Conference preview: Best of the Northwest Suburban

Everything is big in the Northwest Suburban Conference. With 14 teams and two divisions, it’s a big conference, and the schools themselves are almost all really big. And there are some big names, too, including the biggest name of all: [player_tooltip player_id="6389" first="Adalia" last="McKenzie"], who is the #1-ranked senior in Minnesota. You’ll find the Illinois commit carrying the load at Park Center, which has undergone the biggest roster transformation among the traditional contenders in the Northwest Suburban Conference. The Pirates have been one of the powers of the conference for a long time, a team full of talented athletes with a flair for the dramatic. And they have been a lot of fun to watch. This season, though, we don’t really know what to expect out of Brooklyn Park as the Pirates’ roster has been transformed by the graduation of starters [player_tooltip player_id="1932" first="Lauren" last="Frost"] (Omaha), [player_tooltip player_id="56264" first="Aaliyah" last="Ragulen"] (Seward CC) and [player_tooltip player_id="56260" first="Kayla" last="Cox"] (NIACC). Also departed is senior [player_tooltip player_id="109743" first="T’Naye" last="Griffin"] (to St. Louis Park), sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="108319" first="Aniyah" last="Reuben"] (to Minnehaha Academy) and freshman sensation [player_tooltip player_id="178269" first="Alivia" last="McGill"] (to Hopkins). But there’s still Adalia, a dynamic offensive talent who can score the basketball pretty much any way you want. If she can get her teammates together – seniors <strong>Chloe Cink</strong> and <strong>Aliyah Wensel</strong>, and freshmen <strong>Helen Ben</strong> and <strong>Tiana Lloyd</strong> come to mind – and score at her usual torrid pace, anything is possible. <strong>The Favorite</strong> While there may be uncertainty at Park Center, there is no such thing at Maple Grove. The Crimson are the ‘Steady Eddies’ of the Northwest Suburban. Every year the Crimson play pretty much the same way – they defend hard, share the basketball, stick to the fundamentals and put in the work. This year should be no different, although they will definitely miss 2020 top 10 [player_tooltip player_id="56228" first="Abby" last="Schulte"], whose collegiate career is off to a flying start at North Dakota State. Maple Grove will be led by [player_tooltip player_id="57081" first="Jordyn" last="Lamker"], a versatile athlete with a big motor and a Division 1 college commitment to St. Thomas in her back pocket. Running the show in the back court is [player_tooltip player_id="109815" first="Kylie" last="Baranick"], the diminutive point guard with the high IQ. Top-50 junior guard [player_tooltip player_id="109140" first="Ari" last="Gordon"] is one of the state’s best defenders. Shooting guard [player_tooltip player_id="147458" first="Kyla" last="Overskei"] is one of the state’s most improved players, as is sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="108336" first="Audrey" last="Kormann"]. And then there’s [player_tooltip player_id="57971" first="Becca" last="White"], <strong>Izzy Brant</strong>, <strong>Sophia Kormann</strong>, [player_tooltip player_id="57941" first="Kiera" last="Albers"], [player_tooltip player_id="186141" first="Ella" last="Edstrom"]… you get the idea. Bottom line: the Crimson are very deep and there are a slew of talented youngsters waiting in the wings. <strong>The Contenders</strong> Elk River has been impacted significantly by the graduation of guards [player_tooltip player_id="110544" first="Lydia" last="Haack"] (Upper Iowa), [player_tooltip player_id="110883" first="Mikayla" last="Kanenwisher"] (Anoka-Ramsey), <strong>Alexa Engebretson</strong> (UW-Eau Claire) and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="110893" first="Abby" last="Barschdorf"]</strong> (Hamline). They’ll be replaced by understudies [player_tooltip player_id="30168" first="Ava" last="Berg"], [player_tooltip player_id="109794" first="Elly" last="Bahr"] (UW-River Falls), [player_tooltip player_id="57942" first="Hope" last="Kanenwisher"], [player_tooltip player_id="108343" first="Natalie" last="Murphy"] and [player_tooltip