Hopkins, DeLaSalle, Roseau and Minneota are top seeds for girls' basketball state tourney

Hopkins, DeLaSalle, Roseau and Minneota grabbed the top seeds in their respective classes for the girls' basketball state tournament that runs Wednesday through next Saturday.

The pairings were released Saturday by the Minnesota State High School League after coaches held conference-call meetings to seed the teams.

Here's a look at each class:

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Hopkins, undefeated and boasting of the best junior girls' basketball player in the nation, picked up the No. 1 seed.

Hopkins, making its fifth consecutive trip to the state tournament and eighth in nine years, finished a dominant season in which 28 of their 29 victories were decided by 10 points or more.

The Royals are led by junior guard Paige Bueckers, regarded as the country's top high school player in the Class of 2020. But what makes Hopkins so formidable is its relentless pressure defense and superior athleticism, which breaks down an opponent's structure and forces opposing players out of their comfort zone.

Hopkins has played in the past three Class 4A championship games, losing all three, a fact that has made the Royals a hungrier team. "We've had a different vibe all year," coach Brian Cosgriff said.

The South Suburban Conference showed its depth by sending three teams — Eastview, Lakeville North and Shakopee — to the tournament.

Cooper, the 2018 Class 3A champion, earned the chance to defend its title after a nail-biting 52-51 victory over Waconia in the Section 6 final Thursday night. The Hawks didn't get the No. 1 seed in 3A, however. That went to DeLaSalle, which will be back in the state tournament for the third consecutive season. Cooper is seeded No. 2. Becker is No. 3 and Holy Angels No. 4.

The possibility third consecutive championship game matchup between Roseau and Sauk Centre was eliminated when the defending champion Mainstreeters lost in the Section 6 semifinals to Albany, which went on to win the section title.

Roseau, the 2017 state champs, earned the No. 1 seed while Holy Family, making just its second state tournament appearance, is seeded No. 2. Minnehaha Academy, a state qualifier for the sixth consecutive season and 11th in the past 12, is seeded third.

Minneota, which has been ranked No. 1 in Class 1A for much of the season, was no surprise as the No. 1 seed, continuing the school's run of top-level girls' sports teams. Minneota won the 1A volleyball championship in November.