Section 7AAA Preview
Section 7AAA Preview Playoffs?!? The playoffs are right around the corner. With small-school section tournaments already under and big school section tournaments set to start in the next week, it’s time to turn our attention to the postseason. See Previous…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingSection 7AAA Preview
Playoffs?!? The playoffs are right around the corner. With small-school section tournaments already under and big school section tournaments set to start in the 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 7AAA:
Favorite: Princeton
The Tigers head into the postseason as the No. 1 seed in Section 7 for the second straight season. Last year, the Tigers were blown out in the second round. This team has been one of the best teams in Class AAA all year and are seemingly on a mission to get to the state tournament.
It starts with a pair of multi-year starting senior guards: James Flicek and Adam Williams. Both guys can shoot from deep, get their own shot and create for others. If Flicek is healthy, this team can win multiple games in the state tournament.
Jon Stimmler anchors things on both ends of the floor as the 6-foot-7 senior is one of the best true centers in the state. He’s averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds and does a great carving out space inside and producing consistently.
Reilly O’Neill and Calvin Peterson both average double figures as well, providing excellent complementary play on the perimeter and Tate Laabs is having a really nice junior year, allowing all those scorers to stay happy.
Princeton plays at a fast pace and has one of the best offenses in the state. This is a team that absolutely has all the pieces to make a deep run and not only win the section, but win games at state.
Contending: Hermantown
The Hawks went on a big run last year through Section 7 to get to state despite a losing record during the regular season. They’ve been much better this year, winning more than 15 games while securing the No. 2 seed.
Hermantown has two main holdovers from last year’s team in point guard Peter Soumis and center Connor Bich. Both guys have been fantastic this season. Soumis is one of the better junior guards in the state and excels at creating his own shot and controlling the game. He’s a solid outside shooter but he’s at his best when he’s attacking in ball-screen actions.
Bich is a matchup problem because at 6-foot-7, he’s an effective long-range shooter but also good on the block and on the glass. He’s turned in a huge senior year, averaging roughly 20 points per game and he’s a menace on the defensive end of the floor in the paint.
Hermantown lost to Princeton a few weeks ago in a hotly-contested game. The Tigers are the favorite to win the thing but there isn’t as big of a gap between them and the next couple of teams as it might seem.
In the Mix: Hibbing
Hibbing was viewed as a team that could do damage in the postseason before the year and the Blue Jackets have shown no evidence to suggest otherwise throughout the year. They beat Princeton in a non-conference game a few weeks ago and have the talent and components to beat anybody in the section.
Luke Lundell is one of the best big men in the section and his activity level on both ends of the floor can change a game. He’s excellent defensively and he’s got the shooting touch to create problems for a lot of defenses. Ayden McDonald is one of the best freshmen in the state and a really tough cover on the wing and Parker Maki gives the Blue Jackets another live body who can produce in bunches inside. Sophomore point guard Mayson Brown gives them some juice on the perimeter as he does a good job balancing scoring with getting his teammates involved.