The Tri Metro Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Last year DeLaSalle and Richfield split the Tri Metro Conference title with 15-1 records. The Islanders won the third game 73-70 in the semi-finals of state getting the edge. What about this winter? What does the Tri Metro look like? We dive in today!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Conference Commentary</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Ten in State</strong>: DeLaSalle, Richfield</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DeLaSalle will once again enter the season second, Richfield third. They will once again be the big favorites to win the Tri Metro again. But can we get another fantastic three game series from these two this season? Maybe. Waleed transferring again (Hopkins) means that the [program_tooltip program_id='2075852' first='Spartans' last=''] have a point guard to replace so that leaves some uncertainty when it comes to the Richfield ceiling. We know the [program_tooltip program_id='2075852' first='Spartans' last=''] will be very very good and a top 4-5 team in AAA at the worst, and they have the talent to be in the same spot they were in last year, but can they take a game or two from De? We will see. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Compete with Most</strong>: Kennedy, AHA, Columbia Heights, St. Anthony Village, Fridley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>When you look at the rest of the league it comes to the thought..... who earns that third place spot? Because Richfield and De are so far ahead, you almost look at third place in the Tri Metro as a really nice achievement for the rest of the league. Last year St. Anthony got that spot and this year I think Kennedy has the best chance to get in that spot. Holy Angels is in the running and I think Heights and St. Anthony have a chance too, but for me its Kennedy or AHA. Dalian Lacy Martin of Fridley (Soph</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Rebuilding:</strong> Cooper, BC</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>BC has a nice coach, Cooper lost some players again and it hurt them last year. Cooper is in an area of talent where I think they can turn things from struggle to competitive pretty quick. We will see if they have that talent this season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>26-27 Conference Predictions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Tri-Metro Power Ranking</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol class="wp-block-list"><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>DeLaSalle</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Richfield</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Bloomington Kennedy</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Academy of Holy Angels</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Columbia Heights</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>St. Anthony Village</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Fridley</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Robbinsdale Cooper</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Brooklyn Center</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason Tri Metro Conference</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>First Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2533408' first='Deon' last='Wallace-Johnson'] of DeLaSalle (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ichima Idoka of DeLaSalle (Jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2126102' first='Jaeden' last='Udean'] of DeLaSalle (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2412724' first='Dre' last='Collins'] of Richfield (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140700' first='Tyrece' last='Hagler'] of Richfield (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Second Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2574749' first='Gideon' last='Horne'] of Richfield (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2559428' first='Taaj' last='Whitlock'] of DeLaSalle (Jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2388674' first='Jonas' last='McCreary'] of DeLaSalle (Jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2397796' first='Judah' last='Mitchell'] of Bloomington Kennedy (Jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2879718' first='Omar' last='Ali'] of DeLaSalle (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Third Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2779906' first='Tyrone' last='Washington'] of Fridley (Sr).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2843124' first='Izaak' last='DePoint'] of AHA (Sr). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2835654' first='Nathaniel' last='Clifford'] of Richfield (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140560' first='Ben' last='Heidgerken'] of Richfield (Sr).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Damarcus Whitmore of Columbia Heights (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Fourth Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2844517' first='Galen' last='Kamp'] of DeLaSalle (Jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tavorian Thompson of Cooper (Jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Logan Buch of St. Anthony (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2856741' first='Jerrell' last='Washington'] Jr of Bloomington Kennedy (Fr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140555' first='Arjun' last='Jain'] of AHA (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Nico Luitjens-Weatherspoon of Columbia Heights (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Fifth Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2537652' first='Satrel' last='Fuller'] of DeLaSalle (Jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ian Page of St. Anthony (Sr).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2140543' first='Akeem' last='Everett'] of DeLaSalle (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2524096' first='Rashad' last='Smith'] of DeLaSalle (Soph)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Peter Koenig of AHA (Sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Dalian Lacy Martin of Fridley (Soph)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->