The Northwest Suburban Preview
The Northwest Suburban is a big league with a lot of talent. We run through that talent today. What changes? What stays the same? The season is inching closer!
Last Year (17-18)
C1: 1) Champlin Park, 2) Blaine, 3) Andover, 4) Coon Rapids, 5) Anoka, 6) Elk RIver, 7) Centennial
C2: 1) Park Center, 2) Osseo, 3) Maple Grove, 4) Totino-Grace, 5) Armstrong, 6) Spring Lake Park, 7) Irondale
Conference Commentary
Top Ten: Champlin Park, Park Center
Park Center is obviously a top five team in the state. Dain Dainja is one of the most skilled in the state since I’ve been writing in this state, Khari Broadway and Tommy Chatman Jr are one of the state’s best backcourts, and there is big time backcourt depth as well as solid forwards.
So Champlin Park. They had back to back Mr. Basketball award winners not that long ago putting guys in D1 hoops all over including Josiah Strong last year. People always pay attention to the headliner – and Bennett Otto is a good headliner – but people may not see the depth. And Champlin Park has depth all over the place. Top ten level team.
Potential Top Ten: Osseo, Maple Grove
After last year I thought there was no way we could talk about Osseo without them taking a hit in 18-19. This spring and summer we saw their junior varsity players playing at a pretty high level all over the place and Cornell Richardson is a heck of a PG. They will fall back a bit without big number scoring guards but not as far as you think. Maple Grove? It’s easier to talk about them this year as we can see what they have, and what they have is a top 12-15 team in the state led by Jared Rainey and Nate Adams.
Compete with Most: Totino-Grace, Blaine, Spring Lake Park, Coon Rapids, Elk River, Irondale
Totino-Grace graduated a big number of seniors but there is some quality young talent there plus Riley Burger. At Blaine they bring back two of their top three guys as does Coon Rapids. Then you have Spring Lake Park. A 12-16 team that should flip that record around at least with Blake Remme and Gabe Myren. Then you have Elk River and Irondale. The Elks alway have the coaching and this year they are strong in experience returning. Irondale in this spot? We think so. Aden Price and Leighton Glodek are very good players.
Rebuilding: Centennial: Anoka, Armstrong, Andover
Armstrong started the rebuild last year and should be better this year, but they are still restocking. Andover lost pretty much their entire rotation from a 13-14 team. They are a mystery. What does Centennial have? Carter Anderson is a stud but we don’t know much else. Then there is Anoka who has the frontcourt but will keep rebuilding until they have guards.
Conference Predictions
Power Ranking
- Park Center
- Champlin Park
- Maple Grove
- Osseo
- Spring Lake Park
- Totino-Grace
- Blaine
- Elk River
- Coon Rapids
- Irondale
- Anoka
- Centennial
- Armstrong
- Andover
Conference 1
- Champlin Park
- Blaine
- Elk River
- Coon Rapids
- Anoka
- Centennial
- Andover
Conference 2
- Park Center
- Maple Grove
- Osseo
- Spring Lake Park
- Totino-Grace
- Irondale
- Armstrong
Preseason All Northwest Suburban
First Team
Dain Dainja of Park Center (11)
Tommy Chatman Jr of Park Center (12)
Bennett Otto of Champlin Park (12)
Jared Rainey of Maple Grove (12)
Khari Broadway of Park Center (12)
Second Team
Blake Remme of Spring Lake Park (11)
Carter Anderson of Centennial (11)
Gabe Myren of Spring Lake Park (11)
Nate Adams of Maple Grove (12)
Kato Seley of Champlin Park (12)
Third Team
Dylan Fruth of Elk River (12)
Marshall Holland of Coon Rapids (12)
Aden Price of Irondale (12)
Jason Kaul of Champlin Park (12)
Alex John of Champlin Park (12)
Fourth Team
Eric Krieger of Totino-Grace (12)
Emmanuel Tamba of Park Center (12)
DT Frierson of Park Center (11)
Riley Burger of Totino-Grace (12)
Cornell Richardson of Osseo (11)
Leighton Glodek of Irondale (12)