Postseason Preview: Section 1AAAA
Section basketball is kicking off this week for the big schools. Here are some things to know about Section 1AAAA:
Favorite: Lakeville North
The Panthers have owned this section for a while now, and there’s not a whole lot of reason to believe they won’t own it again this year. Nathan Reuvers is one of the top players in the state and John Oxton is one of the best coaches in the state. That’s a combo worth trusting.
Throw in North’s ability to win games in a variety of ways and the Panthers’ depth on the outside with guys like Ethan Igbanugo, Tyler Wahl (a player to watch in the 2019 class) Trevor Schermann, Jalen Lucas and a even a few others.
They’ve only got two guys averaging double figures, but they average 80 points per game and sport wins over excellent teams like Chaska, Woodbury, Robbinsdale Armstrong and Eden Prairie.
In the Hunt: Rochester John Marshall, New Prague
Is this the year Rochester John Marshall finally gets past Lakeville North? That’s been the question for years now and while this JM team might not quite have the depth it has in years past, it’s got as much high-end talent as any team in the section.
That of course starts with Matthew Hurt. By now everyone knows him. Isaiah Walden is a big key for the Rockets though because he’s their top perimeter scorer and facilitator. He’s the guy who gets everything under control and if the Rockets are going to go far, he’s got to play well. Because they won’t simply be able to out-athletic teams as much as they do playing in the Big 9.
Dedoch Chan is another guy to watch as he’s turned in a very nice senior year, averaging 17 points and eight rebounds.
New Prague might be the surprise team of Class AAAA heading into the postseason with 22 wins. The Trojans have the least amount of firepower of the top teams in the section as they average 62 points per game. But they play the best defense of any team in the section, holding opponents to less than 50 points per contest.
Zach Hanson is a load inside and while he’ll be a little undersized against some of the bigs in Section 1AAAA, he’s strong and tough.
Players to watch
Lakeville South and Owatonna earned the No. 4 and 5 seeds in the section and both teams have some high-octane talent worth checking out. Jack Sorenson is one of the top unsigned players in the 2017 class while Shae Mitchell is one of the best players in the 2018 class for the Cougars. Dalton Kubista is one of the most improved players in the state and has certainly played his way onto college radars this year for the 2018 class.
Farmington’s Sam Wilson just committed to Augsburg and he’s been one of the best players in the state as well, averaging close to 25 points per game on the season.
Even Rochester Mayo has a few guys worth watching. Peter Lundquist is a Gustavus commit who can really score inside and Trajan Grimsrud can shoot the lights out if he gets hot.
Section Outlook
This is a section that could feature some very exciting basketball. Lakeville North has looked like a top-five team in the state all year and while the Panthers should be considered the favorite to get through the section again, it’s entirely possible that they go down against a team like New Prague or Rochester John Marshall.
The Rockets might not have the depth they had a year ago, but Matthew Hurt can absolutely dominate a game – though banking on it against a player like Reuvers and a coach like Oxton wouldn’t be wise – and Chan and Walden are terrific players as well.
New Prague is a sneaky team in this equation as well. The Trojans don’t have a lot of firepower but Bryce Tesdahl has proven he can certainly coach and the team plays with an incredible defensive intensity that will allow them to stay in a game against teams with superior on-paper talent.
Ultimately it looks like this is headed towards yet another Lakeville North vs. Rochester JM final game.
Section Seedings
- Lakeville North
- New Prague
- Rochester John Marshall
- Lakeville South
- Owatonna
- Farmington
- Rochester Mayo
- Rochester Century