The Big South Preview

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Big South has a West, an East, and a Big! Three groups and we run through them all today in the Big South Preview!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Conference Commentary</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Top Ten Potential</strong>: New Ulm, Waseca, Redwood Valley</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>New Ulm has a chance to make a run. They have a load of experience at guard in Osborne, they have one of the best shooters/scorers in the state in Benson, and a developing big in Firle. The pieces are there, they just have to make the next jump which includes getting past teams like Worthington (who beat them twice last year). I think New Ulm can be a top ten team but they have some things to prove first. Redwood Valley and Waseca are right there to be a top ten team as well. Both teams have most of their rotation back and both can have legit goals of titles in conference and section, and maybe a state bid. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Compete with Most</strong>: Worthington, Jackson County Central, Marshall, Pipestone Area, Windom Area, Luverne</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Worthington had a really nice season last year but they do have a lot to replace. Enough back to be good again, but a lot to replace. JCC has one of the best in the league in Voss and some others back but they did have a lot of seniors graduate. Marshall and Windom both lost a lot of seniors and you have to think there will be some slower moments as they break new players in. Luverne has two of their top three back and Pipestone Area has one of the best players in Rysley Borman that many don't know. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><span style="--tw-border-spacing-x: 0;--tw-border-spacing-y: 0;--tw-translate-x: 0;--tw-translate-y: 0;--tw-rotate: 0;--tw-skew-x: 0;--tw-skew-y: 0;--tw-scale-x: 1;--tw-scale-y: 1;--tw-pan-x:;--tw-pan-y:;--tw-pinch-zoom:;--tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity;--tw-ordinal:;--tw-slashed-zero:;--tw-numeric-figure:;--tw-numeric-spacing:;--tw-numeric-fraction:;--tw-ring-inset:;--tw-ring-offset-width: 0px;--tw-ring-offset-color: #fff;--tw-ring-color: #3b82f680;--tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000;--tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000;--tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000;--tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000;--tw-blur:;--tw-brightness:;--tw-contrast:;--tw-grayscale:;--tw-hue-rotate:;--tw-invert:;--tw-saturate:;--tw-sepia:;--tw-drop-shadow:;--tw-backdrop-blur:;--tw-backdrop-brightness:;--tw-backdrop-contrast:;--tw-backdrop-grayscale:;--tw-backdrop-hue-rotate:;--tw-backdrop-invert:;--tw-backdrop-opacity:;--tw-backdrop-saturate:;--tw-backdrop-sepia:;font-weight: bolder;font-size: 15px">Rebuilding</span><span style="font-size: 15px">:</span> St. Peter, Fairmont, Blue Earth, St. James</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>All four of these teams have a good player that returns. But do they have enough to be a .500 team? That is what we question. Especially St. Peter, Fairmont and Blue Earth who have few easy days on their schedule. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>23-24 Conference Predictions</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Power Rankings</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>New Ulm</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Waseca</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Redwood Valley</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Worthington</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Jackson County Central</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Marshall</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Pipestone Area</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Luverne</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>St. Peter</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Windom Area</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Fairmont</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Blue Earth</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>St. James</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Big</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>New Ulm</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Worthington</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Marshall</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>St. Peter</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>East</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Waseca</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Jackson County Central</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Fairmont</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Blue Earth</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>West</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list {"ordered":true} --> <ol><!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Redwood Valley</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Pipestone Area</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Luverne</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>Windom Area</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li>St. James</li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ol> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Preseason All Big South </strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>First Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1284109' first='Colton' last='Benson'] of New Ulm (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1601069' first='Roman' last='Voss'] of Jackson County Central (soph)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2103355' first='Damarius' last='Russell'] of Waseca (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Kaleb Konthe of Worthington (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Rysley Borman of Pipestone Area (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Second Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2104457' first='Carson' last='Ohnstad'] of Waseca (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1284151' first='James' last='Osborne'] of New Ulm (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1434070' first='Tate' last='Olson'] of St. Peter (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2104527' first='Lukas' last='Means'] of Redwood Valley (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2100665' first='Nathan' last='Firle'] of New Ulm (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2390001' first='Carter' last='Sehr'] of Luverne (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><em>Third Team</em></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gavin DeBeer of Luverne (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2026186' first='Laird' last='Keeton'] of Waseca (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Levi Pooley of Fairmont (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='1858356' first='Jacari' last='Swinea'] of Worthington (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='2104550' first='Alex' last='Franson'] of Marshall (jr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Isaiah Dow-Hilliard of Redwood Valley (sr)</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->