Class A Guards to Watch
Class A should be one of the most competitive classes in the state this year as there isn’t a clear-cut top team. With multiple teams that figure to contend in each individual section, there is a lot to be excited about for the upcoming winter.
Here are some individuals to keep an eye on this winter:
Isaac Fink, Sr., Springfield: Fink’s put up massive numbers for the Tigers for a long time and now he’s a senior. Springfield might’ve been the best team in Class A last year but didn’t get to state because it plays in a loaded section. What kind of numbers will Fink put up this year?
Micah Pocernich, Jr., Cromwell-Wright: Pocernich averaged better than 18 points per game as a sophomore and knocked down nearly half of his 3-point attempts for a team that won 23 games. The Cardinals should be the favorite to come out of Section 5 this year. Pocernich is a go-to guy who could lead them to that mark.
Logan Sussner, Jr., Minneota: Sussner gets lost a little bit with Minneota because the Hennen brothers are so good but the junior guard’s been an awfully good player for the Vikings too. Sussner averaged nearly 14 points per game in a complementary role. He won’t be the go-to guy for Minneota, but with teams focusing a lot on his star teammates, he could be in for some monster scoring nights.
Tyson Powell, Sr., Ortonville: Powell put up nearly 20 points per game for the Trojans last season. After winning 20 games a year ago, Ortonville has the talent to be a state tournament team. With Powell back running the show, they should be in for a great year.
Andrew Quade, Jr., Westbrook-Walnut Grove: W-WG won 24 games last year and while the Chargers graduate a big chunk of their core, Quade is back. As a junior, he averaged roughly 16 points per game and with the pace the Chargers like to play at, he could be in line to put up 20-plus regularly.
Trey Hungerholt, Sr., LeRoy-Ostrander: Hungerholt averaged 18 points, six rebounds and six assists last year for the Cardinals and will could be even better in 2018-19 as he spent most of last season dealing with a finger injury. LeRoy-Ostrader won 19 games last year and could be a top-four seed in Section 1A with Hungerholt doing his thing.
Jake Kettner, Sr., Minnesota Valley Lutheran: Kettner is one of the top players in the state regardless of class and he’s good enough to lead MVL to a bunch of wins on his own. The Chargers have a good cast around him which should allow him to be even better as a senior after averaging 22 points, eight rebounds and five assists as a junior.
Michael Ziermann, Sr., Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity: LP/HT might be in the toughest section in Class A but Ziermann is good enough to make them a factor against anybody. He put up 16 points and five assists as a junior and if he can get his 3-point numbers back to where they were as an underclassman, he’ll turn in huge scoring nights consistently.
Cooper and Carter Hansen, Sr., Russell-Tyler-Ruthton: The Hansen brothers move into go-to roles for the Knights as they look to defend their Class A state title. Both guys excel as slashers, using their strength and athleticism to get up and down the floor and to the rim. While their scoring numbers should go up, their biggest contributions to the team might actually be their defense as the two form the best perimeter defensive duo in the state.
Gavin Vosika, Jr., BOLD: BOLD is a top-three team in Class A and Vosika’s ability to create his own shot, create shots for others and knock down perimeter shots is a big cause for excitement. He averaged better than 16 points a night as a sophomore and could be the feature guy on a team loaded with talented scoring options.