If you’re like me, you’re already excited about the thought of postseason basketball coming up around the corner. With the calendar flipping to February, it’s all but natural to start thinking about one of the best times of the year.
While one of the big reasons the section playoffs look to be a blast this season is the amount of great teams in the area, the other half is, you never know what might happen.
Section playoffs still might be two to three weeks away, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to get excited about. In fact, there’s the perfect scenario playing out right now that will give us a taste of what’s to come in the postseason.
I’m talking about the battle in the Wright County Conference West right now in girls basketball. Some ignorant or uninformed people may laugh or even scoff at the idea of girls basketball being must-watch, but in this conference, it sure is. It’s great basketball being played from top to bottom.
With perennial powerhouses like Annandale, New London-Spicer, Glencoe-Silver Lake, and Watertown-Mayer battling it out for the WCC West title, fans in the area are going to get a taste of the playoffs a bit early. There will be lots of scoreboard watching and coaches reminding their players to take it one game at a time.
Even though it will be key for the players and coaches to take it one game at a time, it doesn’t mean I can’t look ahead and analyze the final weeks of the regular season that look to be as exciting as ever.
At the top stands the Watertown-Mayer Royals with a conference record of 8-1. With the departure of Kirstin Klitzke and Claire Killian from last year’s team that made a deep state tournament run, not many people thought the Royals would be as good as they are this season. That includes myself.
Obviously, the Royals have a great player in Iowa commit and Miss Minnesota Basketball nominee Monika Czinano back this season. I knew she would make them competitive, but I had no idea how much the guard play would stepup and deliver. Emma Maas, Emma Ragner, and Maggie Czinano are playing great basketball right now for the Royals and doing a great job of working the ball inside with Monika Czinano, and being ready to knock down shots on the outside.
The Royals also brought back one of the best rebounders in the area in senior Grace Knutson. At just 5-foot-6, Knutson a relentless motor, and knows how to use her body to get just about every rebound that comes her way, even against taller opponents. If her rebounding isn’t enough, Knutson has also make huge strides in her offensive game, making her a viable threat that opponents have to take serious.
While all that is good for the Royals, it’s been the younger players on the bench who have filled in nicely. Shelby Mueller, Jenna Barden, and Libby Heilman have been giving coach John Rosholt great minutes off the bench as of late.
Believe it or not, the Royals are a serious contender this season for the WCC West title as they sit atop the standings with just five conference games remaining.
Right below the Royals in the standings are the Glencoe-Silver Lake Panthers and Annandale Cardinals. Both the Panthers and Cardinals have two losses thus far in the WCC West. The Panthers defeated the Cardinals 48-40 earlier this season, while the Cardinals gave the Royals their lone conference loss of the season.
When it comes to the Panthers, you have to look at McKenna Monahan. The senior can light it up in a hurry, and change a game quickly.
She’s posted seven games with 20 or more points, including a 40-point performance in a win over highly-touted Hutchinson earlier this season.
The Panthers also feature other key players alongside Monahan. Alison Kettner, Miah Monahan, and Olivia Lemke are all proven scorers, and could go off at any point.
Looking at the Cardinals, they have one of the toughest matchups for teams in Hannah Purcell. She is a nightmare to guard for opposing teams with her ability to play inside and out. Try and put a smaller defender on her and she’ll post you right up. Try and throw a big on her, and she’ll take you outside and go right by you.
Allie Spaulding also gives the Cardinals another big threat inside, and with solid guard play around the big two, the Cardinals are a scary team to face when you have hopes of a conference title.
Then, there’s the New London-Spicer Wildcats. Although they sit with four losses in the WCC West currently, they’re still in it. The Wildcats will need to play their best ball to close out the season if they want to stay in it. A win Friday night against Annandale at home would go a long way.
You can’t count out the Wildcats with Shea Oman leading the way. Oman is another local player on the Miss Minnesota Basketball list, and can change a game for her team at any moment.
You always have to keep an eye on the spoilers in the WCC West. Although a conference title for Litchfield, Rockford, Mound Westonka, and Dassel-Cokato isn’t likely, you can’t sleep on those teams. Litchfield just recently knocked off Annandale at home, while Mound Westonka and Dassel-Cokato are playing teams tough the second time around.
Whatever happens, it sure is going to be a lot of fun to see how it all plays out. While we sit and wait patiently for the best time of the year in section playoffs to begin, let’s enjoy the wild west that is the Wright County Conference West.
Below is a look at some of the big matchups to watch in the final few weeks of the regular season.
FRIDAY, FEB. 2
ANNANDALE AT NEW LONDON-SPICER
A win by the Cardinals would all but eliminate the Wildcats from a shot at the conference title. If the Wildcats could pull of the win at home, they’ll be just one game back of the Cardinals in the standings. Annandale defeated NL-S 48-33 in the first matchup.
THURSDAY, FEB. 8
NL-S AT ROCKFORD
The Rockets have been tough at home this season, even on the better teams. Three of the four losses in conference play this season for the Wildcats have come on the road.
FRIDAY, FEB. 9
G-SL at LITCHFIELD
The Panthers can’t take the Dragons lightly on the road. Just ask the Annandale Cardinals. If the Panthers want to keep pace with the Royals, they’ll need to take care of business.
ANNANDALE AT WATERTOWN-MAYER
Depending on how the Annandale/NL-S game goes, this one could be for the conference title. The Cardinals handed the Royals their only loss in conference play earlier this month, but the Royals have been a tough team at home, posting a 9-2 record on their home court. They’ve played some tough teams at home too, with wins over NL-S, G-SL, Norwood Young America, and Mayer Lutheran.
TUESDAY, FEB. 13
W-M AT G-SL
If both teams continue to win and take care of business, this one could be for the conference title. The Royals edged the Panthers at home earlier this season, but with the Panthers getting the Royals at home, they’ll be looking for some payback.
FRIDAY, FEB. 16
G-SL AT ANNANDALE
The WCC West will likely be locked for one team by the time this game is played, but it’s still going to be a great matchup. Both teams will be looking to gain some momentum and will be fighting to hopefully move up to a higher seed for section playoffs.
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Twitter: @Kovar_HJSports