Section 2A 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 Here’s what you need to know about…
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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 2A:
Section 2A is silly. It’s the best section in Class A by a fairly wide margin as there are not only two legitimate state title contenders but also seven more teams that won more than 15 games. It’s got eight teams ranked in the top-30 in the QRF (which few people understand but it seems worth mentioning) and a ton of high-end individual talent. The winner of this section will have won three games over state-tournament caliber competition.
Favorite(s): BOLD, Springfield
BOLD and Springfield went into the year as consensus top-three teams and neither one has disappointed. The Warriors have just two losses and wins over numerous top teams at the Class A level. The Tigers have the state’s most high-powered offense and win by an average margin of more than 30 points per game – and they are hot.
Springfield has the best individual player in the section in senior guard Isaac Fink. He’s put up video-game numbers for a better part of the last four years but this year, he’s taken it to extreme levels, averaging 32 points, 12 rebounds and 5.6 assists. He hits 3-pointers, he gets to the free throw line and he controls the game as well as any player in Class A. He’s capable of putting this team on his back and taking them a long way.
Decker Scheffler makes a heck of a Robin, as the junior guard is averaging 22 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists. He’s extremely efficient from all levels on the floor and gets it done on both ends of the court. He’s an excellent defender and his size and toughness are not to be discounted because of the gaudy numbers he puts up on the offensive end.
Springfield gets an ever-so-slight edge for me given their experience and I trust that Fink and Scheffler are going to find ways to impact the game no matter what. Can the Tigers get enough from guys like Mitch Buerke and Mitchell Leonard? That’ll be a big key.
BOLD might have the most talent of any team in the state and the Warriors certainly aren’t coming out of nowhere given most people expected them to contend for a section/state title this winter. Gavin Vosika fills up the stat sheet like a diet-Fink, averaging nearly 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists plus a whole bunch of steals.
Jordan Sagedahl has taken his game to another level this winter, averaging nearly 20 points per game while providing something of a go-to scorer on a team with a ton of mouths to feed. He’s an excellent rebounder for a guard and does a good job a secondary playmaker as well.
Drew Sagedahl has come along really nicely as a sophomore, providing terrific shooting on the offensive end as well as rebounding and great defense.
The guy who makes BOLD different is senior center Carter Henry. The 6-foot-8 big man averages better than 12 points and roughly seven rebounds, so he’s not necessarily stuffing the stat sheet in those categories. But his defense in the paint is unparallelled as he averages better than four blocks per game and can essentially turn teams into jump-shooting outfits. His athleticism around the rim is upper-echelon which few teams especially at the Class A level can contend with.
Contenders: Minnesota Valley Lutheran, Waterville-Elysian-Morristown
Minnesota Valley Lutheran started the year hot, winning its first 10. The Chargers have shown a little vulnerability recently but have also shown they are capable of beating even the best teams in the section. Jake Kettner is one of the best players in the state regardless of class and he’s been terrific as a senior, averaging 21 points, six rebounds and four assists. Dunwa Omot has been a revelation as a junior, averaging 15 points, four rebounds and three assists and Jace Morotz has been steady, averaging 10 points per game.
WEM went young last year and struggled early but showed it was going to be improved this winter. Nobody likely saw 20-1 (plus three or four more wins assuming no cancellations) coming but the Buccaneers play stifling defense and have three or four guys who can give them consistent scoring. The Gopher Conference isn’t as good as the Tomahawk or the West Central so WEM hasn’t been tested quite as much as some of the other upper-echelon teams, but the Bucs are well-coached, play really good defense and have solid depth. Grant McBroom is really good, Cole Kokoschke is a talented perimeter guy and Bladyn Bartelt and Tanner Ranslow are third-year rotation guys.
In the Mix: New Ulm Cathedral, Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey
New Ulm Cathedral was another team that went into the year with high expectations and the Greyhounds have’t disappointed. They’ll win 20-plus games (barring a first round section upset) and have shown throughout the season that they are right there with the top teams in the section. Allex Hillesheim is one of the best players in the section as well and he stuffs the box score on a nightly basis, averaging 20 points, nine rebounds and 3.6 assists (all team highs). Jon Zinniel is one of the better juniors in the state and he fills up the stat sheet (15 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.5 blocks plus 41 percent from 3-point range). Ethan Kirchberg, James Gillis and Chris Knowles all provide solid complementary play.
Mountain Lake Area/Comfrey hasn’t played a lot of the teams in the section either but the Wolverines have shown they’ve got enough talent to win games (namely a win over Russell-Tyler-Ruthton and a close loss to Springfield).
Abraham Stoesz leads the team in scoring at 13.2 points per game. He’s one of four double-figure scorers as Sam Paulson (12.3 ppg and 6 rpg) and Eli Samuelson (10.9 ppg) provide strong scoring on the perimeter and Drake Harder is a near double-double guys (10.6 points and 9.7 rebounds) inside.
Watch Out For: Mayer Lutheran, Cedar Mountain
Last year’s section champs, Mayer Lutheran hasn’t fallen far this winter. It hasn’t always been pretty for the Crusaders, but they play terrific defense and have one of the best individual players in the state in senior forward Baden Noennig. The 6-foot-6 swingman is averaging 19 points per game on the year. Teigan Martin is a player to watch going forward as the 6-foot-5 freshman has shown flashes of being a really good player. Brendan Feltmann and Zander Flucas are solid complementary guys.
Cedar Mountain’s five losses are all to teams above them in the standings but the Cougars also just beat BOLD, providing evidence that, at their best, they are capable of beating anybody. Lewis Pendleton has been a longtime contributor at the varsity level and he’s having a monster year. Devonte Charles and Tavi Nelson are solid secondary scorers.