When the calendar flips to March, anything can happen. With some highly-touted and talented teams in the Minnesota State High School League Section 5AA boys basketball tournament, there’s no doubt there will be some entertaining matchups. Along with top teams, there are several other talented teams that can play spoilers and make a run of their own.
Brooklyn Center, Annandale, and Watertown-Mayer are the clear top teams in the section. Brooklyn Center plays a tough regular season schedule, and have some impressive wins this season. Annandale is one of the best defensive teams in the section, and the state for that matter. They also have one of the best coaches in the state, as well in Don “Skip” Dolan. Watertown-Mayer boasts one of the best players in the state in Trae Berhow. Berhow is a finalist for the Mr. Basketball award, and is capable of leading the Royals to a state tournament appearance.
The Section 5AA tournament kicks off Thursday, March 9 with the high seeds hosting.
No. 1 Brooklyn Center
The Centaurs are the wild card team in the Section 5AA Tournament. Coming out of the Tri-Metro Conference, the Centraurs could be a scary team to face. An overall record of 18-7, and a 3-0 record against Section 5AA opponents this season gives the Centaurs the top seed.
The Centaurs are used to playing tough competition in their conference. Twice this season, they have faced the DeLaSalle Islanders, the No. 1 team in Class AAA. In their first meeting against the Islanders, the Centaurs lost by just 10 points. They also have impressive wins over Columbia Heights, Holy Angels, Bloomington Kennedy, and St. Paul Johnson. Playing against a majority of AAA schools all season long has the Centaurs poised for a deep run and a tough team to beat in the Section 5AA tournament.
Lu’Cye Patterson, a freshman, is the player to watch for the Centaurs. Patterson is averaging over 16 points per a game, and is the team’s leading scorer. Andreone Sprinkles and Devonta Prince are also key players to keep an eye on for the Centaurs, averaging over 13 points a game.
The Centaurs are young though, with just three seniors and two juniors on the roster.
No. 2 Watertown-Mayer
There’s no doubt the Watertown-Mayer Royals have the best player in the section in Berhow. Berhow, a University of Pepperdine commit, is more than capable of leading the Royals to their first state tournament appearance since 2012.
Berhow can simply stuff the stat sheet. With his size, quickness, and pure athleticism, he’s a nightmare matchup for opposing teams. Berhow has posted 14 games with 24 or more points, including a season-high 36 against Rockford last week. He’s also a 2,000-point-career scorer, and the Royals’ all-time scoring leader.
Watertown-Mayer’s Trae Berhow is arguably the best player in Section 5AA. WIth his size, quickness, and athleticism, Berhow is capable of leading the Royals to the section title.
If the Royals hope to come out on top and make a trip to the state tournament, Berhow will need his supporting cast to continue to play well. Drew Thibault, McKinley Gehlhausen, Ben Theisen, Ethan McCleary, and Riley Alger are all key players for the Royals if they hope to make a deep run.
Thibault and Alger and good shooters who will need to be able to make shots to help Berhow out who will likely be seeing double teams throughout the tournament. Gehlhausen, who missed some time with an ankle injury this season, will need to control the glass on both ends of the floor, and be a threat to score, as well.
Theisen, along with Thibault and Alger, will need to take care of the ball. The Royals have been turnover prone a few times this season, and will need to clean it up to make a run.
Entering as the No. 2 seed with an overall record of 22-4, and an 11-1 record against section opponents, the Royals are definitely a contender to cut down the nets at St. Cloud State University.
No. 3 Annandale
The Annandale Cardinals will be looking to get back to the state tournament for the fourth-straight year. Last season, the Cardinals were ousted in the Class AA State semifinals by Jackson County Central.
The Cardinals are an experienced bunch that bring a load of talent to the court. Senior Jarod Wilken is one of the best all-around players in the area. He can shoot, rebound, and defend. He also has a knack for making big-time plays when his team needs it most.
