MN State Boys Basketball Tournament Preview

            The coaches have selected the top seeds in all four classes for the third time — Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa in Class A, Annandale in Class AA, DeLaSalle of Minneapolis in Class AAA, and Hopkins in Class AAAA.

            DeLaSalle is also the only school returning to defend its 2013 title. If the Islanders win it would be their third consecutive and eighth overall title.

            Four teams are making first appearances: Park Christian of Moorhead, Fond du Lac Ojibwe of Cloquet, and Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City in Class A, and St. Paul Academy and Summit School in Class AA.

            This is the 18th year of the four-class format and the 11th year that all games are being played in Minneapolis. This year and the next four years the boys’ basketball tournament will precede the girls’ basketball tournament because Target Center is hosting the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Frozen Faceoff tournament.

            The seeding process had all 32 coaches of the section champions log onto a special page of the League Web site. Each coach then ranked the other teams in their class one through seven. The highest and lowest rankings for each team were discarded, leaving five rankings for each team. From those rankings, the top five teams were seeded. In conference calls with all eight head coaches of each class, League Associate Director Kevin Merkle announced the top five seeds. Tom Critchley, representing the boys’ basketball coaches association, then blindly drew the three remaining teams to establish the opponent for each seeded team. Numbers four and five automatically play each other.

            The 2014 State Boys’ Basketball Tournament starts Wednesday, March 12. Quarterfinal games will be played at Target Center on Wednesday, March 12, and at Williams Arena on the University of Minnesota campus in Minneapolis on both Wednesday and Thursday, March 12 and 13. Semifinals will be played at Target Center on Thursday March 13 and Friday March 14. The championship games of all four classes will be played at Target Center on Saturday March 15. Third-place games will be played on Saturday at Concordia University in St. Paul.

            Detailed statistics provided by qualified teams are available on the League’s Web site — www.MSHSL.org — as a Media Guide link under Tournaments, then Winter, then Boys’ Basketball.

            Class A Preview

            (Section 6) Park Christian, Moorhead (22-9) vs. (Section 5 & No. 1 Seed) Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (28-1): The Park Christian Falcons are making their first tournament appearance. Senior Matt Moberg, who will run track at North Dakota State University next year, leads the Falcons with 16.9 points per game. Senior Hunter Nickel grabs 8.4 rebounds per game and also averages 7.3 blocks per game. Park Christian closed the season unranked in the final Minnesota Basketball News (MBN) poll. Top-ranked Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa returns after a one-year hiatus to make its third tournament appearance. Senior Brian Goodwin averages 23.6 points per game for the Jaguars and senior James Kuefler averages 7.2 rebounds per game. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa has won 71 home games in a row and is looking for its second championship. The Jaguars won their first in 2012.

            (Section 7 & No. 5 Seed) Fond du Lac Ojibwe, Cloquet (23-3) vs. (Section 3 & No. 4 Seed) Canby (25-4): The Ogichidaag, which means Warriors, of Fond du Lac are making their debut tournament appearance. They enter the tournament scoring an average of 91.9 points per game, led by sophomore Jordan Diver’s 25.5 points per game. Junior Davonte Williamson and senior Trevontae Brown also average double digits in scoring. Williamson averages 19.9 points per game and also leads Fond du Lac Ojibwe with 14.9 rebounds per game. Brown adds 19.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game The Ogichidaag enter the tournament unranked in the final MBN poll. Canby is making its third appearance, but first since 1951. The Lancers, who were No. 9 in the final MBN poll, average 18.0 assists per game this year. Sophomore Michael Slaba gives the Lancers 15.3 points and 6.7 assists per game. Junior Zach Nuy contributes 13.5 points per game and also leads Canby with 6.9 rebounds per game.

            (Section 8) Red Lake (23-7) vs. (Section 4 & No. 2 Seed) Maranatha Christian Academy, Brooklyn Park (25-3): Unranked Red Lake arrives at the tournament for the first time since 2003, making its sixth appearance. The Warriors did not provide team or individual statistics. Maranatha Christian Academy returns for its second consecutive and fourth overall appearance. The Mustangs are hoping to improve on last year’s runner-up showing. Junior Jeremiah Hanson averages 24.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Three of his teammates also average double-digit scoring: junior Cameron Monson (12.1 points per game), junior Jake Meyen (11.1), and senior Josh Goldschmidt (10.2). Monson also leads the Mustangs with 7.4 rebounds per game.

