The STMA Knights are the defending Class AAAA State Champions, and they will begin defense of their state title on Wednesday at Williams Arena, and KRWC will have all the live coverage beginning at 3:45 PM. In fact AM 1360 KRWC, krwc1360.com and our app. will have all of the Knights games live on their quest to repeat as champions. Below is a preview for the Class AAAA state tournament. Good luck to the Knights!
The Teams:
#1 Seed: Hopkins Royals, 25-3.
How they got here: Defeated Edina 79-55, and Wayzata 78-62 in the sections.
Key Players: Liv McGill(23 ppg.), Tatum Woodson(14 ppg.), and Lauren Hillesheim(12 ppg.)
About the Royals: Hopkins is trying to get the state championship back after the Knights ended their run last year and they may have the top player in the state in McGill. Hopkins is so dangerous because of a great ball movement, and a tenacious defense that likes to get out and run. Have to avoid big runs to beat them.
Liv McGill, above, is off to Florida to play hoops next fall, but this week she would like to add a state championship to her resume.
#2 Seed: Minnetonka Skippers, 26-2.
How they got here: Defeated Prior Lake 71-54, and Eden Prairie 41-39 in sections.
Key Players: Aalyiah Crump(24 ppg.), Tori McKinney(15 ppg.), and Lanelle Wright(14 ppg.)
About the Skippers: Crump and McKinney are two of the top players in the country and the Skippers have arrived as serious title contender. The issue with the Skippers they are not deep and had to survive a rock fight with Eden Prairie to reach state. Are they ready for this moment?
Aalyiah Crump, above, is one of the top ranked underclass basketball players in the country.
#3 Seed: STMA Knights, 22-7.
How they got here: Defeated Bemidji 90-27, Sartell 75-38, and Elk River 61-47 in the sections.
Key Players: Ja’Kahla Craft(25 ppg.), Cail Jahnke(15 ppg.), and Abby Hoselton(12 ppg.)
About the Knights: The defending state champs went through a slump in the middle of the year when Craft went down with a hand injury, but since here return the Knights are back in business. The one issue this year has been defense, as STMA isn’t quite as efficient on defense as usual, but a still a title contender. One quick note, look out for Ava Haus from three point range, as she could be an x factor for the Knights.
Ja’Kahla Craft, above, is back to try and lead the Knights to another state championship.
#4 Seed: Maple Grove Crimson, 24-4.
How they got here: Defeated Champlin Park 79-52, and Mounds View 80-48 in the sections.
Key Players: Jordan Ode(21 ppg.), Claire Stern(15 ppg.), Ava Cossette(10 ppg.)
About the Crimson: The Crimson are locking in on defense giving up 50 points or less in five of their last six games. Maple Grove has a deep bench and it seems like someone always comes out of nowhere to have a big game for Maple Grove. Serious sleeper team to keep an eye on.
Jordan Ode, above, hopes to lead the Crimson to a surprise run at the state tournament.
#5 Seed: Lakeville North Panthers, 24-5.
How they got here: Defeated Owatonna 70-30, New Prague 82-56, and Lakeville South 62-54 in sections.
Key Players: Gabby Betton(15 ppg.), Trinity Wilson(13 ppg.), Grace Winge(11 ppg.)
About the Panthers: This is a different Panthers team than in the past. North has always been known for their stout defense, but in the last few years while the defense isn’t quite as good, the offense has really taken off, with 14 games of 70 or more points.
Gabby Betton, above, has helped lead the Panthers back to the state tournament.
Random Draw: Rosemount Irish, 22-6.
How they got here: Defeated Hastings 94-35, and Eastview 71-48 in the sections.
Key Players: Annalisa Ramalall(18 ppg.), Avery Moeller(18 ppg.), and Ayelisha Teko-Folly(10 ppg.)
About the Irish: The Irish are a dangerous first round opponent for STMA. Rosemount has won seven straight and they have played a tough schedule which should prepare them for the tough state tournament field. The Irish also have a lot of scoring options, should be a tough out.
The Rosemount Irish, above, defeated Eastview in the Section finals.
Random Draw: Andover Huskies, 24-4.
How they got here: Defeated Blaine 55-37, and Anoka 90-77 in the sections.
Key Players: Ava Vaalor(19 ppg.), Piper Engelby(14 ppg.), and Morgan Miller(14 ppg.)
About the Huskies: The Huskies record might be a little deceiving as they had the easiest schedule of the tournament field, and didn’t defeat any team in the field, but they are still a formidable team. They have four scoring threats, and any or all are capable of going off in a one game situation. Might not be easy for Minnetonka.
Andover, above in gold defeated Anoka to reach the state tournament.
Random Draw: White Bear Lake Bears, 21-7.
How they got here: Defeated Woodbury 60-41, and East Ridge 56-48 in the sections.
Key Players: Jordan Schmitdiel(18 ppg.), Heidi Barber(10 ppg.), and Sarah Poepard(10 ppg.)
About the Bears: This is a very typical Bears team. They play stellar defense, are patient on offense, and look to keep the game close and steal it in the end. The downfall for the Bears is they don’t have a lot of scoring options after Schmitdiel and Barber. If on of those two or both get in foul trouble it will be tough for the Bears to score.
Heidi Barber, above, is both a standout player in basketball and softball for the Bears.
Bottom Line: It’s going to hard for the Knights to repeat, but their is a chance. The top three teams are all Lake Conference teams, so they know each other so well if they meet in the tournament. Hopkins looks like the favorite, but Minnetonka and STMA should challenge. Big question for the Skippers, is are they ready for this moment? What happens if Crump or McKinney get in foul trouble? For the Knights it’s do they have the defense to match up with all the weapons’ Hopkins has and can they hang with the Royals for two halves. The Knights were in both games with Hopkins, but the Royals pulled away in both matchups. Looking for a darkhorse? Maple Grove may be that team. Ode is very talented and this team competes on D and has a lot of different players that can score.