player_id="186115" first="Jordan" last="Langbehn"]. Up front Elk River boasts St. Thomas commit [player_tooltip player_id="109751" first="Johanna" last="Langbehn"], a top-30 prospect, along with 2023 top-15 talent [player_tooltip player_id="108309" first="Ella" last="Johnson"], who is poised for a breakthrough season. With a supporting cast that includes <strong>Ellie Maass</strong> and <strong>Mandy Christy</strong> you get the impression the Elks will be tough to handle once again. Spring Lake Park loses outstanding point guard [player_tooltip player_id="110877" first="Joelle" last="Talso"] (North Central) along with regulars <strong>Julia Levahn</strong>, <strong>Ashlea Nienow</strong> and <strong>Taryn Richard</strong>, but they still have plenty to work with. D1 commit [player_tooltip player_id="130031" first="Macy" last="Smith"] (Cal State Northridge) is a top-30 talent who leads a strong core group that includes point guard [player_tooltip player_id="57934" first="Averi" last="Dunbar"], forwards [player_tooltip player_id="109829" first="Madi" last="Ngene"] and [player_tooltip player_id="186137" first="Kylie" last="Diaz"], and guard [player_tooltip player_id="148335" first="Camryn" last="Smith"]. Freshman forward [player_tooltip player_id="178272" first="Mikayla" last="Thomas"] is rated #6 in the class of 2024 and will probably be a major factor in 2021. Centennial will be without point guard [player_tooltip player_id="110885" first="Grace" last="Johnson"] (St. Scholastica track), along with D1 prospect [player_tooltip player_id="109145" first="Hannah" last="Herzig"], a top-50 junior who moves over to Totino-Grace. Returning is big [player_tooltip player_id="29521" first="Jenna" last="Guyer"] (Green Bay), who is one of the premier posts in the state, along with wing [player_tooltip player_id="6396" first="Jodi" last="Anderson"] (North Dakota), a top-20 performer. Guard [player_tooltip player_id="109182" first="Camille" last="Cummings"] has made tremendous strides over the summer. Senior <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="109811" first="Claire" last="Johnson"]</strong>, juniors <strong>Sydney Kubes</strong> and <strong>Haley Mulberry</strong>, along with sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="148337" first="Megan" last="Stacy"] are players to watch. And then there’s freshman [player_tooltip player_id="215953" first="Marisa" last="Frost"], who could make a very big splash if given the opportunity. Champlin Park has a new coach in Arthur Crutch who has inherited plenty of talent. The Rebels lose guards [player_tooltip player_id="110547" first="Izzy" last="Quick"] (Gustavus) and [player_tooltip player_id="110917" first="Miyah" last="DuBose"] (Seward CC) to graduation. They return a crew of standout guards, including junior [player_tooltip player_id="109143" first="Mikaelah" last="Counce"], senior [player_tooltip player_id="109800" first="Amaya" last="Doree"] (NIACC), junior [player_tooltip player_id="57930" first="Amelia" last="Valentino"], and sophomores [player_tooltip player_id="108331" first="Nicole" last="Lillard"] and <strong>Malayna Dille-Starks</strong>. That’s a strong group. Up front, seniors [player_tooltip player_id="109814" first="Gina" last="Stefferud"] (Minot State) and [player_tooltip player_id="146173" first="Maya" last="Fitzpatrick"] (Wayne State) lead the way along with junior [player_tooltip player_id="109175" first="Izzy" last="John"]. Champlin Park has the cast to steal the show if it all comes together well. One of the most intriguing teams in the conference is Andover, where coach Blake Nicols will have to replace four of his top eight players from one year ago. Among the graduates are [player_tooltip player_id="110926" first="Emily" last="Diemer"], <strong>Taylor Elynck</strong>, and <strong>Liz Donner</strong> along with all-everything guard [player_tooltip player_id="110534" first="Sydney" last="White"] (Sioux Falls), whose 19 points per game will be missed. The Huskies boast a veteran core that includes seniors [player_tooltip player_id="146168" first="Alyssa" last="Gerth"], [player_tooltip player_id="57142" first="Kylie" last="Scowcroft"] and [player_tooltip player_id="146174" first="Annie" last="Feine"], along with junior [player_tooltip player_id="109190" first="Jersey" last="Castillo"]. It is the freshman class that is most intriguing – it includes #27 [player_tooltip player_id="178262" first="Emma" last="Frost"], #28 [player_tooltip player_id="215970" first="Morgan" last="Miller"] and #31 [player_tooltip player_id="178261" first="Piper" last="Engelby"] – and any of them might emerge as a significant factor this winter. That brings us to the great enigma, the Rogers Royals. Over the past couple of seasons we have been excited about what might be possible in Rogers. With some elite-level talent, and a core of veterans, much was expected from the Royals but they weren’t able to put it all together on the court. Now, under new coach Patrick Bowlin, Rogers has a fresh start. Gone are graduates [player_tooltip player_id="110548" first="Alaina" last="Brenning"] (Upper Iowa) and [player_tooltip player_id="110920" first="Ali" last="Karels"] but the new coach has some tools at his disposal. Top-10 junior [player_tooltip player_id="12718" first="Ellie" last="Buzzelle"] (Grand Canyon), top-10 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="108300" first="Clara" last="Glad"], top-25 sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="108314" first="Katelyn" last="Maciej"] and top-75 senior [player_tooltip player_id="29533" first="Matlyn" last="Jensen"] (Colorado Christian) form a solid core. Veterans <strong>Alex Fuller</strong> and <strong>Mackenzie Matthies</strong> will be important, too, and sophomore <strong>Emily Glass</strong> is ready to step up. It’s an interesting combination of players. Win or lose the Royals will surely be entertaining. Finally we look at Totino-Grace where new coach Mary Dengerud inherits a solid core, adds a standout prospect, and looks to parlay a team-first approach into an improved finish. There’s no doubt the Eagles will miss their four graduates, among them point guard [player_tooltip player_id="110895" first="Carla" last="Meyer"] (St. Ben’s), who was one of the conference’s mainstays for a very long time. The addition of top-50 prospect [player_tooltip player_id="109145" first="Hannah" last="Herzig"] from Centennial is huge, as is the continued evolution of another top-50 performer in [player_tooltip player_id="109138" first="Leah" last="Dengerud"]. Senior point guard [player_tooltip player_id="231698" first="Bianca" last="Benson"] is much-improved and will be crucial. Giant junior post [player_tooltip player_id="109827" first="Grace" last="Sikkink"] is a handful in the paint. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="220825" first="Alex" last="McGeehan"] is a rising star up front and is poised for a breakout season. With no slight intended to Blaine, Osseo, Armstrong, Anoka or Coon Rapids – they all have prospects to watch as you’ll see below – those are the teams we see as the upper echelon of the Northwest Suburban Conference. We would be happy, of course, to be proven wrong! <strong>LOOKING BACK AT LAST YEAR</strong> <strong>North Division</strong> <ul> <li>11-1 – Maple Grove</li> <li>8-4 – Andover</li> <li>7-5 – Centennial</li> <li>6-6 – Champlin Park</li> <li>5-7 – Blaine</li> <li>4-8 – Anoka</li> <li>1-11 – Coon Rapids</li> </ul> <strong>West Division</strong> <ul> <li>10-2 – Elk River</li> <li>10-2 – Park Center</li> <li>10-2 – Spring Lake Park</li> <li>6-6 – Totino-Grace</li> <li>4-8 – Rogers</li> <li>1-11 – Osseo</li> <li>1-11 – Armstrong</li> </ul> <strong>THE D1 SENIORS TO SEE</strong> <ul> <li>#1 [player_tooltip player_id="6389" first="Adalia" last="McKenzie"] – guard, Park Center (Illinois)</li> <li>#15 [player_tooltip player_id="57081" first="Jordyn" last="Lamker"] – forward, Maple Grove (St. Thomas)</li> <li>#20 [player_tooltip player_id="6396" first="Jodi" last="Anderson"] – guard, Centennial (North Dakota)</li> <li>#22 [player_tooltip player_id="29521" first="Jenna" last="Guyer"] – center, Centennial (UW-Green Bay)</li> <li>#29 [player_tooltip player_id="130031" first="Macy" last="Smith"] – guard, Spring Lake Park (Cal State Northridge)</li> <li>#30 [player_tooltip player_id="109751" first="Johanna" last="Langbehn"] – forward, Elk River (St. Thomas)</li> </ul> <strong>TOP 6 JUNIORS TO WATCH</strong> <ul> <li>#9 [player_tooltip