Section 1 Prominence Grows - Adds Team To Minnesota's Top 20 Rank

Section 1 is full of basketball talent, especially in Class A and AA in girls and boys basketball. We saw three southeast Minnesota basketball players named to the Top 10 Finalist for Mr. Basketball of Minnesota, and we have also seen more Section 1 teams ranked in the latest rankings from Minnesota Basketball News.

Class AA Girls Basketball has some really talented teams in Southeast Minnesota. Rochester Lourdes remains in the Top 3, while Goodhue continues to climb the rankings into the top six. Lake City, Winona Cotter and Stewartville remain in the top 20 as well. Section 1's five teams in the top 20 is the most of any other section in the state.

1. Sauk Centre (6) 18-1
2. Fergus Falls (8) 18-1
3. Rochester Lourdes (1) 18-2
4. New London-Spicer (3) 19-1
5. Providence (5) 18-4
6. Goodhue (1) 20-2
7. Pelican Rapids (8) 20-0
8. Proctor (7) 18-2
9. Pine City (6) 18-1
10. Albany (6) 17-2
11. Lake City (1) 18-4
12. Waseca (2) 16-5
13. Duluth Marshall (7) 15-4
14. Minnehaha (4) 14-6
15. Belle Plaine (2) 18-2
16. Winona Cotter (1) 19-3
17. Mesabi East (7) 16-3
18. Roseau (8) 17-3
19. Stewartville (1) 14-8
20. Hawley (8) 15-4

Class A saw another team crack the Top 20 in Fillmore Central, coming in at no. 20, while Blooming Prarie remains in the Top 10. This section is really interesting as many teams have battled tough in this Section 1 and should make for some really entertaining and competitive basketball down the stretch.

1. Minneota (3) 21-1
2. Cromwell-Wright (7) 18-2
3. Henning (6) 19-1
4. Walker-Hackensack-Akeley (5) 18-2
5. Mountain Iron-Buhl (7) 14-5
6. Mayer Lutheran (4) 16-4
7. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown (2) 18-3
8. Blooming Prairie (1) 17-3
9. Cherry (7) 17-3
10. Hills-Beaver Creek (3) 17-1
11. Heritage Christian (4) 15-5
12. Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s (2) 18-2
13. Springfield (2) 16-3
14. Southwest MN Christian (3) 16-4
15. Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart (2) 17-4
16. Warren-Alvarado-Oslo (8) 16-3
17. Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa (5) 12-8
18. EGF Sacred Heart (8) 17-5
19. Underwood (6) 14-5
20. Fillmore Central (1) 16-7

Class AA on the boys side still sees two Section 1 teams ranked in the Top 3 in top-ranked Caledonia and Lake City. La Cresent and Stewartville are just outside the Top 10. This section is competitive and when it comes to the playoffs it will show that anyone can beat anybody on any given day. I wouldn't be surprised to see some 'upsets' in this section.

1. Caledonia (1) 17-0
2. Waseca (2) 14-4
3. Lake City (1) 15-1
4. Minneapolis North (5) 10-5
5. St. Croix Prep (4) 17-0
6. Perham (8) 12-0
7. East Grand Forks (8) 14-0
8. Minnesota Valley Lutheran (2) 17-1
9. Eden Valley-Watkins (6) 13-1
10. Osakis (6) 15-1
11. LaCrescent-Hokah (1) 13-3
12. Stewartville (1) 14-4
13. Fergus Falls (8) 12-4
14. Litchfield (5) 13-5
15. Rockford (5) 13-3
16. Virginia (7) 13-3
17. Pine City (6) 16-1
18. Esko (7) 11-4
19. Moose Lake/Willow River (7) 14-3
20. Albany 11-5

Blooming Prarie and Hayfield are the lone Section 1 teams ranked in Class A, but behind them in the Section standings are some really talented teams including Spring Grove, Grand Meadow, Randolph and Schaffer Academy and should make for some interesting basketball down the stretch.

1. BOLD (2) 18-0
2. Henning (6) 16-1
3. Ada-Borup (8) 13-1
4. Southwest MN Christian (3) 16-0
5. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown (2) 16-1
6. New Ulm Cathedral (2) 17-1
7. Springfield (2) 15-2
8. West Central Area (6) 14-2
9. Fertile-Beltrami (8) 15-1
10. Blooming Prairie (1) 12-1
11. Hayfield (1) 13-3
12. Mountain Lake-Comfrey (2) 13-2
13. Cromwell-Wright (5) 12-2
14. Nevis (5) 15-2
15. Cass Lake-Bena (8) 12-6
16. Parkers Prairie (6) 14-3
17. North Woods (7) 13-3
18. Nashwauk-Keewatin (7) 13-3
19. Norman Co. East/Ulen-Hitterdal (6) 13-4
20. Martin County West (2) 14-2