Hayfield Class A Top Seed, Owatonna #2 in 4A, Caledonia #2 in 2A

The coaches involved in the MSHSL State High School Basketball Tournament seeded their respective classes Saturday with Hayfield, Caledonia and Owatonna all receiving high seeds.

Big Nine Conferece Champion Owatonna was ranked #6 in the final Minnesota Basketball News poll. The coaches in Class 4A apparently realized that going undefeated in that conference this year was an impressive accomplishment.

The Huskies also scored victories over South Suburban teams on their way to the Section 1 Class 4A title earning more respect.

Owatonna has a very tough draw out of the gate though with Cretin-Derham Hall their first opponent at 2:00 p.m. Tuesday in Target Center.  The Raiders leader is undoutedly their point guard Tre Holloman.

The 6'2 senior is going to Michigan State.  His career statistical achievements are eye popping when you consider eleven total games were lost by Holloman due to the pandemic.

Holloman has scored over 2,000 points, achieved over 1,000 assists, has well over 600 rebounds and over 400 steals.

According to Minnesota Basketball News only three players in state history have achieved those kind of numbers.

Hayfield is the top seed in Class A and frankly they should be,  The defending State Champions have lost two games to very good teams.  Class A Rushford-Peterson in the second game of the regular season.

Class 2A Maple River in the overall Gopher Conference championship game played in Hayfield where they used a 35 second shot clock.

The Big Nine Conference is also being represented by two teams in Class 3A.  The Mankato East Cougars were awarded the #4 seed and open with #5 seed Mound-Westonka. They play Noon at Williams Arena Tuesday.

The Austin Packers have made a number of trips in recent years and are among the all-time leaders in State Boys Basketball Tournament appearances.  They will play 2:00 p.m. Tuesday at Williams Arena on the University of Minnesota campus against #2 seed Princeton.

Target Center is used just Tuesday for the high school tournament. The NCAA Women's National Semifinals and title game will be there April 1, 2022 and April 3, 2022.

KDHL Radio will be back broadcasting 16 games during the 2022 tournament after the pandemic took two years away from the baseline to baseline coverage.

Tuesday we will follow Caledonia and Owatonna from southeastern Minnesota in our Matchup Zone Coverage.  Hayfield will be featured Wednesday morning also.

A full court press of coverage takes place with the semifinals and finals in each class Thursday through Saturday.

It's the 72nd year of covering the tournament for KDHL.  It would have been the 74th but the pandemic cancelled 2020 and COVID protocols did not allow us to bring people all the championship round games in 2021.

Below is a rundown of who is playing who in the tournament along with some quick numbers.

Class A

Quarterfinals 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, March 23, 2022 at Williams Arena

#1 seed, #1 Minnesota Basketball News rated, #1 QRF Hayfield Vikings (29-2) 69.5 points per game scored, 49.1 points given up per game vs. Russell-Tyler-Ruthton (23-7) (not rated), #35QRF, 68.2 points per game, 51.5 allowed.

#4 seed Cherry (26-4) 78.6 points scored, 53.3 given up,  Rated #19 Final Minnesota Basketball News rankings in Class A.  QRF 8.  1:00 p.m. scheduled start.  Opponent is #5 seed Nevis (27-3) follow their girls to State.  The ladies finished 6th out of the 8 Class A teams.

Nevis has #10 QRF, rated #10 by MBBN averaging 74.4 while allowing 49.4 points per game.

On the other side of the bracket #2 seed Belgrade-Brooten- Elrosa (26-4) with a #3 QRF plays 3:00 p.m. Wednesday March 23, 2022  at Williams Arena against #3 rated Sleepy Eye-St. Mary's (28-2).  The Saints did not receive a seed, are #12 in QRF.

BBE averages 68.4 points per contest and allows 48.8.  SESM scores about 73.9 and gives up 57.1 points each game.

At 5:00 p.m. Wednesday in The Barn #3 seed New Life Academy (26-3)  with a #2 QRF were rated #18 in Final Class A Minnesota Basketball News rankings.  They score an average of 76.8 points per game and allow 57.4.  They've won 16 straight games.

