West Central North Prediction

This is a league I am very familiar with having coached the Foley Falcons the past two years. last year was Foley's first year in the West Central and this year the West Central welcomes two more teams in Mora and Milaca. There are going to be some long bus rides for everyone this year. I also had four juniors in this league on my AAU team this spring, so I am also very familiar with the players as well.

Predicted order of finish

1. New London -Spicer
I still think that they are the favorites, the defending state champs lost all five starters, but have a tremendous junior class built around PG Eric Tengwall(In my opinion one of the best two or three lead guards in the 2010 class) and big men Aaron "Moose" Johnson and Justin Zylstra. Throw in some other nice juniors like Jenny, and Schmid and you have a nice top 5 in the junior class. They also have Jay Moten who is an expolsive senior guard who can score from distance, and his younger brother might be the best sophomore in the conference. They are very well coached, and also have been very succesful in years past. it's their conference until someone takes it from them...

2. Mora
Newcomer Mora is a suprise pick this high, but they have something that not a lot of teams have in the WCN this year and that is size. At 6'9 Andrew Good is poised to have a breakout season , and with a 6'4 PG a 6'3 SG and two 6'5 forwards as a possible starting lineup, Mora can really affect shots, and create easy scoring opportunities with their length. Good is the primary option for them in the half court, and is very comfortable 15 feet on in. The key for them is guard play and specifically Logan Orazem, who has started for 3 years and is a 6'4 PG who can really shoot and handle it. He is one of the best 10 players in the league and so is Good. They get 7 teams coming at least 40 minutes to their place, so homecourt should play well for them.

3. Foley
I love the falcons, and may have a bias towards my ex players, but I expect them to finish no worse than 4th this season. They return their whole bench from last years 20 win team and have 4 seniors in Nelson, Feuling, Gabbert, and Wenneberg who have been with the varsity for 3 years. Coupled with those 4 tow juniors in Niemann and Jansen who each rescued the Falcons at least once last year, and you return a lot of experience and talent. Size could be a factor, but I expect the Falcons to be the best or second best transition team in the league with all of their speed. The kids in the program are used to winning, and compete as hard as anyone, and that means they will be very hard to beat.

4. Melrose
I think they are as well coached as anyone in the league, and much like NL-S they don't rebuild they reload. Notch is a 6'6 athlete who can step out and hit a 15 footer, and their guards will always be scrappy and able to make shots. I know their younger kids are really good, so don't be suprised to see some youth sprinkled in their lineup sooner than later this season. Just like Foley, being used to and expecting to win will make them a tough out.

5. Albany
Could be the second most talented team in the league, with Noreen, Voit, Blackmore, Conrad, etc. but they have really taken their lumps in the past two seasons, and I am not sure they have learned how to win yet. They could win the conference, and they could take 7th, I am just not sure, I know Coach Dorn will always have them ready to play, and with Noreen, they have a matchup nightmare for every team in the league.

6. Cathedral
New coach Nate Miller much like Forest Witt will in Alex will breathe a bunch of new energy into the program. The previous staff really got a lot out of their talent, and I expcet coach Miller to do the same. With the kind of shooters this league has, saying that Luke Januschka is the best pure shooter in the league is a big statement, but I believe it. He can flat out shoot, and is only getting better at taking people to the rack. 6'5 and very bouncy, he will lead the league in dunks this season. I like some of their role guys too, like Coborn, and the big kids inside too.

7. Sauk Centre
I could also see this team making a jump. Their staff really has them believing that this could be a great year for them. I love Skorheim, just a monster of a rebounder, who has taken his game to the perimeter and can now knockdown the 3 ball. I think guys like Messer, and the younger Berling are ready for big things, and their PG is the kind of kid other kids PG's don't like to play against. Bigs like Meyer and Winters allow Skorheim to play a lot of point forward.

8. Milaca
Another newcomer, and probably another rough season for the Wolves. Chaz Crotzer and Myles Swenson are a nice 1-2 combo of athleitc forwards, but their guard play with the exception of Sikkink is very inexperienced and young. Milaca will win some games, their court is very nice and they draw extremely well compared to how good their record is(as opposed to Foley which is the opposite). I justthink it could a rude awakening for them in the WCN.

9. Long Prairie-Grey Eagle
They lost their two best players in Graves and Morrill. They return Korfe who is a good guards, but the rest of their team has little size or experience, those factors will pose a problem in the WCN. I think coach Dittberner will have them ready, and they have an oddly lighted/painted gym so they may get some teams to shoot poorly at their place, but for now, I think they have to go here.

All Conference 1st team
C -Good-Mora
F- Noreen-Albany
F- Skorheim-Sauk Centre
G- Tengwall-NLS
G- Moten-NLS

2nd team
C- Notch-Melrose
F- Feuling -Foley
G- Januschka-SCC
G- Jansen-Foley
G-Orazem-Mora

3rd team
C-Crotzer Milaca
F- Gabbert- Foley
F- Johnson-NLS
G- Berling- Sauk Centre
G-Nelson- Foley

4th team
C- Voit-Albany
F- Swenson-Milaca
F- Mork-Mora
G- Korfe-LPGE
G- Conrad-Albany

HM
Thieschaeffer, Claphake Melrose
Zylstra,Schmid, Jenny NLS
Meyer, Messer Sauk Centre
Coborn, Peck SCC
Oslin-Mora
Sikkink- Milaca
Wenneberg,Niemann Foley
Thune LPGE
Blackmore-Albany