Metro East Conference Preview

There were some very good basketball teams in the Metro East Conference last winter – the Mahtomedi Zephyrs at 22-4 were definitely the best – and that isn't all that surprising when you start digging through the rosters. No less than five of the eight teams boast one or more players rated in the top 10 of their class with a couple more lurking nearby. With all of that talent on hand, it's going to be an interesting season and picking the order of finish is not easy. Here's our best guess with last year's conference record in parentheses. 1. Mahtomedi (13-1) Mahtomedi lost just once in conference play in 2016-17 and only four times overall. One of those losses was in the section 4AAA semifinals to De la Salle, however, an outcome that undoubtedly still stings. That marked the departure by graduation of Maria Gustafson, Samantha Hogan and Maggie Freking, who averaged 22 points per game. For most teams, that would be a big problem. For Mahtomedi, not so much. After all, the Zephyrs have the services of Emma Grothaus. The 6'3" stretch 4 had a dominant summer for North Tartan, earning national accolades and a spot in the ESPN Top 100. The #9-rated player in the senior class, Grothaus (19 & 9) is terrific at both ends of the floor and plays with intelligence, grace and poise. She's committed to D1 Lehigh. Grothaus is accompanied by versatile senior forward Annika Sougstad. Ranked 47th, Sougstad had a terrific summer and will no doubt be a scholarship-level player next year. Another Zephyr who has rocketed up the rankings is sophomore guard Saley Underwood. She will likely play a key role, helping to ensure that Grothaus and Sougstad get the ball in the right place at the right time. Freshman Ella Hronski is good enough to possibly slip into the rotation, as well, but one player who won't is sophomore Julia Salmen. She is out with a torn ACL. Mahtomedi might not win 13 conference games again this year but they will probably win more than anyone else. 2. Hastings (11-3) There are plenty of good high school teams with multiple contributors who come together to achieve success. Hill-Murray, for example. Then there are teams that revolve around one or two shining stars whose skill set is well beyond that of their supporting cast. That's Hastings, where senior Krystal Carlson and sophomore Mallory Brake are at a whole other level. Carlson has been racking up buckets at Hastings forever, and Brake was a grizzled veteran in middle school. The 5'11" Carlson is the #5 player in the Class of 2018, a surefire D1 talent who has opted instead to play D2 ball at the University of Sioux Falls. She averaged 19 & 10 as a junior. Brake (13 & 8) is #6 in her class, and the 6-footer can play any position you want. (That's how I snuck her into the top 5 all stars below!) But what else does Hastings have? Truthfully, we're not sure. It was definitely a blow losing junior Haylee Yaeger (13 ppg) who has crossed the river to Prescott, Wisc. That leaves work duty to juniors Megan Mattson and Lauren Jackson, and seniors Cici Carlson and Caprice Van Den Assam. Hastings will be good but not quite good enough to dethrone the Zephyrs. Mark your calendars for Jan. 16 and Feb. 16 because watching Grothaus and Sougstad do battle with Carlson and Brake is going to be good. 3. Simley (8-6) Young, younger, youngest. That's how we have been describing the Simley Spartans for some time now. It appears that the waiting may be over for the talented sophomore trio of Tee Tee Danso, Rayvn Miles and Sydney Stensgard to do damage in the Metro East. Led by new head coach Mark Stensaard, Sibley will be a tough out for years to come. Senior Jenna Paulsen (7 ppg) was lost to graduation along with Aejah Lockett (10 ppg), but Danso, Miles and Stensgard were already the core of the team as 9th graders. Danso, a prodigious rebounder who plays summer ball for North Tartan, is the #8-rated player in the Class of 2020. Crafty guard Miles is not far behind at 12th, while the versatile Stensgaard is #26. Both play for Minnesota Fury 2020 Blue. Simley has more elite talent on the way, including 8th graders Itianna Salaam and Acheampomaah Danso. The Spartans may be one year off from a conference championship but you get the feeling there will soon be a banner in Inver Grove Heights. 