It's Park Center vs. Wayzata in Class 4A and DeLaSalle vs. Totino-Grace in 3A. Get the details here.
The same four teams that played for the Class 4A and 3A championships last season will play for them again in the 2022-23 season. Park Center defeated Wayzata 58-53 in the Class 4A final last season, and Totino-Grace defeated DeLaSalle 50-44. Here's a look at the two title games:
8 p.m. Saturday at Target Center
TV: Ch. 45
Records
Park Center 28-2
Wayzata 26-4
Seeds
Park Center 1
Wayzata 3
Minnesota Basketball News rankings
Park Center 1
Wayzata 3
The season
Park Center won its first 22 games this season, then lost twice in a week, 73-70 to visiting Elk River and 67-64 at Maple Grove. Those six points separate the Pirates from a perfect season.
Wayzata lost the first three games of the season, then won 17 in a row. The Trojans' only loss since Dec. 13 was to Eden Prairie on Valentine's Day.
Style points
Park Center has six players averaging at least nine points per game. Casmir Chavis handles the playmaking, CJ O'Hara, JJ Ware and Jackson Fowlkes run the wing, and Chiang Ring is a powerful 6-8 post.
Wayzata is built on guards, and the best of them is 5-11 senior point guard Hayden Tibbits, a first-team Star Tribune All-Metro selection. Even Wayzata's tallest player, 6-9 junior Jackson McAndrew, is listed as a guard.
5 p.m. Saturday at Target Center
TV: Ch. 45
Records
DeLaSalle 26-5
Totino-Grace 23-8
Seeds
DeLaSalle 3
Totino-Grace 1
Minnesota Basketball News rankings
DeLaSalle 3
Totino-Grace 1
The season
Seven of Totino-Grace's losses were to Park Center (twice), to successful programs from other states (three times) and to other Class 4A state tournament teams (twice). The Eagles are on a six-game winning streak, their longest run of the season.
DeLaSalle opened the season with a loss to Park Center and lost four times in the season's first month. Since Jan. 12 the Islanders have lost only once, at Wayzata in the last game of the regular season. They won their section tournament games by an average of 31 points.
Style points
DeLaSalle features Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year Nasir Whitlock, a 6-2 guard who averaged 27.7 points in the regular season and is headed to Lehigh for college. PJ Pounds (6-6) and Isreal Moses V (6-4) contribute serious athletic ability.
Totino-Grace rolls with 6-4 guard Taison Chatman, committed to Ohio State, but three teammates scored more than his 11.1 points per game during the regular season: 6-5 wing Tommy Humphries (11.5 ppg), 6-7 wing Isaiah Johnson (12.7) and 6-9 forward Patrick Bath (16.8).
