Change, constants to clash in Northwest Suburban

The girls' basketball scene in the Northwest Suburban Conference features returning talent, significant coaching changes, dominant teams searching for better finishes and a team hoping to build on a surprising finish.

Two conference teams, Maple Grove and Anoka, qualified for the Class 4A tournament with records as different as a layup and a three-pointer.

Maple Grove (24-6) beat conference champion Osseo in the Section 5 championship game to advance. Anoka (6-25) tripled its regular- season output of two victories to six en route to winning the Section 7 tournament.

Different feelings surrounded both teams as they bowed out in the state quarterfinals. Anoka lost to defending champion Lakeville North while Maple Grove, the No. 4 seed, fell to White Bear Lake.

Their prospects this season appear conflicting as well.

Maple Grove must tap new players to lead on the floor while the Tornadoes can build around returning all-conference honorable mention selections Kyrah Fredenburg and Claire Lundberg.

When it comes to returning talent, Osseo boasts an enviable roster. Senior Mikayla Bailey, who signed with the Gophers, is a strong defensive presence, while junior Phillis Webb (15.2 points per game) emerged as one of the conference's top scoring threats.

Despite struggling to a 3-17 record in the conference (10-18 overall), Park Center returns an experienced group of players. Megan VanHulzen and Cayla McMorris combined to score more than 26 points per game. And guards Kati Fern and Hannah Schaub were all-conference honorable mentions.

Coaching changes headlined the offseasons at Blaine and Centennial. Successful longtime coaches Steve Reiter and Jill Becken departed after leading their programs to a combined 10 state tournament appearances.

Mike Engelhaupt takes over as the Bengals' coach, while Greg Amundson takes over for Becken at Centennial. Both will develop rosters of mostly inexperience players while playing in the challenging Northwest Suburban.