The Lions play Sacred Heart School (28-3) with a #10 QRF and are rated #15 in MBBN rankings.  Sacred Heart averages 69.2 points per game and allows 55.8.

Class AA

Quarterfinals Tuesday, March 22, 2022 are in Target Center and Williams Arena.  At 6:00 p.m. in Target Center the Caledonia Warriors (29-1) rated #1 with a #2 QRF allowing 55.1 while scoring 74.9 points per game.

8:00 p.m. at Target Center #3 seed Annandale Cardinals (28-2) rated #8 with a #10 QRF averaging 65.3 and giving up 45.8 points per contest.

The winners of those two games play Friday at 8:00 p.m. in Semifinals at Williams Arena.

#1 seed Minneapolis North (25-6) lost to Caledonia during the regular season.  The Polars are also #1 in QRF while averaging 81 points and giving up 56.1 per game

At 6:00 p.m. in Williams Arena Tuesday, March 22, 2022 Minneapolis North will open with Glencoe-Silver Lake (20-9)  not rated in final MBBN poll.  GSL scores 69.2, allows 56.6 points per game.

8:00 p.m. at Williams Arena #4 seed Minnehaha Academy (17-10) with a #4 QRF giving up 66 points while scoring 69.8.

The winners will square off 6:00 p.m. Friday, March 25, 2022 in Semifinals action at Williams Arena.

Class 3A

#1 seed is Totino-Grace rated #2 in final MBBN rankings with a #1 QRF.  The Eagles have landed 71.4 points per game while allowing 59.2.  TG opens with Hermantown (21-8) with a #24 QRF allowing 71.2 while scoring 80.4 points per game.

No shot clock needed here.  The two teams who win will play Noon Thursday at Willliams Arena on the University of Minnesota Campus against the Mound Westonka Whitehawks (21-8) vs. Mankato East victor.

The Whitehawks were not rated in Class 3A Top 20 but have a #10 QRF while averaging 63.7 points and giving up 59.3 points per game.

Mankato East (21-8) received the #4 seed after achieving a #9 QRF with 71.2 points per game and allowing 56.3.

On the other side of the bracket the Austin Packers (17-12) will go up against #2 seed Princeton at 2;00 p.m. Tuesday in Williams Arena.

The Packers are averaging 62.2 while allowing 55 points per game.  Princeton was not in the final rankings with a QRF of #4.  They average 84 and allow 67.5 points per game.

At 4:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 22, 2022 #3 seed, #5 QRF DeLaSalle (19-7) hits the raised floor against St. Cloud Tech (19-9). The Techsters have a #11 QRF while giving up 61.8 and scoring at a 74.1 clip.

The Islanders average 77.1 and give up 59.5 points per game and were rated #4 in latest MBBN poll.

Class 4A

Tuesday, March 22, 2022 at 10:00 a.m. top seed Park Center (28-1) with a #18 QRF was rated #1 in final MBBN rankings.  They score 76.7 while giving up 52.5 points per game.

The Pirates open against the Andover Huskies (19-10) #8 QRF, ranked #16 by MBBN.  They allow 65.8 and score 72.9 points per game.

Noon Tuesday, March 22, 2022 #4 seed Eastview of Apple Valley (22-6) with #6 QRF, #7 ranking play #5 seed Eden Prairie (19-10) with #11 QRF, #13 state ranking while achieving 71 points and allowing 63.8 points per contest.

On the other side of the bracket #2 seed Owatonna (27-2) begins the tournament against Cretin-Derham Hall (19-10).  The Huskies are rated #6 in final MBBN rankings and have a #5 QRF.  They average 74.2 and give up 53.2 points per game.

The Raiders have #12 QRF while allowing 61.9 and scoring 67.2 points per outing.

#3 seed Wayzata (25-4) was rated #3 in final MBBN Class 4A rankiings while having #1 QRF.  The Trojans average 69.9 and allow 56.5 points per game and will face the Moorhead Spuds (17-12).  Not ranked in the final 4A poll.

Moorhead averages 57 points and gives up 64 points per game

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