MN State Boys Basketball Tournament

Class A Preview

(Section 1) Goodhue (24-7) vs. (Section 6) Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (30-0): The unranked Goodhue Wildcats return to tournament action after a six-year absence and they are making their second appearance. The Wildcats shoot 47.2 percent from the field and also average 9.4 steals per game. Senior Ashton Erie was the top scorer for Goodhue this year; he averages 22.4 points per game. Nathan Voth, a senior, grabs 6.8 rebounds per game for the Wildcats. The Jaguars of Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa, who enter the tournament ranked No. 1 in the final Minnesota Basketball News (MBN) poll, are making their debut tournament appearance. They outscore their opponents by an average of 26.1 points and also average 19.2 assists per game. Senior Kevin Kuefler has over 1,200 career points and averages 19.0 per game. Junior Connor Goodwin is the top rebounder for Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa; he corrals 8.5 per game.

(Section 3) MACCRAY, Clara City (26-3) vs. (Section 4) Maranatha Christian Academy, Brooklyn Park (26-2): The No. 5-ranked Wolverines of MACCRAY are making their second appearance under this name; their first was in 1996. Clara City also made two additional appearances in 1978 and 1983. Senior Seth Hinrichs, who will play for Lafayette College in Easton, Penn., next year, averages 22.0 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Junior Brady Boike is the second-leading scorer for MACCRAY. He averages 13.0 points per game and also nabs 7.0 rebounds per game. The Mustangs of Maranatha Christian Academy, who were No. 3 in the final MBN poll, return for their second appearance. They made their debut in 2006. The Mustangs have three players who average more than 11 points per game: junior Darian Pittman (11.8), junior Jamey Hammond (11.5), and sophomore Isaiah Hanson (11.3). Philip Eickman, a senior, averages 7.4 rebounds per game.

(Section 7) Chisholm (27-3) vs. (Section 8) Fosston (21-6): The Chisholm Bluestreaks return to the tournament after a one-year absence. They are making their 19th appearance and are in the hunt for their fifth title. They won previously in 1934, 1973, 1975, and 1991. Ranked No. 9 in the final MBN poll, Chisholm averages 50.0 rebounds per game and also shoots 40.0 percent from three-point range. Senior Adam Vake leads the Bluestreaks with 20.8 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. The unranked Fosston Greyhounds, who won the first boys’ basketball tournament in 1913, are making their eighth appearance. Their last appearance was in 1921. Senior Garrett Carlin leads this year’s squad in both points (17.6) and rebounds (10.7) per game. Junior Kyle Arneson is the second-leading scorer for Fosston; he adds 12.4 points per game.

(Section 2) Springfield (23-3) vs. (Section 5) Upsala (25-3): Ranked No. 8 by MBN, Springfield returns to make its second consecutive and third overall appearance. The Tigers lost in the quarterfinals of the 2010 tournament. Seniors Jesse Kieper and Cody Milbrath pace Springfield with 19.3 and 17.4 points per game, respectively. Milbrath also grabs a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game. Senior Tyler Marz, who averages 10.7 points per game, will play football for the University of Wisconsin next year. The unranked Cardinals of Upsala are making their debut tournament appearance. Seniors Jacob Voss and Brandon Welinski lead this year’s team with 15.9 and 14.2 points per game, respectively. Voss also adds a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game.



Class A Quarterfinal Schedule — Thursday, March 24

11:00 a.m. — Goodhue vs. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa at Williams Arena, U of M

1:00 p.m. — MACCRAY vs. Maranatha Christian Academy at Williams Arena, U of M

3:00 p.m. — Chisholm vs. Fosston at Williams Arena, U of M

5:00 p.m. — Springfield vs. Upsala at Williams Arena, U of M



Class AA Preview

(Section 1) Rochester Lourdes (22-7) vs. (Section 6) Long Prairie-Grey Eagle (25-4): Rochester Lourdes is making its third appearance, but first since 2000. The Eagles did not provide team or individual statistics. The Thunder of Long Prairie-Grey Eagle return to tournament action after an eight-year absence. This is their fourth appearance under this name, and Long Prairie made one additional appearance in 1991. The Thunder shoot 52.0 percent from the field and also average 30.0 rebounds per game. Senior Cody Warner, who had 15 double-doubles this season, averages 14.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Junior Duane Miller adds 12.1 points per game. Neither team was ranked in the final MBN poll.

(Section 3) Redwood Valley, Redwood Falls (21-7) vs. (Section 4) Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis (17-12): Unranked Redwood Valley returns to tournament play for the first time since 2002, making its sixth tournament appearance. Senior JT Radel and junior Michael Busack lead the Cardinals in scoring. Radel averages 21.3 points per game, and Busack averages 21.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. The unranked Redhawks of Minnehaha Academy return for their second consecutive and third overall appearance. They lost in the quarterfinals of the 2010 tournament. Sophomore Gerald McCarver scores 19.4 points and grabs 5.0 rebounds per game. Senior Matt Pryor adds 16.7 points per game Minnehaha Academy outscored opponents by an average of 19.5 points per game this season.

