Section 1AA Preview
Playoffs?!? The playoffs are right around the corner. With small-school section tournaments set to begin next week, it’s time to turn our attention to the postseason. See Previous Section Previews Here Section 1A Section 2A Section 3A Section 4A Section…
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Continue ReadingPlayoffs?!? The playoffs are right around the corner. With small-school section tournaments set to begin next week, it’s time to turn our attention to the postseason.
See Previous Section Previews Here
Here’s what you need to know about Section 1AA
Section 1AA has been one of the toughest and most competitive in the state for a number of years now. That doesn’t change this year as there are nine teams with more than 15 wins and several others that will eclipse the 20-win mark.
Favorite: Lake City
The Tigers went into the year as one of the top-10 teams in Class AA and they’ve not disappointed. Nate Heise and Reid Gastner have taken steps forward in their developments in their upperclass years and lead a team that can shoot and defend at a high level. Jake and Justin Wohlers provide secondary scoring and Josh Matanich is a productive complementary guy inside. They are well coached, they’ve got experience in this setting and they’ve shown throughout the year that they have a good handle on the rest of the teams in the section.
Contenders: Caledonia, St. Charles, La Crescent
Caledonia might be the force it was last year or a few years ago but the Warriors are still one of the elite teams in the state thanks to their ability to spread the floor, defend and push the tempo. Noah King is one of the best players in the state and he’s been terrific in a bigger role. He’s joined by younger brother Eli King who looks like a budding star plus really solid double-figure type scorers in Riley Gavin, Sam Privet and Austin Klug.
St. Charles could settle anywhere from the No. 3 seed to No. 7 but the Saints are going to awfully dangerous given their win total might be artificially lower than it would’ve been had they been at full strength all year. Drew Leistikow’s missed nearly the entire season but the senior forward made his return to the lineup in early February and while he hasn’t yet put his stamp on the games, it’s clear the Saints are better with him on the floor. The Saints also have a terrific crop of guards with Sam Holtz and Sawyer Hander having solid senior years. The guys to watch though are Drew Maloney and Kooper Vaughn, who have emerged to form one of the best scoring punches in Class AA.
La Crescent-Hokah was a breakout team a year ago and the Lancers have taken it to another level this year as they’ll likely eclipse the 20-win mark (barring a big upset in the first round of sections). They’ve got great experience with multiple multi-year starters and they’ve got a terrific inside-outside duo in Luke Schwartzoff and Zach Todd. Those two combine to score more than 30 points per game. Thomas Kiesau is a solid third scorer and he sets the tone for them defensively.
In the Mix: Stewartville, Rochester Lourdes
Stewartville’s been weird this year as the Tigers have several head-scratching losses but also a number of really good wins. Their size is something few teams in the section can contend with. Will Tschetter is one of the best players in southern Minnesota, averaging 22 points per game and providing inside and outside scoring in bunches. Hunter Voigt joins him up front and he’s a potential double-double guy every time out.
Rochester Lourdes is in the mix to earn a top-four seed in the section and can run a scoring trio out that few teams can match. Colin Meade is one of the best big men in the area and he’s turned in an awesome junior season. The Eagles also have two talented and experienced guards leading the way with Matthew Hayford and Antewan Webber.
Watch Out For: Dover-Eyota, Cannon Falls
Section tournaments are all about matchups and Dover-Eyota has a couple guys that are really hard to match up with. Brady Williams has long been one of the best players in the area and he’s got the ability to take over a game on any given night. Jack Studer has been excellent too, averaging nearly 20 points per game.
Cannon Falls won 17 games in the regular season and while a lot of the Bombers’ wins are against Class A competition and teams that haven’t enjoyed much success this year, they’ve got a quality core of Isaac Illa, Drew Otte and Luke Sjoquist.