This usually would have been included in the Sunday posting, but was delayed until today.

A LOOK AT: SECTION 4AAAA

4AAAA

School	PP100
Roseville	98.6
Stillwater	87.5
White Bear Lake	84.7
Woodbury	74.9
Tartan	73.6
East Ridge	55.1
St. Paul Central	29.2
Ave	72.33

 This section is the east side of the metro with almost all teams in Washington County. All seven teams have been to state, three in the last two years. The reason for that is Roseville used to live in 5AAAA, but where pushed east. Six of the seven have been to state. East Ridge, the newest addition, is still waiting for their first appearance. Two schools have won state titles and twice finished unbeaten—Woodbury in 2003, and St. Paul Central’s dream team of 2007. One of the players on that squad, Angel Robinson,  a former Miss Basketball, is the new head coach at Tartan. There is a heavy dose of Suburban East in this section with five of the seven teams playing in that conference. St. Paul Central is the only non-SEC team to win a section in the four-class era.

4AAAA is 4-4 when I have charted this year. No team has made the coveted Centurion Society. Roseville came closest in their opening game win over Mahtomedi in the St. Thomas Thanksgiving event. St. Paul Central’s 29.2 drags everything down. Without the albatross of the Minutemen the numbers pop to 78.49. So far this is the lowest totals in AAAA (and the one section done in AAA).

Pp100, w-l, centurions, 31 Club

The 31 Club leader (or should I say 51 Club leader) is senior center Mattea Henry of Woodbury. She was the force in Wednesday’s win at Stillwater. She has overwhelmingly improved from the initial game of the year against Rosemount when she only had 16 (which was still a team high). Other 31 Clubbers includes Mira Jackson of Roseville and Liana Buckhalton of Stillwater.

A LOOK AT: SECTION 6AAAA

School	PP100
Hopkins (x2)	99.75
Rob Armstrong	86.8
Mpls Southwest	85.1
Wayzata	82.8
St. Louis Park	75.0
Edina (x2)	58.0
Mpls Washburn	53.7
Totals	78.34

If 4AAAA is eastside, 6AAAA is westside. The “old” Lake forms the core of this section with a couple of southwest (including Southwest) Minneapolis bigger schools. Armstrong and St. Louis Park are no longer Lake members. The Falcons are in the NW Suburban, while Park is in the Metro West. All teams are in Hennepin County with six of the seven east of 494 as it swings west. Five of the seven are east of 169, Hopkins just a tad west of that freeway. Edina is a new addition this year. The Hornets were in section 2, but with Minneapolis South and Cooper moving to AAA their was a shift.

Six in this section has had a taste of state action. Southwest is still looking for their first bid. SW has the longest postseason streak of futility with 14 straight seasons without a postseason win. Going back to the 2002 season the Lakers are 1-22. Three schools have won state titles with the crown going to the Royals. Hopkins has eight titles, St. Louis Park has two, and Edina’s title came in 1988.

When I charted these teams this year the overall record 6-3. The pp100 checks in at 78.34 which is less than 1AAAA. Again, this is the average. Hopkins has reached the century mark with a 104.6 over Maple Grove. They bumped off unbeaten Minnetonka on Tuesday. The Royals are undefeated…in Minnesota. Their only two losses have come at the hands of Iowa teams. Hopkins expects to be playing the last game of the season every year. Right now they are ranked #1.

Seven times players have joined the 31 Club with senior Liv McGill of Hopkins joining twice. She also holds the best score with 47. Only one other player made the 41 Club. Hopkins has two entries with Tatum Woodson joining McGill.

SECTION	PP100	100+	31C
1AAAA	83.875	2	2
6AAAA	78.34	1	7
4AAAA	72.33	0	3
8AAA	75.6	0	3

At this stage, the best section is…..1AAAA, when measuring top to bottom. They hold a 5.5 advantage over 6AAAA. 6AAAA leads in 31 Clubbers.

A LOOK AT: THE LAKE CONFERENCE

School	Pp100
Minnetonka (x2)	109.8
Eden Prairie	104.7
Hopkins (x2)	99.75
St. Michael-Albertville (x2)	90.05
Wayzata	82.8
Edina (x2)	58.0
Buffalo	56.9
Totals	87.23

Much of what is said here is right with 6AAAA. The Lake Conference is one of the oldest conferences in the state, but it has gone through many members and many configurations. “Traditional” Lake teams include Minnetonka (who used to be Excelsior and Deephaven), Wayzata, and Hopkins. When Edina became a school in 1949-50 they were in. Eden Prairie joined later in the 90s, and then Mississippi 8 refugees St. Michael-Albertville and Buffalo were placed by the MSHSL in the Lake.

Not only is this a conference with tradition, but it is a conference with results. All seven schools have been to state, and all seven have been there in the last twenty years. Four schools have titles: Hopkins, Minnetonka, St. Michael-Albertville and Edina—for a grand total of 13. STMA picked up their third title, in their third class, in 2023, a unique record they own by themselves. EP has been to the title game. Wayzata and Buffalo wait for their chance.

The Lake (or “Great” Lake) has the best conference pp100 with 87.23, 7.68 ahead of runner up Central Lakes. Four schools have been charted twice: Edina, Hopkins, Minnetonka and STMA. Three times we have had a Centurian. Minnetonka leads all with 122.2. The 90s are nothing to be sneezed at and three teams reached that level. Only two sub-70s have been posted.

As for the 31 Club there are a dozen entries with two duplicates: Liv McGill of Hopkins and Aaliyah Crump of Minnetonka. Even more exclusive is the 41 Club and only two members exist—Crump, who has the top score of 49, and teammate Tori McKinney. ‘Tonka has three entrants with Lanelle Wright joining the other two. Hopkins and STMA each have two entries.

CONFERENCE	w-l	Pp100	100+	31Club
Lake	7-4	87.23	3	12
Central Lakes	5-3	79.55	0	4
Lake Superior	4-5	78.39	2	7
Metro West	5-3	78.39	2	5

Expect a few more sections in AAAA to drop in the coming weeks and a few more larger conferences. Do not expect another conference to catch the Lake.  For the past two seasons the AAAA title was a match up of Lake teams. Expect that again in 2024.