Conference preview: Some of the best are in the Metro West
It’s not often that a team can lose four seniors and another talented starter and actually get better. That could, believe it or not, be the case in Chaska. The Hawks graduated Kylie Willems, Marissa Grothe, Dani Rief, Nicole Lenzen,…
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Continue ReadingIt’s not often that a team can lose four seniors and another talented starter and actually get better. That could, believe it or not, be the case in Chaska. The Hawks graduated Kylie Willems, Marissa Grothe, Dani Rief, Nicole Lenzen, and Veronica Quinn. Junior Destinee Bursch transferred to Eden Prairie. That has simply opened the door for the youngsters to take over, and what a group of kids it is. Led by the #3-prospect in the Prep Girls Hoops Class of 2022 – 6’2 forward Mallory Heyer – Chaska is loaded with young talent.
In addition to Heyer, the Hawks have a #5, a #6, a #14 and a #45 who may not even crack the lineup. In all, Chaska boasts nine ranked players. As we saw at the Hall of Fame tournament in late July, the new-look lineup can really go. Chaska knocked off Hopkins, Rogers and Eastview at the event, and Heyer scored 60 points. 6th-ranked junior Kaylee Van Eps played shut-down defense and filled up the basket, as well. In fall league we saw the insertion of 6’5 forward Jessica Heir begin to pay dividends along with the tremendous weapon that is freshman point guard Kennedy Sanders (#5). Freshman forward Ashley Schulke (#14) will be an impact player as will talented combo guard Kelsey Willems (#82).
The sum total of all of that is this: Chaska has to be favored to win the Metro West Conference. That didn’t happen last winter. After rolling to an 18-3 start, the Hawks stumbled to the finish line by losing four of their last five games. In that swoon was a loss to Cooper that enabled the orange-clad Robbinsdale version of the Hawks to win the conference at 12-2. Chaska finished 11-3.
Cooper will be different now. Gone is coach Kiara Buford. The team graduated standout point guard Aja Wheeler (Alcorn State) who scored 15 points per game. Also departed are Alexis Nance, Arthel Massaquoi and Sierra Lynch, who is off to an outstanding start to her college career at NIACC in Iowa. The team is now built around three of the best from the class of 2021: top-20 post Kierra Wheeler, shooting guard Andrea Tribble (#39) and point guard Jayla Reliford (#79).
The other serious contender would be St. Louis Park, which also has some elite-level talent and the motivation to improve on their 9-5 record from one year ago. The Orioles are led by the #5 player in the Class of 2021 in Kendall Coley, a silky smooth forward who holds a pocketful of high D1 offers. She averaged 11 points and 5 rebounds per game last season. Coley is joined by one of the most-improved prospects in the state in forward Raegan Alexander (#21), who averaged 14 and 9. The Orioles did lose MSU-Mankato recruit Lindsay Olson and Sophie Olmen (St. Olaf) to graduation but return key seniors Shayla Miller (#37) and Jordyn Turek (#138) plus underclassmen Faith Johnson (2021 #148) and Ellie Austad (2022 #88).
After that there are a lot of unknowns. Benilde-St. Margaret’s has Patience Williams, a top-20 senior who may have to do it all following the graduation of Aiana Whitfield, Cheyanne Carter, Isabelle Fleming and Olivia Williams. The Red Knights were 7-7 one year ago.
Bloomingon Kennedy was 9-5 but the Eagles have been decimated by graduations. Coach Quinton Johnson returns just one senior after losing eight, and they will be young, younger, youngest. Sophomore forward Samara Buchanan (#118) has been good in fall league. Freshman point guard Ashlee Burchette has handles and athleticism and 8th grader Daviana Buchanan will also play a role.
Chanhassen finished 5-9 last year. They have one of the very best players in the state in #9 sophomore Callin Hake, who was at the Team USA tryouts in Colorado Springs last season. Hake averaged 20 points per game as a freshman but will have to shoulder most of the load again this year. Bloomington Jefferson (2-12) has looked better at times this fall despite losing a boatload of seniors.
TOP TALENT TO WATCH
Mallory Heyer – #3 sophomore forward, Chaska
Kendall Coley – #5 junior forward, St. Louis Park
Kaylee Van Eps – #6 junior guard, Chaska
Callin Hake – #9 sophomore guard, Chanhassen
Patience Williams – #19 senior forward, Benilde-St. Margaret’s
Kierra Wheeler – #18 junior forward, Cooper
Raegan Alexander –#21 junior forward, St. Louis Park
Kennedy Sanders – #5 freshman guard, Chaska
Shayla Miller – #37 senior guard/forward, St. Louis Park
Andrea Tribble – #39 junior guard, Cooper
OTHERS TO WATCH
Ashley Schuelke – freshman forward, Chaska (#14)
Jessica Heir – sophomore forward, Chaska
Jordyn Turek – senior guard, St. Louis Park
Kelsey Willems – junior guard, Chaska
Samara Buchanan – sophomore forward, Bloomington Kennedy
Top photo: Junior point guard Jayla Reliford takes over as floor general for Robbinsdale Cooper. (photo courtesy of Hometown Source)