The Metro East Preview
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The Metro East. The Zephyrs are the favorites, the Titans are always right there, the Spartans have an outside shot, the Cadets are a top contender, and despite a lot of change, the Packers will have talent to defend their…
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Continue ReadingThe Metro East. The Zephyrs are the favorites, the Titans are always right there, the Spartans have an outside shot, the Cadets are a top contender, and despite a lot of change, the Packers will have talent to defend their crown. The Metro East!
Conference Commentary
Top Ten in State: Mahtomedi
The headliner with the Zephyrs is the backcourt of Underwood and Carlson together ready to make their run. The truth that scares other teams – when it comes to Mahtomedi – is that the Zephyrs were 18-8 last year without Underwood and they bring everything back. They are a senior dominated club that is tough as they come, a top five team in AAA.
Top Ten in State Potential: South St. Paul, St. Thomas Academy
STA is one spot from the top ten in Class AAA so a good start will mean they are a top ten team quickly. Khalid El-Amin did a better job than I think some people expected in his first season and I think with more talent, and more experience, his squad will make the jump to a 20-win squad this year. SSP is in the back end of the top 20 of Class AAA but if the collection of transfers – that are stepping in for the historic senior class – is as advertised, they could jump in that top ten at some point.
Compete with Most: Tartan, Simley, Two Rivers
The Titans won 20+ games once again and with size up front, toughness in the backcourt, and a legacy of quality team basketball, Tartan will always be right there. My surprise team will be Simley. I really like their guard group coming off of an 18 win season, and it’s possible that another 18 win season could come. Two Rivers lost too much to for me to win 16 games again, but they will not be a push over.
Rebuilding: Hastings, North St. Paul, Hill-Murray
The bottom third of this league is not very good and I don’t think it will be much better. Hastings has a couple good players so I think that maybe they could win a few more than last year’s five wins. North St. Paul was 4-23 last season and I don’t know that it will be much better. Hill-Murray was by far the worst team in the division last season and I think with Xavier Daniels Xavier Daniels 6'1" | SG Hill-Murray | 2025 State MN they could maybe beat NSP this year (one and two score wins for the Polars last season).
22-23 Conference Predictions
- Mahtomedi
- St. Thomas Academy
- Tartan
- South St. Paul
- Simley
- Two Rivers
- Hastings
- North St. Paul
- Hill-Murray
Preseason All Metro East Conference
First Team
Will Underwood Will Underwood 6'0" | PG Mahtomedi | 2023 State MN of Mahtomedi (sr)
Owen Carlson Owen Carlson 6'3" | SG Mahtomedi | 2023 State MN of Mahtomedi (sr)
Michael Kirchner Michael Kirchner 6'0" | PG St. Thomas Academy | 2023 State MN of St. Thomas Academy (sr)
Kayden Reid of Simley (sr)
Cole Armitage Cole Armitage 6'1" | CG Mahtomedi | 2023 State MN of Mahtomedi (sr)
Jack Chamberlain Jack Chamberlain 6'0" | PG St. Thomas Academy | 2023 State MN of St. Thomas (sr)
Second Team
De’Vaun Simmons of South St. Paul (sr)
Brody Radtke Brody Radtke 6'7" | PF Tartan | 2024 State MN of Tartan (jr)
AJ McCleery of Mahtomedi (sr)
Luke Dobbs Luke Dobbs 6'0" | PG St. Thomas Academy | 2024 State MN of St. Thomas (jr)
Owen Bernatz Owen Bernatz 6'1" | SG Hastings | 2024 State MN of Hastings (jr)
Third Team
Gavin Pendergast Gavin Pendergast 6'4" | SF South St. Paul | 2024 State MN of South St. Paul (jr)
Javan Harvey of Mahtomedi (sr)
Elijah Barrett Elijah Barrett 6'4" | PF Tartan | 2024 State MN of Tartan (jr)
Michael Thompson Michael Thompson 6'0" | PG St. Thomas Academy | 2023 State MN of St. Thomas (sr)
Isa El-Amin Isa El-Amin 5'7" | PG Minnetonka | 2025 State MN of St. Thomas (soph)
Fourth Team
Deoviez Williams of Simley (jr)
Max Mogelson Max Mogelson 6'3" | SF Two Rivers | 2024 MN of Two Rivers (jr)
Marino Porter Marino Porter 5'10" Tartan | 2023 MN of Tartan (sr)
Elonzo Simmons of South St. Paul (jr)
Zach Jacobson Zach Jacobson 6'2" | SG Simley | 2023 MN of Simley (sr)
Carson Christiansen of Two Rivers (sr)