Boys' basketball preview: five story lines

By JOHN MILLEA, Star Tribune

Last update: December 4, 2008 - 7:04 AM

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1 ROYAL TREATMENT

With four players who have signed Division I letters of intent, Hopkins is as heavy a favorite to win the Class 4A state title as you will ever see. The Royals, who are No. 9 in the nation, according to one ranking, lost only two games last season, both to 4A champ Minnetonka. Hopkins captured state titles in 2002, 2005 and 2006 but did not advance to state the past two years.

2 FUTURE GOPHER WATCH

Hopkins forward Royce White and Cooper forward Rodney Williams will be the most watched individuals in the state this season, because both have signed with the Gophers. The seniors have been rising on the basketball radar since their sophomore seasons. White also made headlines by being dismissed from DeLaSalle last year and transferring to Hopkins.

3 BIG SIZE, BIG EXPECTATIONS

Henry Sibley, which lost to Minnetonka in last year's 4A state championship game, appears well-equipped to make another postseason run. The Warriors will tower over most opponents with a front line of 7-foot junior Jake Kreuser, 6-8 senior Chris Halvorsen (left) and 6-7 senior Mike Bruesewitz. Two other players are 6-7 or taller.

4 TIMBERWOLVES SHOOTOUT

The 13th annual Gatorade Timberwolves Shootout, one of the highlights of the regular season, has a Minnesota vs. Wisconsin flavor this year. The Jan. 3 event at Target Center will begin at 10 a.m., and the last game will start at 8 p.m. The lineup: Cloquet vs. Pelican Rapids; Osseo vs. Sioux Falls (S.D.) Roosevelt; Henry Sibley vs. Madison (Wis.) Memorial; Hopkins vs. Lake Geneva (Wis.) Badger; Eden Prairie vs. Cooper; and St. Cloud Tech vs. Manitowoc (Wis.) Roncalli.

5 NEW LOOK FOR ELLSWORTH

The Ellsworth Panthers have played in the past three Class 1A state title games, winning championships in 2007 and 2008 behind Cody Schilling, who last season became the state's all-time leading scorer. Schilling is now in the starting lineup at Division II Augustana in Sioux Falls, and the Panthers have a new coach. Tyler Morris has replaced Markus Okeson, who is now the coach at 2A Redwood Valley. Okeson was 91-8 in four years at Ellsworth.