4. Hill-Murray (7-7) The Pioneers were a bit of an enigma last year, posting a record of 12-15. Hill lost by a single basket to Fridley, De la Salle and Park Cottage Grove, and dropped a game to North St. Paul. The Pioneers graduated just 7 ppg, however, and will rely on a trio of talented juniors to do the heavy lifting. Guard Delaney Runyon, the #76 player in the Class of 2019, leads the way at 13 ppg. Grace Prokosh, a 5'10" forward (#75), averaged 10 ppg, point guard Vanessa Wren contributed 9 more, and senior Madisen Rogers added 7. That's a solid nucleus. Freshman Bella Hartzel was a regular last season and much is expected of her. Ditto for long, athletic freshman Gionna Carr. Veteran coach Erin Herman will no doubt have the Pioneers moving the ball and defending in your face. Tartan may be more talented but Hill-Murray's experience should still win out. T5. Tartan (7-7) It's hard to know what to make of the Titans. There is no doubt they will miss athletic big Zaria Whitlock, now at D1 Southern Illinois. This is a talented young squad, however, and many observers think Tartan underachieved last year. Sophomore power forward Zareia Chevre (12 & 3) leads the way now. She's a top 10 player who offers a rare combination of strength and skill. Tartan has four more solid sophomores in K'Tia Cummings, Nevaeh Moeschter, Jade Xiong and Aurora Roberts. Junior Kendra Ekereke is a 5'11' forward who led the team in rebounding. Unfortunately, Tartan will be without freshman guard Takara Mason, the 13th-ranked player of 2021. Mason suffered a major knee injury and may miss the entire season. Tartan is more athletic and more talented than Sibley but the two teams will probably fight it out for 5th. T5. Henry Sibley (7-7) The Spartans boast one of the premiere players in the state in 6'1" junior Tori Nelson, who averaged 19 & 7 last season. Nelson is #4 in the class, and committed to D1 South Dakota State. A finesse forward with beautiful touch, Tori can score inside and out and consistently plays at a very high level. Sibley was expected to rely heavily on another top 50 player, but we are hearing that 6'1" senior Ally Tetzlaff is absent due to health issues. That's a big blow. Mary Leslie averaged 6 ppg and can shoot the three. Sophomore SeSe Burks is a two-year letter winner who is much improved. A pair of youngsters – freshman Jaelyn Orth and 8th grader Jaylen Rosga – could also play a part. If new coach Harry Jenness can get the best out of his group, Sibley could give Tartan a scare. T7. North St. Paul (2-12) Over the past two seasons, North St. Paul has largely been a one-woman show as talented middle school PG Alexis Pratt put up 16 ppg. She's now at Stillwater. North lost just one player to graduation but Abigail Schouvieller was the Polars' second-leading scorer at 11 ppg. Do the math and the Alexis and Abigail show added up to 63 percent of the team's offense. Now what? New coach Scott Antl has been roaming the hallways looking for additional athletes to complement returnees Lily Pfefferie, Kelli McCane, Nicole Anderson and Madalyyn Sloan. He will no doubt preach defense and hard work as rebuilding teams do. The Polars might be good enough to split their series with South St. Paul but that's about it. T7. South St. Paul (1-13) The Packers will be much like the Polars. They, too, won just six games overall and only one in conference play. South St. Paul does have one quality player to build around, however, in 6-foot forward Savannah Youngstrom. Savannah had a good summer in AAU, and earned a spot just outside our 2020 top 100. Youngstrom has a slight build but great length, and is an intriguing prospect. The Packers lost just 3 ppg to graduation. Returning juniors Roxy Veldman (8 ppg) Kim Skwira (7) and Kory Rutkowski (5 & 5) will be counted on to perform as South St. Paul tries to climb out of the basement. All-Metro East C – Emma Grothaus, Mahtomedi, senior F – Krystal Carlson, Hastings, senior F – Tori Nelson, Henry Sibley, junior PG – Rayvn Miles, Simley, sophomore SG – Mallory Brake, Hastings, sophomore 2nd Team C – Tee Tee Danso, Simley, sophomore F – Zareia Chevre, Tartan, sophomore F – Annika Sougstad, Mahtomedi, senior PG – Sydney Stensgard, Simley, sophomore SG – Delaney Runyon, Hill-Murray, junior Stock Raisers C – Savannah Youngstrom, South St. Paul, sophomore F – Kendra Ekereke, Tartan, junior F – Grace Prokosh, Hill-Murray, junior PG – Saley Underwood, Mahtomedi, sophomore SG – Bella Hartzell, Hill-Murray, freshman