player_id="12718" first="Ellie" last="Buzzelle"] – guard, Rogers (Grand Canyon)</li> <li>#39 [player_tooltip player_id="109140" first="Ari" last="Gordon"] – guard, Maple Grove</li> <li>#41 [player_tooltip player_id="109145" first="Hannah" last="Herzig"] – guard, Totino-Grace</li> <li>#46 [player_tooltip player_id="57930" first="Amelia" last="Valentino"] – guard, Champlin Park</li> <li>#48 [player_tooltip player_id="109138" first="Leah" last="Dengerud"] – guard, Totino-Grace</li> <li>#56 [player_tooltip player_id="109143" first="Mikaelah" last="Counce"] – guard, Champlin Park</li> </ul> <strong>READY FOR A BREAKOUT SEASON</strong> <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="147458" first="Kyla" last="Overskei"] – junior guard, Maple Grove</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="223912" first="Jenny" last="Ntambwe"] – junior forward, Coon Rapids</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="108307" first="Savannah" last="McGowan"] – sophomore center, Armstrong</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="108309" first="Ella" last="Johnson"] – sophomore forward, Elk River</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="220825" first="Alex" last="McGeehan"] – sophomore forward, Totino-Grace</li> </ul> <strong>MOST IMPROVED PLAYERS</strong> <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="109814" first="Gina" last="Stefferud"] – senior forward, Champlin Park</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="231698" first="Bianca" last="Benson"] – senior guard, Totino-Grace</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="109182" first="Camille" last="Cummings"] – junior guard, Centennial</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="148335" first="Camryn" last="Smith"] – sophomore guard, Spring Lake Park</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="220845" first="Molly" last="Garber"] – sophomore forward, Blaine</li> </ul> <strong>MOST UNDERAPPRECIATED TALENT</strong> <ul> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="146168" first="Alyssa" last="Gerth"] – senior guard, Andover (South Dakota track)</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="109794" first="Elly" last="Bahr"] – senior guard, Elk River (UW-River Falls)</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="109829" first="Madi" last="Ngene"] – senior forward, Spring Lake Park</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="109800" first="Amaya" last="Doree"] – senior guard, Champlin Park (NIACC)</li> <li>[player_tooltip player_id="147469" first="Lexi" last="Imdieke"] – junior guard, Blaine</li> </ul> <strong>FRESHMEN WE’RE FOLLOWING</strong> There are 11 players in the class of 2024 top 50 who hail from the Northwest Suburban Conference, but we won’t see many of them playing varsity basketball for some time. If history is a good indicator, we would expect that Maple Grove prospects #8 [player_tooltip player_id="215944" first="Ava" last="Cossette"] and #18 [player_tooltip player_id="215956" first="Claire" last="Stern"] will have to wait. Ditto for #41 [player_tooltip player_id="215982" first="Kayla" last="Christy"] of Elk River. There’s a pretty good chance that three Andover freshmen could make an impact this season, including #27 [player_tooltip player_id="178262" first="Emma" last="Frost"], #28 [player_tooltip player_id="215970" first="Morgan" last="Miller"] and #31 [player_tooltip player_id="178261" first="Piper" last="Engelby"]. Here are five more up-and-coming talents you’ll likely see on varsity: <ul> <li>#6 [player_tooltip player_id="178272" first="Mikayla" last="Thomas"] – forward, Spring Lake Park</li> <li>#10 [player_tooltip player_id="215953" first="Marisa" last="Frost"] – guard, Centennnial</li> <li>#21 [player_tooltip player_id="215959" first="Ava" last="Holman"] – guard, Osseo</li> <li>#29 [player_tooltip player_id="215971" first="Lydia" last="Lakanen"] – forward, Anoka</li> <li>#38 [player_tooltip player_id="215980" first="Bella" last="Sutch"] – guard, Spring Lake Park</li> </ul> <span style="font-size: 10pt;"><em>Top photo: Illinois commit [player_tooltip player_id="6389" first="Adalia" last="McKenzie"] (right) of Park Center is the #1 player in the class of 2021.</em></span>