West-metro boys' basketball projections

December 3, 2014 at 12:58AM
Lanky Hopkins guard Amir Coffey put his wingspan to use against Brody Jackson of Tartan during the Class 4A quarterfinals last season.
Lanky Hopkins guard Amir Coffey put his wingspan to use against Brody Jackson of Tartan during the Class 4A quarterfinals last season. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Five on top

DeLaSalle: Jarvis Johnson gets the pub, but he's got a tremendous group to work with, including forwards Sacar Anim, Josh Collins and Jeffrey Daubenton.

Eden Prairie: Coach David Flom calls the Eagles "the most talented offensive team I've coached in my nine years at EP."

Hopkins: Short on experience, but savvy guards Amir Coffey and John Warren should lessen the growing pains.

Armstrong: The senior foursome of Evan Nolan, Jerome Dixon, Sean Burns and Tre Tate combined for a per-game average of 45 points, 20 rebounds and 12 assists last year.

Minneapolis North: Hands down the most talented team in Class 1A. Will the Polars reach their first state tournament since 2003?

Five on the cusp

Minnetonka: Guards Justin Moes and junior Seth Coatta are perhaps the state's best outside shooting tandem.

Maple Grove: Sophomore guard Brad Davison, fresh from quarterbacking the Crimson to the state football semifinals, makes his entire team better.

Chanhassen: Joey Witthus, a 6-5 small forward who averaged nearly 23 points last year, heads an all-senior starting five.

Orono: The Spartans feature a starting front line that goes 6-5 (Ethan Larson), 6-6 (Ellis Hammer) and 6-8 (Sam Sustacek).

Wayzata: New coach Bryan Schnettler inherits a talented-but-green group with no seniors among their top 11 players.

Five worth watching

Holy Family: Justin Dahl, a 6-11 post who has signed with Northern Iowa, is the state's best senior big man.

Edina: Don't overlook the Hornets, who can score with any team in the metro. Rebounding might be a different story, however.

Waconia: Experience, size (seven players 6-4 or taller) and depth make the Wildcats a favorite in the Wright County Conference.

Minneapolis Washburn: Skilled trio of Evan Shepherd, Kevin Gleason and Jobreil Powell have 7-foot Charlie Irmiger patrolling the lane.

Minnehaha Academy: Two names that should become very familiar in freshman JaVonni Bickham and seventh-grader Jalen Suggs.

Conference champs

Who will win the West Metro conferences?

IMAC: Minnehaha Academy

Lake: Eden Prairie

Metro West: Chanhassen

Minneapolis: North

Northwest Suburban: Champlin Park*

Tri-Metro: DeLaSalle

Twin Cities: St. Croix Prep*

Wright County: Orono

(*– not considered West Metro)

Circle the date

Make a special effort to see these west-metro matchups:

Dec. 13: Tip-Off Classic — DeLaSalle vs. Apple Valley (at Minnetonka), 8:30 p.m.

Dec. 17: Maranatha at Minneapolis North, 3 p.m.

Jan. 6: Hopkins at Cretin-Derham Hall, 7:15 p.m.

Jan. 13: Eden Prairie at DeLaSalle, 7 p.m.

Jan. 23: Waconia at Orono, 7 p.m.

Feb. 12: Minneapolis North at Minneapolis Henry, 7 p.m.

Feb. 20: Hopkins at Eden Prairie, 7 p.m.

Holy Family'sJustin Dahl (52) had his shot contested by the Cloquet defense. ] Boys Basketball State Tournament. Class 3A Cloquet vs. Holy Family Catholic (MARLIN LEVISON/STARTRIBUNE(mlevison@startribune.com)
It takes a sea of hands to handle Holy Family big man Justin Dahl. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)
about the writer

about the writer

Jim Paulsen

Reporter

Jim Paulsen is a high school sports reporter for the Star Tribune. 

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