What’s scary about the Cardinals is their balance on the offensive end. Trenton Peterson, Collin Howard, AJ Hinz, Nick Bieniek, and Trent Peper are all capable of big scoring nights, as well. Overall, the Cardinals might send out the best starting lineup in the section.
The Cardinals are also one of the best defensive teams around. Scoring is never easy as they play great team defense, and make teams take difficult shots.
The Cardinals come into the tournament with an overall record 22-4, and a 10-2 record against Section 5AA opponents this season. They also won the Wright County Conference West title with a record of 13-1.
The Cardinals’ two losses against section opponents came at home against Watertown-Mayer and Eden Valley-Watkins. The Cardinals and Royals split their season series, with the visiting team winning each of the matchups.
If a team hopes to cut down the net and clinch a berth in the state tournament, there’s no doubt the Cardinals are the team you’ll have to go through. With their talent, depth, and experience, the Cardinals have to be the favorite to make another trip to the state tournament.
No. 4 Eden Valley-Watkins
The Eagles are a sneaky sleeper team that can surprise some people. The Eagles are one of two teams in the section to beat Annandale this season.
Playing in the Central Minnesota Conference, the Eagles are used to tough opponents like Holdingford and Kimball, where they finished in second place in the standings.
With an overall record of 19-5, and a 7-1 record against Section 5AA opponents, the Eagles earned the No. 5 seed. Their lone loss against Section 5AA teams came to Watertown-Mayer.
Rees Jansen and Jacob Streit are two players to watch for the Eagles. Both are capable scorers who are more then able to lead the Eagles on a deep run. Dominic Schlangen is another player to keep an eye on, as well. This Eagles team is one that can shock a few teams come tournament time.
No. 5 Breck
The Mustangs are another wild card team to keep an eye on. Coming out of the Independent Metro Athletic Conference, they sport some impressive wins. Victories over Heritage Christian, Rochester Lourdes, and Holy Angels helped the Mustangs claim the No. 4 seed. They also beat defending Class AA champion Braham this season.
The Mustangs are led by David Roddy and Kerwin Walton. Both are averaging over 16 points a game for the Mustangs. Joey Ganley and Josh Roddy are also key players to keep an eye on for the Mustangs.
The Mustangs enter with an overall record of 16-9, and a 4-3 record against section opponents. The three section opponent losses came against Annandale, Brooklyn Center, and Holy Family. The Mustangs are a team to be taken seriously with Roddy and Walton leading the way.
No. 6 SW Christian
Coming out of the MN Christian Athletic Association, the Stars claimed the No. 7 seed in the Section 5AA tournament with a record of 16-9, and a 4-1 record against section opponents.
The Stars also posted an impressive win when they defeated Litchfield 60-58 earlier this season. They also had a couple tough and close losses against good teams in Mayer Lutheran, Norwood Young America, and New Life Academy.
The Stars are a balanced team, which makes them tough to defend. Trey Sandness and Max Steensland both average over 11 points a game. Brady Bengston, Zach Winters, and Kyle Meinke are also key players for the Stars.
No. 7 Litchfield
The Dragons of Litchfield are another sneaky team to watch out for as they are capable of pulling off some upsets, as well. Don’t let their 16-10 verall record fool you; the Dragons are a good team. Seven of their 10 losses were by 10 or less points, including five games that were decided by five or less points. The Dragons post a 5-7 record against section opponents.
The Dragons have also been playing well as of late. To close out their regular season, they won seven their last 10 games.
Owen Boerema is a dangerous scorer who could win a game on his own almost. He’s averaging over 18 points a game, including a 31-point performance against Dassel-Cokato last week.
Noah Kreger, Brandon Nelson, and Jon Madsen are also key players to keep an eye on for the Dragons.
No. 8 Holy Family
The Fire are another sleeper team that could pull off some upsets come tourney time. Playing in the Wright County Conference against some tough teams, the Fire have taken some beatings, thus a sub .500 overall record of 10-16 With those loses against tough competition, the Fire can use that to get ready for playoffs.
