Though last season's 16-9 regular season record may not be all that eye-catching, St. Paul Central set themselves up for future success, and proved that they'll be a tough match-up for anyone this season. Their non-conference schedule last year was among the toughest in the state, playing the AA, AAA, and AAAA state champions. They provided one of Cretin-Derham Hall's toughest tests of the season, losing in a hard fought battle 81-74. They only graduated one player from last season, and will be a legitimate force in the Twin Cities area this year.
Perhaps their top player in terms of college potential is 6'4 small forward Dion Ford. Dion put up 19.4 ppg last season and was one of the top players in the St. Paul City Conference. He is a long and athletic lefty who does well to get to the rim, and is a very good finisher. His length and quickness help him defend multiple positions and he is also a very good rebounder at the wing spot. Dion's individual performances will play a key role in Central's success this season, and he could make a strong case for conference player of the year.
Who will be Dion's main competitor for player of the year? That would be his own teammate, Daveonte Davis. Daveonte is the returning player of the year after putting up huge numbers with 23.5 ppg as a junior. At 6'3 Daveonte is a strong slashing guard who is very dangerous driving to the basket. His strength allows him to finish through contact with ease, and he has also shown the ability to post up on other guards. Daveonte is a solid shooter, so his ability to stretch the floor opens up opportunities for his teammates to score inside, and helps his driving ability as defenders cannot sag off of him. Watch out for another big season from Daveonte.
The third member of St. Paul Central's three headed monster is their point guard Ronelle Porter. Standing at 5'7, Ronelle is extremely shifty making him a very hard guard for opposing defenders. Despite his height, Ronelle is fearless attacking the rim where he has a very crafty layup package allowing him to score over taller players. Off the drive he has good vision to make the pass to his open teammates. Porter's scrappy defense also creates a lot of turnovers which allows this fast paced Central team to get a lot of open layups. Ronelle averaged 12 ppg as a junior, and will have another good season as a senior.
Though a majority of the scoring will be done by the three previously mentioned players, Central has a few key role players returning. Khai West returns for his senior season, after putting up 9 ppg as a junior. He's a great asset for Central. 6'3 forward Luke McElroy also comes back for his senior year. He was another 9 ppg scorer last year, and has the scoring ability to force teams to not be able to double Ford or Davis. Senior My'Kel Alexander (6'4) and sophomore Jaelen Thomas (6'5) both saw limited playing time last year, but return to provide good length off the bench. Caron Crowe and Terrell Fountain both averaged 5 ppg last season, playing key roles off the bench.
Perhaps no team in the state returns more of their lineup from last season than St. Paul Central does, and this experience will lead them to a lot of success. They are one of my favorite sleeper teams to make a case for a spot in the AAAA state rankings this season. Once again they play a very difficult non-conference schedule, which should prepare them for the playoffs.
Regular Season Record Prediction: 21-5
Predicted Scoring Leaders: Daveonte Davis 22 ppg
Dion Ford 21 ppg
Ronelle Porter 14 ppg
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