1. Park Center: The Class 4A defending state champions must replace all five starters. Transfers and the depth it had a year ago still makes coach James Ware's squad the favorite. Junior point guard 6-0 Cash Chavis transferred from DeLaSalle late last season while Minneapolis South junior forward 6-8 Chiang Ring and Hopkins senior forward 6-4 CJ O'Hara have since joined the program.
2. Totino-Grace (3A): The top player in the Class of 2023, point guard 6-4 Taison Chatman, puts the Eagles in good hands. Senior forwards 6-9 Patrick Bath and 6-5 Tommy Humphries, along with Chatman, were all double digit scorers for the Class 3A defending state champions a year ago. Osseo transfer Isaiah Johnson, a 6-7 junior forward, is a welcome addition for coach Nick Carroll.
3. Wayzata: The Trojans have played in the past two Class 4A championship games, winning the title in 2021 and finishing as the runners-up last season. They lost their leading scorer in forward Carter Bjerke to graduation, but still have plenty of scoring, size and experience in tact. "We return five guys from our rotation and are excited about what we have coming back," Trojans coach Bryan Schnettler said.
4. Lakeville North: Coach John Oxton has the best one-two punch in the state in senior forward 6-10 Nolan Winter and junior forward 6-6 Jack Robison. The Panthers have additional size and versatility to go along with their two Division I recruits. They have owned Section 1 pretty much the past decade and this year will be no different.
5. Eden Prairie: Eagles coach David Flom is counting on his seniors, led by forward 6-7 Chiddi Obiazor, for leadership to assist in developing on outstanding youth group (eighth through 10th grade) coming through the program. "I think we are a state championship contender," Flom said.
6. East Ridge: The Raptors lost leading-scorer Kendall Blue to graduation, but return a talented group that surrounded him. Senior guard 6-3 Alex Mattes will lead coach Josh Peltier's deep group, which includes six juniors. St. Paul Johnson transfer 6-5 Daejohn Thomas adds a physical presence to that 2024 class.
7. Minnetonka: The Skippers have all five starters returning, four of whom averaged in double figures, from their 18-9 squad last season. It was the fifth best season in the last 22 years of the program, and expectations are higher now for the small guard-heavy group. "We will be able to space, sprint and spread opponents out," Skippers coach Bryce Tesdahl said "Defense and rebounding will be the keys to our success."
8. Eastview: The Lightning program has gotten to the point where it just reloads even when hit hard by graduation. Eastview has to replace four of its top five scorers, including the top three. Senior point guard Dylan Omweno and junior forward 6-7 Jonathan Mekonnen bring a formidable inside-outside combination. They Lightning are 64-15 over the past three seasons, and there is no reason for them not to stay at that clip.
9. DeLaSalle (3A): Longtime assistant coach Todd Anderson is now at the helm of the Islanders' program. He takes over for Travis Bledsoe, who left to take a collegiate position. He is in good hands right out of the gate with senior guard 6-1 Nasir Whitlock (22.9 points per game) running the show. The Islanders have added transfer junior wing 6-2 Jaden Morgan from Two Rivers.
10. Holy Family (2A): A .500 team last season, with nearly every loss being by 10 points or fewer points, that looks to be significantly better. Joe Burger returns to coach the Fire after leading Edina the past nine years. They will be big up front with seniors 6-11 Boden Kapke (27.2 ppg and 14.7 rpg) and 6-10 Collin Mulholland, a transfer from Kitchener, Ontario. Two other starters also return and Edina starting junior guard 6-3 Kole Hanson transfers in as well.