            (Section 2) Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City (21-7) vs. (Section 1 & No. 3 Seed) Rushford-Peterson (29-1): Unranked Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City is making its debut appearance. Senior Taylor Larson is the leading scorer for the Falcons, averaging 22.1 points per game. Sophomore Colton Minnick adds 14.4 points and a team-high 9.2 rebounds per game. Rushford-Peterson looks to improve on last year’s third-place finish. It is the third consecutive and 13th overall tournament appearance for the No. 3-ranked Trojans, who won a championship in 2006. Competing as Rushford, the team was the Class A champion in 1989. Peterson also made one additional appearance in 1986. The Trojans set a school record with 29 wins this season. Junior Alex Vix gives the Trojans 11.2 points per game and senior Jorli Hauge is the team’s top rebounder with 4.9 per game. Hauge also adds 8.2 points per game.

            Class A Quarterfinal Schedule — Thursday, March 13

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

            1:00 p.m. — Fond du Lac Ojibwe vs. Canby at Williams Arena, U of M

            3:00 p.m. — Red Lake vs. Maranatha Christian Academy at Williams Arena, U of M

            5:00 p.m. — Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City vs. Rushford-Peterson at Williams Arena, U of M

            Class AA Preview

            (Section 6) New London-Spicer (19-10) vs. (Section 5 & No. 1 Seed) Annandale (23-6): Unranked New London-Spicer is making its eighth overall appearance and first since 2010. If the Wildcats win, it would be their third title; they won previously in 2008 and 2010. New London-Spicer did not provide individual or team statistics. Ranked No. 5 in the final MBN poll, the Cardinals of Annandale look to improve on last year’s third-place finish. It is Annandale’s second consecutive and third overall appearance. Senior Matt Miller leads the team in scoring at 16.9 points per game and adds 8.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. Senior Andrew Fort averages 8.6 rebounds per game.

            (Section 4 & No. 5 Seed) St. Paul Academy and Summit School (20-8) vs. (Section 1 & No. 4 Seed) Caledonia (27-2): St. Paul Academy and Summit School is making its first state tournament appearance. The unranked Spartans have a trio of players who average double-digit scoring: Senior Harrisen Egly (16.6 points per game), sophomore Kent Hanson (15.8), and sophomore Dalante Peyton (13.6). Hanson also pulls down 9.3 rebounds per game. Caledonia is making its fourth appearance and first since 1997. The Warriors also won their only title in 1997. Unranked in the final MBN poll, Caledonia has the best record among Class AA qualifiers. Junior Kyle Sorenson leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 14.9 points and 9.0 boards per game. Four other players average double-digit scoring: sophomore Colton Lampert (12.2 points per game), senior West Spier (12.1), senior Josh Nord (11.7), and junior Austin Bauer (11.1).

            (Section 8) East Grand Forks (20-9) vs. (Section 7 & No. 2 Seed) Esko (26-3): East Grand Forks returns to tournament action for the first time since 1971. It is the fourth appearance for the Green Wave, who finished the season unranked in the final MBN poll. East Grand Forks sinks 55 percent of its field goals, led by seniors Jim Warmack and Ty Misialek, who average 19.2 and 15.6 points per game, respectively. Warmack also contributes 9.5 rebounds per game while Misialek dishes 5.7 assists per game. In its second consecutive and fourth overall appearance, No. 1-ranked Esko is out to improve on last year’s fourth-place finish. The Eskomos outscored opponents by 33.6 points per game on average. Senior Kory Deadrick, the school’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder, averages 25.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game.

            (Section 2) St. Peter (14-14) vs. (Section 3 & No. 3 Seed) Fairmont (24-4): The Saints of St. Peter return after a one-year hiatus to make a fifth appearance. Unranked in the final MBN poll, the team shoots an average of 45 percent from the field. Senior Kolin Bartlett will play basketball at Southwest State next year. The team did not provide individual statistics. Fairmont finished the season ranked No. 7 by MBN. The Cardinals are making their fifth appearance and first since 1990. Senior Mitch Pfingsten, the team’s all-time leading scorer, enters the tournament averaging 24.0 points and 4.4 assists per game. Senior Josh Eversman adds 16.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.

