>. Tech brings back top scorers in [player_tooltip player_id='2569247' first='Jiech' last='Jiech'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2873622' first='Nick' last='Brakes'] plus they added [player_tooltip player_id='2575638' first='Izayah' last='Cook'] as a transfer pushing them into top ten level consideration in Class AAA. The [program_tooltip program_id='2075965' first='Trojans' last=''] are a top 20 level team in Class AA hoops returning [player_tooltip player_id='2126149' first='Cayden' last='Lea'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2984144' first='Carson' last='Johnson']. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Red Lake County (29-5) vs Sartell (22-10).</strong> And the stand alone 1pm first round game is a Class A vs Class AAA game between two state tournament teams. Red Lake County has [player_tooltip player_id='2841075' first='Ben' last='Gullingsrud'] back but they do lose four staters from last year. Both RLC and Sartell had very good senior groups last year but Sartell had [player_tooltip player_id='3579594' first='Karson' last='Lewis'] back at 13pgg from last season and [player_tooltip player_id='2527128' first='Parker' last='Smith'] back with size up front. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->