Minnesota Predictions: [Click to see more about my favorite, leading contenders, sleepers, and young guns teams for Class AA.] Class AA: Favorite: Providence Academy (@PA_GirlsHoops ) Providence Academy (32-0, #1) beat Crosby-Ironton (32-1, #2) to win the Class AA state championship, their 4th straight. Only a fool would pick against Maddyn Greenway and PA, right? ... Well, I guess that I was quite foolish last year (I picked Minnehaha Academy (22-10, #4) to win Class AA). Providence Academy ran the table, including numerous wins against ranked AAAA and AAA teams. I am not making the same mistake this year. They graduated 2 starters, including @hopecounts2025 (Lipscomb), but return 3 of their top 4 scorers in sr @KentuckyWBB commit @maddyngreenway (5'8"--32.8ppg, 7.2rpg, 8.7apg, 4.8spg), jr @EmmaMillerbernd (5'9"--14.1ppg, 3.5apg), & fr @BeckettGreenway (5'7"--12.2ppg, 3.2apg) as well as key reserve jr Lexi Nicolai (5'11"--3.3ppg). PA is in Section 5. [Greenway & Counts earned MGBCA Class AA All-State, while Millerbernd earned HM.] . Leading Contenders: Crosby-Ironton (@CI_LadyRangers ) Crosby-Ironton (32-1, #2) went through the regular season undefeated before losing to fellow unbeaten Providence Academy (32-0, #1) in the state championship game. They graduated @ReganJuenemann (Nebraska-Omaha), but return 10 of their top 11 scorers, including a veteran group in srs @GopherWBB commit @OehrleinTori (5'11"--29.9ppg, 16.2rpg, 8.6apg, 6.3spg, 1.4bpg), @Sammie_hachey (5'9"--13.0ppg, 4.0apg), @lucy_lewandowsk (5'10"--9.5ppg, 6.6rpg, 3.6apg), & Emma Silgen (6'--2.2ppg, 1.4bpg). C-I is in Section 7 with Duluth Marshall (21-8, #8). [Oehrlein earned MGBCA Class AA All-State, while Juenemann earned HM.] Duluth Marshall (@DMGBB218 ) Duluth Marshall (21-8, #8) dropped a 2-pt decision to Proctor (26-4, #9) in a sectional semifinal. They return their entire roster from last season, including soph @ChloeJohnsonMN (5'11"--28.9ppg, 9.1rpg, 6.4apg, 3.8spg), srs @UMNCrookstonWBB commit @cairinberger (5'9"--13.3ppg, 3.4apg, 4.1spg), @annabellesaari (5'3"--7.7ppg), & Angel Adu-Bobi (5'8"--2.5ppg), jrs @IamCandiceNdomb (5'8"--8.2ppg, 6.2rpg, 4.8spg) & Morgan Lucero (5'3"--10.0ppg), & fr @Gab1ja1 (6'7"--6.3ppg, 5.9rpg, 3.4bpg). Duluth Marshall is in Section 7 with state runner-up Crosby-Ironton (32-1, #2). [Johnson earned MGBCA Class AA All-State.] Goodhue (@GoodhueAct )/Caledonia (@CaliAthletics ) winner Goodhue (26-6, #1 in A) reached a Class A state semifinal before falling to eventual state champion West Central (26-2, #9 in A) and beating Sleepy Eye St. Mary's (30-4, #5 in A) to finish 3rd, but move up to Class AA this season. Caledonia (29-4, #5) lost to Minnehaha Academy (22-10, #4) in a state quarterfinal before bouncing back to beat Barnesville (22-8) & Sauk Centre (28-4, #7) to finish 5th. Both teams lost an Upper Iowa recruit to graduation (Kendyl Lodermeier of Goodhue & Josie Foster of Caledonia). Goodhue returns their next 6 highest scorers in srs @ThomfordeNat3 (5'11"--9.4ppg) & @AvaWallaker1 (5'9"--7.8ppg), jr @LolaChrist954 (5'4"--10.0ppg), @AubreyChri54991 (5'5"--8.2ppg), @kenz_lodermeier (5'8"--6.8ppg), & @Ashleeeemariie (5'7"--4.8ppg). They also return sr @NIACCWBball commit @macyvoth (5'3"--2.6ppg