Tuesday’s Top Ten: Class AAAA’s Most Improved
We give you last year’s most improved teams in Class AAAA and talk about what’s next for them. Will they take the next step?
Shakopee (+10). The Sabers went young a couple years ago and it led to a couple tough years but now is the time when another jump will be made. Charles Katona is a legit division one player who will likely be a mid major guy plus he has Will Cordes and Caleb Druvenga with him as fellow juniors. Can they take another big step this year? Definitely.
White Bear Lake (+9). The Bears have a top big in state in Jeremy Beckler and one of the better all around talents in Southwest Minnesota State committed Samuel Schwartz. Add in solid guard Isaac Tessier and that is a strong group of seniors that should move get to 20 wins this year. Can they take another step? Yes, 15 to 20 plus wins is doable.
Buffalo (+9). Buffalo won 15 games with a team full of sophomores. What can they do now that Iowa State quarterback committed Aidan Bouman, a top 2020 in Matthew Wilert, tough guy Tony Dahl, Brandon Maatz, and Trevor Johnson are all now upperclassmen? Good things. Can they take another step? Just like WBL, Buffalo should go 15 to 20 plus wins.
Moorhead (+9). The Spuds were really, really bad two years ago. They got better but still lost three starters. Maleeck Harden is a top 20 talent in the senior class and Drew Hagen is back too. Can they take another step? Yes, they will go from 12-16 to above .500 but we aren’t sure how many games above the. 500 mark.
Prior Lake (+8). The biggest team out there has ball handlers and three guys around 6-foot-10/6-foot-11. Sam Nissen will handle things on the outside while Robert Jones is a Denver committed senior on the inside and Dawson Garcia has become one of the nation’s elite players. Prior Lake was 22-6 last year, can they take another step? I can see the Lakers making a push at EP, Chaska, and Edina for the section title. They should improve by a couple games.
Eden Prairie (+7). People forget that when Austin Andrews, Drake Dobbs, and Connor Christensen were playing as freshmen they were 16-13. So of course the Eagles made some improvements when John Henry joined them as sophomores make a stun run. Add in Ariel Bland and other juniors and this team has a chance to win state this year.
Cretin-Derham Hall (+7). Can they take another step? The only step CDH could take is going undefeated and winning another title. When you win 30 games that’s the case. This Raider team is very talented but is for the most part all knew. They will be a top ten factor but there will of course be some bumpy times as Trejuan Holloman, Curtis Jones, and Karsten Broadley join Jaeden King and the rest of the returning Raiders.
Roseville (+7). The Raiders are no doubt one of the better stories from last season. Yohanes Gebeheyu, Jovan Hunter, Mario Dukes, and Camryn Walker are all back but the team lost a ton of seniors. Can the Raiders improve from 16 wins to 20? I think they can stay in a similar spot but they lost the majority of their scoring.
Spring Lake Park (+7). Another team that has a group that is building together. Gabe Myren is the handler, Blake Remme the playmaker, and Daydoor Phillips the third guy in the junior guard rotation. This is a good team, and a solid program that will definitely flip that 12-16 record around and maybe some games better. Take another step? Yes.
Minneapolis South (+7). South really struggled two years ago and with Curtis Jones back they could of made a run at the City Conference. Jones is at CDH now and South did lose the rest of their top scorers to graduation. South will still be in the middle of the league because they have some good players coming back but another 5-6 game jump would be tough.