 

            Class AA Quarterfinal Schedule — Wednesday, March 12

            6:00 p.m. — New London-Spicer vs. Annandale at Target Center

            8:00 p.m. — St. Paul Academy and Summit School vs. Caledonia at Target Center

            6:00 p.m. — East Grand Forks vs. Esko at Williams Arena, U of M

            8:00 p.m. — St. Peter vs. Fairmont at Williams Arena, U of M

            Class AAA Preview

            (Section 4) St. Paul Central (22-3) vs. (Section 3 & No. 1 Seed) DeLaSalle, Minneapolis (23-3): St. Paul Central, which includes students from Open World Learning of St. Paul, returns to make its 13th appearance but first since 2000. The Minutemen, who were not ranked in the final MBN poll, did not provide team or individual statistics. The top-ranked two-time defending champions from DeLaSalle are making their third consecutive and 19th overall appearance. The Islanders are in the hunt for their eighth title and were ranked No. 2 in the final MBN poll. In addition to the past two years, they also won in 1985, 1988, 1998, 1999, and 2006. Senior Reid Travis paces the Islanders with 19.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. He will play for Stanford University next year. Junior Sacar Anim is the second-leading scorer for DeLaSalle, averaging 14.8 points per game. Senior Geno Crandall (11.0 points per game) will play for the University of North Dakota next year, and senior James Lawson (6.6 points per game) will play for the University of Sioux Falls.

            (Section 2 & No. 5 Seed) Marshall (24-4) vs. (Section 5 & No. 4 Seed) Orono (21-8): Marshall, which was not ranked in the final MBN poll, returns for its second consecutive and 10th overall appearance. The Tigers placed third in 2013 and won one previous title in 1963. Senior Riley Sharbono leads Marshall with 19.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Senior CD Douglas adds 15.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. The Orono Spartans return for their third tournament appearance and first since 2011. They were ranked No. 10 in this year’s final MBN poll. Junior Cole Hennings leads Orono with 12.2 points per game and senior Andy Ten Eyck grabs a team-high 5.6 rebounds per game. Ten Eyck also averages 3.6 assists per game.

            (Section 8) Alexandria (15-11) vs. (Section 1 & No. 2 Seed) Austin (26-3): Alexandria, which includes students from New Testament Christian School, returns for its seventh appearance. The Cardinals, who were not ranked in the final MBN poll, made their last appearance in 2002. Alexandria did not provide team or individual statistics. The Packers of Austin are making their third consecutive and 29th overall appearance. They placed second in 2013 but won previous championships in 1935, 1946, and 1958. Austin was ranked No. 4 in this year’s final MBN poll. Seniors Ajuda Nywesh and Bret Lukes pace the Packers with 14.2 and 14.1 points per game, respectively. Senior Zach Wessels, who will play for the University of Sioux Falls next year, adds 13.1 points per game. Junior Gach Gach is Austin’s leading rebounder, averaging 5.4 per game.

            (Section 7) Cloquet (24-4) vs. (Section 6 & No. 3 Seed) Holy Family Catholic, Victoria (27-2): The unranked Lumberjacks of Cloquet return for their eighth appearance but first since 2000. Senior Adam Laine leads the Lumberjacks with 21.2 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. He will play basketball at Colorado School of Mines next year. Senior Dillon Johnson is the second-leading scorer for Cloquet; he averages 9.6 points per game. Holy Family Catholic, which was ranked No. 3 in the final MBN poll, returns for its second appearance. The Fire made their last appearance and won their only title in 2007. Senior Joe Hanel leads Holy Family Catholic with 13.3 points per game and junior Justin Dahl adds 12.2 points per game. Dahl also grabs a team-high 10.0 rebounds per game. The Fire set school records this year for most wins and fewest points allowed in a season.

