The Mississippi 8 Preview
In this article:
Last year St. Francis stepped up to challenge Princeton but Tigers took the title again. Who will challenge the champs this year? Conference Commentary Top Ten: Princeton The unquestioned top squad in the league right now and that will…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingLast year St. Francis stepped up to challenge Princeton but Tigers took the title again. Who will challenge the champs this year?
Conference Commentary
Top Ten: Princeton
The unquestioned top squad in the league right now and that will not change. The Tigers are consistently bigger, tougher, more talented, and play better team basketball than the rest of the league. Big favorites this year.
Top Ten Potential: Becker
We talked contenders to Princeton this year and I think Becker will be that team. They were .500 in league play last season and bring back their two best players plus have a nice group of seniors that play good team basketball.
Compete with Most: Monticello. St. Francis, Cambridge-Isanti
The Magic have their two best players back from last season but they must replace a ton of role players. Injuries and good youth will help them with some of that. The Magic should contend. St. Francis is a tough one to figure out. They went a healthy 12-7 last year but lost two of their best players. That said, they have three starters back and all of their reserves return. The number of players returning is great, the number of players that can score for this team outside of Matthew Bothun Matthew Bothun 6'9" | PF St. Francis | 2023 State MN is what has us totally uncertain. Cambridge was 3-16 last season but they should take a step forward in a league that is very wide open after Princeton, .
Rebuilding: Big Lake, Chisago Lakes, North Branch
Big Lake will look totally different. They will go from a bigger team that had good bigs that produced inside, to being a guard dominated team that isn’t big but they will come at you in waves number wise. They have one starter back. Chisago Lakes lost three of their best four players and will have only a couple seniors. They can still be a solid team but it’s going to look a bit different. North Branch won only two games last season BUT, they have an experienced new coach that will have an experienced team with most key pieces back. They will be better this year.
21-22 Conference Predictions
- Princeton
- Becker
- Monticello
- St. Francis
- Chisago Lakes
- North Branch
- Cambridge-Isanti
- Big Lake
Preseason All Mississippi 8 Conference
First Team
Matthew Bothun Matthew Bothun 6'9" | PF St. Francis | 2023 State MN of St. Francis (jr)
Cooper Drews Cooper Drews 6'4" | SF Princeton | 2023 State MN of Princeton (jr)
Carson Knolles of Monticello (sr)
Eric Seavert Eric Seavert 6'5" | PF Becker | 2022 State MN of Becker (sr)
Haydn Stay Haydn Stay 6'4" | PG Princeton | 2022 State MN of Princeton (sr)
Second Team
Trevor Johnson Trevor Johnson 6'3" | PF North Branch | 2022 State MN of North Branch (sr)
Wyatt Sawatzke Wyatt Sawatzke 6'3" | SG Monticello | 2022 State MN of Monticello (sr)
Brady Paumen Brady Paumen 6'6" | SF Becker | 2023 State MN of Becker (jr)
Cooper Jones Cooper Jones 5'10" | PG Princeton | 2022 MN of Princeton (sr)
Alex Weiss Alex Weiss 6'0" | SG Becker | 2023 State MN of Becker (jr)
Third Team
Johnny O’Brien of Big Lake (jr)
Ben Hallberg of Princeton (sr)
Wes Johnson Wes Johnson 6'0" | SG St. Francis | 2023 MN of St. Francis (jr)
Adam Rehm Adam Rehm 6'1" North Branch | 2022 MN of North Branch (sr)
Kobe Karels Kobe Karels 6'2" | PG Cambridge | 2023 State MN of Cambridge-Isanti (jr)
Fourth Team
Reed Marquardt of Chisago Lakes (sr)
Hayden Harmoning of Becker (sr)
Brady Thompson Brady Thompson 5'10" | PG Monticello | 2022 MN of Monticello (sr)
Reese Bickford of Cambridge-Isanti (sr)
Carson Klein Carson Klein 6'0" | SG North Branch | 2023 MN of North Branch (jr)
Derek Stone of St. Francis (jr)