Quantcast
skip navigation

Boys' basketball preview: Top 10 teams

By Star Tribune, 11/25/14, 10:43PM CST

Share

TOP 10 TEAMS


Apple Valley beat Eden Prairie 62-55 in their Class 4A Boys' Basketball State Tournament semifinal game Thursday night, March 21, 2013 at Target Center in Minneapolis. Apple Valley freshman Brock Bertram emerged from a timeout late in the game. ] JEFF

TOP 10 TEAMS

1. Apple Valley

The Eagles might be young, but they all remember 89-77. That was the final score when they were upset by Cretin-Derham Hall in the Class 4A, Section 3 championship game last March. Redemption is on the mind of coach Zach Goring’s group. It has talent and size.

 

2. DeLaSalle (3A)

The Islanders just reload. Winners of the Class 3A crown three consecutive years, they are overwhelming favorites to make it four. Per usual, the Islanders will be hard-nosed defensively. They’ve held opponents below an average of 50 points per game the past two seasons.

 

3. Cretin-Derham Hall

The Raiders welcome back four starters, all seniors, from a group that finished fourth in the state tournament a year ago. They would like nothing better than to conclude their fourth year of high school with a state championship.

 

4. Hopkins

Three years without a state championship seems like a long time for the Royals. They lost five of their top seven players from the state tournament runner-up group of a year ago. Coach Ken Novak’s squad doesn’t possess the physical presence of previous teams.

 

5. Champlin Park

The Rebels resemble Cretin-Derham Hall with outstanding guards. They return three backcourt starters from a 25-3 squad last season. They’re an athletic group who will play up-tempo and be aggressive on defense. Their play up front will determine their level of success.

 

6. Minnetonka

The Skippers always seem to have highly-touted individuals and are considered one of the top big schools in the state. That being said, they haven’t been to the state tournament since winning it all in 2008. Is this the year they return?

 

7. Armstrong

Just the opposite of Minnetonka. Armstrong and coach Greg Miller never get enough R-E-S-P-E-C-T. The Falcons have won 40 games the past two seasons with a young squad. Expectations are high, and their first appearance in the state tournament since 2007 is possible.

 

8. Maple Grove

The Crimson has talent, but its marquee players are young. Both 6-9 junior power forward Reed Nikko and 6-2 sophomore point guard Brad Davison are ranked in the top five of their respective classes in the state. They also have two other outstanding sophomores.

 

9. Eden Prairie

Eagles coach David Flom finds himself in an unusual predicament. “This will be the most talented offensive team I have coached in my nine years at Eden Prairie,” Flom said. He guided the Eagles to four consecutive state tourney trips from 2009-13. A one-year hiatus might be the limit.

 

10. East Ridge

The new kid on the block — the Woodbury school was founded in 2009 — is seeking its first state tournament berth. The Raptors have a lot of size and will be tough to score on. They are led by 6-4 senior point guard Sid Tomes, who is headed to Air Force.

 

RON HAGGSTROM

Related Stories