 

            Class AAA Quarterfinals Schedule — Wednesday, March 12

            10:00 a.m. — St. Paul Central vs. DeLaSalle at Williams Arena, U of M

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

            2:00 p.m. — Alexandria vs. Austin at Williams Arena, U of M

            4:00 p.m. — Cloquet vs. Holy Family Catholic at Williams Arena, U of M

            Class AAAA Preview

            (Section 4) Tartan, Oakdale (23-6) vs. (Section 6 & No. 1 Seed) Hopkins (28-1): The Titans of Tartan are making their first tournament appearance since 2005. It is the 10th overall appearance for the team that won a championship in 2000. Unranked in the final MBN poll, Tartan is led in scoring by senior Keenen Bellaphant and ninth-grader Jordan Horn, who average 12.0 and 10.7 points per game, respectively. Senior Brody Jackson is the Titans’ top rebounder with 6.7 boards per game. No. 2-ranked Hopkins returns after a one-year hiatus to make its 20th overall appearance. The Royals have earned championship honors eight times: 1952, 1953, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Hopkins averages 87.7 points per game on 51.1 percent shooting behind the balanced scoring of five players: senior Jacob Wright (16.3 points per game), sophomore Amir Coffey (15.1), senior Stephon Sharp (14.0), junior John Warren (12.2), and senior Kamali Chambers (11.6). Sharp is the top rebounder with 5.2 per game.

            (Section 2 & No. 5 Seed) Shakopee (22-6) vs. (Section 5 & No. 4 Seed) Osseo (22-7): Unranked Shakopee is making its first appearance since winning a title in 2005; it is the seventh overall appearance for the Sabers. Senior Tyler Weiss is the team’s leading scorer with an average of 14.9 points per game. Sophomore Steffon Mitchell adds 12.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Osseo, the champion in 2001 and 2012, is making its eighth appearance and first since its title-winning season two years ago. The Orioles closed the year ranked No. 9 in the final MBN poll. Senior Wheeler Baker leads the team in scoring at 22.1 points per game. Senior Ian Theisen, Osseo’s all-time leader in points and rebounds, scores an average of 15.4 points and grabs 8.7 boards per game. Senior Jordan Dembley adds 5.7 assists per game.

            (Section 8) Buffalo (23-6) vs. (Section 1 & No. 2 Seed) Lakeville North (24-5): Buffalo returns to tournament play for the first time since winning its only championship in 2007. It is the 11th overall appearance for the Bison, who finished the season unranked in the final MBN poll. Buffalo senior Collin Olmscheid leads the team in scoring and rebounds, averaging 17.3 points and 8.7 boards per game. Two other players average double-digit scoring: seniors Sam Ortmann with 14.0 points per game and Levi Bean with 13.9. Lakeville North is making its third consecutive and fourth overall appearance. The Panthers lost in the 2013 quarterfinals. Ranked No. 4 by MBN, Lakeville North is led by senior JP Macura, who averages 32.2 points per game. Macura is the leading scorer in school history and will play basketball for Xavier University next year. Junior Connor Flack contributes 13.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

            (Section 7) St. Francis (24-5) vs. (Section 3 & No. 3 Seed) Cretin-Derham Hall, St. Paul (23-6): St. Francis returns for a fourth tournament appearance and first since 2000. Senior Jake Johnson averages 19.3 points per game on 51.6 percent shooting from the field. He also leads the team with 8.1 rebounds per game and holds the school record for career rebounds (649). Champions in 1991 and 1993, the Raiders of Cretin-Derham Hall are making their eighth appearance and first since 2011. Junior Sam Neumann leads the team in points (20.1) and rebounds (7.9) per game. Junior Joe Rosga adds 17.1 points per game. Junior Donnell Gresham leads the team in assists with 5.4 per game to go along with 13.1 points. Both teams enter the tournament unranked in the final MBN poll.

            Class AAAA Quarterfinals Schedule — Wednesday, March 12

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

            12:00 p.m. — Shakopee vs. Osseo at Target Center

            2:00 p.m. — Buffalo vs. Lakeville North at Target Center

            4:00 p.m. — St. Francis vs. Cretin-Derham Hall at Target Center

           

            Television and Webcast Coverage

            All semifinal and championship games will be televised live by KSTC-TV, Channel 45, and also streamed live at Prep45.com for a fee of $4.97 per day. Live statistics of all games will also be displayed on the League website (www.MSHSL.org).

            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. The discount coupons are also available for the Girls’ Basketball Tournament.