(Section 7) Virginia (26-4) vs. (Section 5) Perham (28-1): After a one-year hiatus, Virginia returns to tournament action in its 13th appearance. The Blue Devils, who won one previous title in 1916, were not ranked in the final MBN poll. Senior Cavan Stackpool and Mitchl Buck lead the Blue Devils with 16.7 and 14.6 points per game, respectively. Buck also has a team-high 10.9 rebounds per game. The No. 6-ranked Perham Yellowjackets are making their debut appearance. They outscore their opponents by an average of 26.1 points per game and shoot 47.5 percent from the field. Senior Nick Tobkin averages 12.4 points per game and junior Mark Schumacher grabs 8.2 rebounds per game.

(Section 2) Waterville-Elysian-Morristown (28-2) vs. (Section 5) Zimmerman (22-8): The Buccaneers of Waterville-Elysian-Morristown return to the tournament for the first time since 2002. This is their third appearance. Ranked No. 7 in the final MBN poll, the Bucs defeated their opponents by an average of 30.0 points this season. Junior Tate Harmon averages 16.3 points per game and senior Jordan Gregor adds 7.5 rebounds game. Gregor is also the all-time rebounder for Waterville-Elysian-Morristown. Unranked Zimmerman is making its first tournament appearance. Senior Brandon Giese, who has more than 1,000 career points, is the top scorer for the Thunder with 18.5 points per game. Blake Ehley, another senior, adds 12.2 points per game and also tallies a team-high 4.3 rebounds per game. Zimmerman averages 72.8 points per game.



Class AA Quarterfinal Schedule — Wednesday, March 23

6:00 p.m. — Rochester Lourdes vs. Long Prairie-Grey Eagle at Target Center

8:00 p.m. — Redwood Valley vs. Minnehaha Academy at Target Center

6:00 p.m. — Virginia vs. Perham at Williams Arena, U of M

8:00 p.m. — Waterville-Elysian-Morristown vs. Zimmerman at Williams Arena, U of M



Class AAA Preview

(Section 1) New Prague (23-6) vs. (Section 4 & No. 1 Seed) St. Paul Johnson (25-3): New Prague is making its ninth trip to the tournament, last appearing in 2009. The Trojans finished the season ranked No. 10 in the final MBN poll. Senior Jed Kreuser, the leading scorer with an average of 13.6 points per game, has hit more than 100 three-point shots this season and averages 49.0 percent from long range. Senior Cale Girten adds 12.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, while junior Jake Meyer pulls down 9.5 rebounds per game. The Class AAA defending champion Governors of St. Paul Johnson enter tournament play ranked No. 1 in the final MBN poll. It is the team’s third consecutive and ninth overall appearance. This year’s team averages 80.0 points per game and shoots 55 percent from the field. Seniors Estan Tyler and Roosevelt Scott are the top scorers for the Governors; they average 17.6 and 16.9 points per game, respectively.

(Section 2) Marshall (21-8) vs. (Section 3 & No. 4 Seed) Columbia Heights (23-6): Unranked Marshall returns to the tournament for the first time since 2001. It is the eighth appearance for the Tigers who won a championship in 1963. Senior Caleb Johnson, who is 42 points shy of 1,000 career points, is the top scorer for Marshall. He averages 15.0 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Senior Collin Hoover adds another 6.8 rebounds per game. The Hylanders of Columbia Heights are making their second appearance in the tournament. Their lone previous appearance was in 1930. Columbia Heights was ranked No. 9 in the final MBN poll. The team did not provide team or individual statistics.

(Section 7) Grand Rapids (19-9) vs. (Section 6 & No. 2 Seed) Waconia (21-7): Grand Rapids, the Class AAA runner-up in 2010, is making its fourth consecutive and 10th overall tournament appearance. The Thunderhawks finished the season unranked in the final MBN poll. Grand Rapids did not provide team or individual statistics. The unranked Wildcats of Waconia are making their third overall appearance and first since 2007. Waconia is led by senior Shelby Moats, who averages a double-double with 22.3 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. Senior Ben Kortuem averages 11.4 points per game, and senior Bronson Scheff adds 10.4 points and 4.4 assists per game.

(Section 8) St. Cloud Apollo (25-4) vs. (Section 6 & No. 3 Seed) Orono (24-5): The No. 4-ranked Eagles of St. Cloud Apollo are making their first trip to the tournament since 1973 and second appearance overall. Four seniors average double-digit scoring for the Eagles: Simon Krych with 14.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game; Blake Maslonkowski, 14.6 points and 7.8 rebounds; Ibrahim Abukar, 12.2 points and 4.9 assists; and Derek Steve, 12.1 points and 4.9 assists. Abukar, Krych and Maslonkowski have scored more than 1,000 career points. Orono returns for a second consecutive and overall appearance, looking to improve on last year’s loss in the quarterfinals. The Spartans were ranked No. 8 in the final MBN poll. Senior Jordan Smith is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 21.3 points per game. Senior Kyle Mileusnic leads the team in assists with an average of 5.7 per game, and senior Jeremy Borg is the top rebounder with 5.5 per game.