in 8 games). Caledonia lost just 1 other player from last season's squad and returns srs @UIU_WBB commit @AubrieKlug22 (5'10"--20.8ppg), Nicole Banse (5'8"--11.6ppg), & Kensey King (6'1"--6.3ppg), & jr @jessie_stendel (6'2"--5.4ppg), who could be primed for a breakout year. They are in Section 1 with Triton (24-5). [Foster earned MGBCA Class AA All-State, while Klug earned HM. Kendyl Lodermeier earned MGBCA Class A All-State.] . Sleepers: Frazee Frazee (13-14) dropped a 3-pt decision to Barnesville (22-8). Minimal statistics are available for Frazee, but they return 4 starters and all but 1 player from last year's roster, including sr @UNDwbasketball commit @Jayden_sonn (5'10"). Frazee is in Section 8. [Sonnenberg earned MGBCA Class AA All-State HM.] St. Croix Lutheran (@SCLGBB ) St. Croix Lutheran (17-11) lost to Visitation in a sectional semifinal. They return all but 2 players from last year's roster, including the high-scoring tandem of srs @UNIwbb commit @OaklandCallie (6'--19.2ppg, 16.2rpg, 3.3bpg) & @amaya_penn (5'5"--19.0ppg, 4.1apg, 3.9spg). They will once again be in Section 4 with Minnehaha Academy (22-10, #4) and Visitation. [Oakland earned MGBCA Class AA All-State HM.] Triton (@TritonCobras ) Triton (24-5) fell to Winona Cotter/Hope Lutheran (18-10) by 6 in a sectional quarterfinal. They return all but 2 players from last year, including their top 5 scorers in jrs @ReaganEssig05 (5'4"--19.0ppg) & Keanna Molina (5'2"--9.8ppg), & srs @dobbs_rainey (5'10"--17.4ppg), Addison Oakland (5'5"--8.8ppg), & Norah Freiderich (5'3"--6.9ppg). Triton is in Section 1 with Caledonia (29-4, #5) and Goodhue (26-6, #1 in A). . Young Guns Teams: Legacy Christian (@LCA_GBB ) Legacy Christian (18-9) lost in a sectional round of 16 game to Osakis (16-11). Legacy Christian only had 2 upperclassmen (1 senior & 1 junior) on their roster last year. Their top 7 scorers were underclassmen, including current jr Savannah Mehan (5'8"--14.0ppg, 1.3bpg), & sophs @SarahCarlson_28 (5'6"--13.2ppg, 5.5rpg, 3.1apg, 3.7spg), Juliana Bramwell (11.8ppg, 8.0rpg, 3.2apg, 3.2spg), & Syd Pierskalla (5'10"--7.9ppg). Legacy Christian is in Section 6. New Life Academy (@NLAAthletics ) New Life Academy (14-14) lost in a Class A sectional quarterfinal to United Christian (18-8), but move up to Class AA for this year. They had only 3 upperclassmen (1 senior & 2 juniors) on their roster last year. Their top 3 scorers were sophomores last season in current jrs @ciri_erickson (5'9"--14.1ppg), @Samantharae_30 (5'9"--13.8ppg), & Ella Brennan (5'10"--10.2ppg, 10.3rpg, 3.0spg). Their next two scorers srs @eliana_Hahn15 (5'5"--8.4ppg, 6.4rpg, 5.6apg, 3.4spg) & Jynessa Hughes (5'8"--8.1ppg) also return to provide senior leadership. New Life Academy is in Section 4 with St. Croix Lutheran (17-11). YGT HM: Belle Plaine (@BPSchools ) Belle Plaine (11-16) lost in a sectional quarterfinal to Tri-City United (19-8). They graduated 2 starters, but their top 5 returning scorers were underclassmen last season, including their leading scorer in current soph Emma Martin (5'10"--15.1ppg) and their 3rd leading scorer in current fr @addison_campion (6'1"--10.6ppg, 7.9rpg, 2.2bpg). Belle Plaine is in Section 2. Stats Source: MNGirlsBasketballHub . com