By the Numbers, Vol. 9: What Sections are the Toughest?
The tables below display the average rating of the teams in each section. This means that it is not measuring the strength of the teams at the top, but the overall depth of each section. Sections strong at the top,…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe tables below display the average rating of the teams in each section. This means that it is not measuring the strength of the teams at the top, but the overall depth of each section. Sections strong at the top, but weak at the bottom turn out to be average in the overall strength category. Without further ado:
Class A
A Section Power Rankings | ||
6A | 1.383 | |
3A | -6.85333 | |
8A | -8.39579 | |
1A | -10.9995 | |
5A | -19.7629 | |
2A | -23.5994 | |
7A | -32.5368 | |
4A | -57.54 |
Section 6A has a significant lead on Section 3A for the toughest section in Class A. This is because they have five teams in the top 20 in Pelican Rapids, Ada-Borup/Norman County West, Parkers Prairie, West Central Area, and Underwood. It also only includes two teams out of 20 ranked above 100 in the class, which means there are a mess of teams in the middle that could cause some damage.
Class AA
AA Section Power Rankings | ||
2AA | 15.44313 | |
1AA | 9.108824 | |
3AA | 7.299412 | |
8AA | 5.105625 | |
7AA | 2.995625 | |
6AA | 1.340625 | |
5AA | -12.0569 | |
4AA | -59.3429 |
Section 2AA has a team in Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial that is 17-2, but the computer rates them as the 10th best team in the section. That is what you call depth. It also has the best “bottom” of the section. LeSueur-Henderson is 16th in the section, but only 91st in Class AA.
Class AAA
AAA Section Power Rankings | ||
2AAA | 33.07429 | |
7AAA | 20.29571 | |
4AAA | 17.6425 | |
5AAA | 16.03571 | |
6AAA | 15.33143 | |
8AAA | 3.945714 | |
1AAA | 0.307143 | |
3AAA | -2.0825 |
Section 2AAA has a huge lead over the rest of the state, and it isn’t too difficult to see why. Waseca (#1), New Ulm (#2), Marshall (#11), Mankato West (#21), and Hutchinson (#22) are all in the top 22 in Class AAA. Mankato East is the lowest rated team in the section and comes in at #37 in Class AAA. While Waseca has shown to be the best team in the section, this will be a very interesting one to follow. Other sections may have the power at the top (4, 6) but the overall depth is not as solid.
Class AAAA
AAAA Section Power Rankings | |
2AAAA | 35.015 |
6AAAA | 29.77125 |
8AAAA | 27.66375 |
3AAAA | 23.04375 |
5AAAA | 21.86 |
1AAAA | 16.37375 |
7AAAA | 7.37125 |
4AAAA | 3.64625 |
The theme is not to have a couple of elite teams, but to have a number of quality teams at both the top and the bottom. Section 2AAAA has five teams (#10 Chaska, #12 Eden Prairie, #16 Prior Lake, #17 Shakopee, #19 Minnetonka) in the top 19 of Class AAAA to go with #35 Chanhassen and #41 Bloomington Jefferson. Last year this section provided us with a fun tournament with Prior Lake prevailing, and I expect this season’s tournament to be just as fun. Section 6AAAA has the top two teams in the state, but beyond them the section is below average.
Remaining Unbeatens
- Grand Meadow: 5.21% percent chance to finish the regular season unbeaten
- Medford: 17.81%
- Menahga: 21.27%
- Eden Valley-Watkins: 56.93%
- Stephen-Argyle: 59.5%
- Hills-Beaver Creek: 63.70%
- Hopkins: 67.45%
- Minneota: 87.33%
Biggest Upset
Sleepy Eye 52, Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s 46 (5.9% chance of upset)
The reigning class A runners up have not had the success that they saw last season. However, you don’t obtain that success without improving throughout the season, and the Indians have done just that. Their first matchup with St. Mary’s resulted in a 67-29 loss. The second time around, they turned that 38 point loss into a 6 point win.
Honorable Mention: Hinckley-Finlayson 55, Upsala 51 (6.51%), Maranatha Christian 68, Mountain Iron-Buhl 41 (7.12%)
Biggest Gainers
A – Fertile-Beltrami (last week Class A #91, currently #79)
- 1/28 vs. Mahnomen/Waubun W 56-42 (predicted score 38-49)
- 2/1 @ Win-E-Mac W 57-37 (44-48)
AA – Maranatha Christian (last week Class AA #13, currently #9)
- 2/1 vs. St. Croix Prep W 78-48 (70-20)
- 2/2 @ Mountain Iron-Buhl W 68-41 (51-73)