Even with a non-impressive record, the Fire are a good team. Nathan Hendler is the go-to guy for the Fire, and for good reason. He’s averaging 17.8 points per a game, and can really stretch the floor on the offensive end. At 6-foot-4, he’s a tough guard for most players as he can play inside and out.
Lincoln Cizek is another key player to keep an eye on. He’s averaging over 15 points a game. Cizek and Hendler can shoot 3-pointers very well, as they have knocked down 131 of them this season combined.
If the Fire hope to make a run and pull off some upsets, they’ll need Hendler and Cizek to lead the way once again, as well as having other players step up.
The Fire are 4-2 against section opponents this season. Those two losses came via Watertown-Mayer and Annandale.
No. 9 Rockford
The Rockets have quietly have put together a solid season. Entering with a record of 16-10 overall, and a 5-6 record against section opponents, they’re a team to keep an eye on.
Jake Hall is the man on the court to watch for the Rockets. He’s averaging over 22 points a game, and is the go-to scorer. Hall scored 41 points in a 90-66 win over FAIR earlier this season, and has 11 games this season with 22 or more points.
If the Rockets hope to make a run, Hall will need some help. JJ Strumbel, Blake Young, Nick Manthana, and Luke Pepin are all guys who could step up and help the Rockets make a run.
No. 10 Spectrum
The Sting enter the Section 5AA tournament with a sub .500 record of 11-14, and a 2-5 record against section opponents.
Despite a lackluster record, the Sting have some talent to make a run. Cole Elrod, Kelton Sunderstrom, Matthew Kruse, and Max Lawrence are capable scorers on any night.
If the Sting hope to make a run, they’ll need everybody clicking on offense, as well needing to defend.
No. 11 HLWW
The Lakers of Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted have endured a tough up-and-down season. As of late though, the Lakers have been playing well. They won their last two games of the season, snapping a four-game losing streak. During that four-game losing streak, three of them were by 20 or more points.
There’s no doubt the Lakers have the talent to make a run. They just need to be more consistent under first year head coach James Carr. Brock Bangasser gives the Lakers some size inside, while Zach Uter helps them stretch the floor a bit playing the small forward position. Uter plays big for his size, has great touch inside, and is able to rebound with the best of them.
Brad Bickmann is the fearless leader for the Lakers. He’s not afraid to attack the basket and draw contact along the way.
Brad Bickmann is the fearless leader for the Lakers. Bickmann is not afraid to go in the lane and draw contact, and he can also knock down the outside shot.
If the Lakers hope to make a run and be a sleeper, they’ll need to play together and work on both ends of the floor.
No. 12 Maple Lake
The Irish of Maple Lake enter the tournament with a record of 8-17. The Irish have struggled of late, losing seven of their last 10 games. Mitch Hoistad, Andy Mavencamp, and Joe Stockman are the key players for the Irish.
No. 13 Providence Academy
The Lions are a sneaky good offensive team despite an overall record of 7-17. Mark Richelsen, Dylan Servais and Jackson Baird are the key players to watch for the Lions.
No. 14 FAIR
Like the Tommies, the Falcons have just two wins on the year. They’ve also lost their last 10 games heading into the tournament.
No. 15 Minneapolis Edison
The Tommies come in with just two wins on the season, and have lost their last three games of the regular season.
No. 16 Heritage Academy
The Hawks come into the tournament with nine wins, but their competition wasn’t the best. They earned the No. 15 seed, where they will face Paynesville in the play in game.
No. 17 Paynesville
The Bulldogs have had a tough season, with just one win on the year. They’ll look to play spoilers as they take on Heritage Academy in the play in game.
No. 18 PACT Charter
Along with the- Bulldogs, the Panthers enter with just one win on the season. The Panthers will looking to pull off the upset against Minneapolis Edison in the play in game.
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