The Class AAA Quarterfinals Schedule — Wednesday, March 23

10:00 a.m. — New Prague vs. St. Paul Johnson at Williams Arena, U of M

12:00 p.m. — Marshall vs. Columbia Heights at Williams Arena, U of M

2:00 p.m. — Grand Rapids vs. Waconia at Williams Arena, U of M

4:00 p.m. — St. Cloud Apollo vs. Orono at Williams Arena, U of M



Class AAAA Preview

(Section 1) Owatonna (24-4) vs. (Section 6 & No. 1 Seed) Hopkins (28-1): Owatonna is making its second consecutive and sixth overall appearance, having won titles in 1989 and 1990. The Huskies lost in the quarterfinal round of the 2010 tournament. Senior Vaughn Thada is the team’s leading scorer, averaging 17.3 points per game. Senior Mike Sebring averages 7.4 rebounds per game. Owatonna was unranked in the final MBN poll. The No. 1-ranked Royals of Hopkins are two-time defending champions, making their third consecutive and 18th overall appearance in the tournament. A three-peat this year would give Hopkins its eighth title; the team previously won in 1952, 1953, 2002, 2005 and 2006. The leading scorer for the Royals is senior Joe Coleman, who averages 21.5 points per game. Senior Marvin Singleton contributes 17.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Hopkins averages 90 points per game and hits 56.2 percent of its field goal attempts.

(Section 7) Duluth East (22-6) vs. (Section 4 & No. 4 Seed) Cretin-Derham Hall, St. Paul (22-7): The Greyhouds of Duluth East are making their 12th appearance and first since 2006. They were ranked No. 8 in the final MBN poll. Junior Johnny Woodard, who achieved 1,000 career points this season, averages 23.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Junior Taylor Stafford adds strong all-around numbers with 18.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 4 steals per game on average. Unranked Cretin-Derham Hall returns to tournament play for the first time since 2001. It is the eighth appearance for the Raiders, the Class AA champions in 1991 and 1993 (two-class tournament). Senior Raijon Kelly has amassed more than 1,100 career points and leads the Raiders with 15.1 per game. Taylor Montero, another senior, adds 12.8 points per game and also grabs a team-high 5.5 rebounds per game.

(Section 3) Lakeville South (21-8) vs. (Section 2 & No. 2 Seed) Eden Prairie (18-10): Unranked Lakeville South is appearing in its third tournament and first since 2007. Senior Alex Richter, who has more than 1,900 career points, is the top scorer with 22.0 points per game. Senior Jon Christensen adds 13.3 points per game for the Raiders and also averages 5.6 rebounds per game. Eden Prairie is looking to improve on its fourth-place finish in the 2010 tournament. The Eagles, making their second consecutive and seventh overall appearance, were ranked No. 4 in the final MBN poll. Senior Dylan Stewart averages 17.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Senior Conner Nord adds 6.3 rebounds per game; senior Jack Klukas leads the team in assists, averaging 4.3 per game.

(Section 8) Maple Grove (18-10) vs. (Section 5 & No. 3 Seed) Osseo (27-2): Unranked Maple Grove returns to tournament play for the first time since 2005. This is the Crimson’s third appearance. Strong shooting and balanced scoring are trademarks for Maple Grove, which makes 56 percent of its field goal attempts. Four players average double-figure scoring: Sophomore Brycen Wojta (15.1 points per game), sophomore James Morris (12.0), senior Matt Humphries (11.4), and senior Alex Naasz (10.3). No. 2-ranked Osseo is making its sixth overall tournament appearance and was the Class AAAA champion in 2001. Senior Joey Sonnenfeld leads the Orioles in both points (17.3) and rebounds (7.9) per game. Sonnenfeld will play football for the University of North Dakota next year. Senior Terez VanPelt is the second-leading scorer for Osseo. He averages 16.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.



The Class AAAA Quarterfinals Schedule — Wednesday, March 23

10:00 a.m. — Owatonna vs. Hopkins at Target Center

12:00 p.m. — Duluth East vs. Cretin-Derham Hall at Target Center

2:00 p.m. — Lakeville South vs. Eden Prairie at Target Center

4:00 p.m. — Maple Grove vs. Osseo at Target Center



Ticket Information

Tickets will be available at Target Center and Williams Arena. Quarterfinal tickets cost $14.00 for adults and $9.00 for students. Quarterfinal wristbands, which are good at both venues on Wednesday only, are $19.00 for adults and $12.00 for students. Semifinal and championship tickets will be available at Target Center and are $14.00 for adults and $9.00 for students per session. Third-place tickets will be available at Concordia University and are $10.00 for adults and $7.00 for students.

A visit to any participating Wells Fargo metro location can yield you a $2 discount coupon for students 13 and younger.



Webcast and Television

All quarterfinal games will be taped for delayed webcast on prep45.kstc45.com. All semifinal and championship games will be televised live by KSTC TV, Channel 45, and streamed live and free on the Web at prep45.kstc45.com. Live statistics will also be displayed on the League Web site.