Recent content from Ron Haggstrom
Boys basketball: With champions crowned, a final ranking of Minnesota's best
Sportswriter Ron Haggstrom's final 2024-25 Minnesota Top 25 ranking after the state tournament.
Chase Thompson leads Alexandria to Class 3A boys basketball championship
Clemson recruit and Star Tribune's All-Minnesota Player of the Year scored a game-high 28 points to deliver Cardinals first ever state title.
Boys basketball live blog: Scores and updates from boys basketball championship games
Earlier Saturday, Alexandria defeated Mankato East 73-64 in the 3A final, Dawson-Boyd beat Cherry 81-74 in 1A, and Albany overcame Waseca 70-63 in 2A.
Boys basketball state tournament: Pairings are in place for Class 4A, 3A championship games
Wayzata will take on Cretin-Derham Hall in 4A, and Alexandria will play Mankato East in 3A.
Boys basketball: Alexandria, Mankato East to play for Class 3A state championship
Alexandria toppled three-time defending champ Totino-Grace in the semifinals, and Mankato East knocked off Orono.
Boys basketball state tournament: Thursday's semifinals are set in the three biggest classes
Class 4A's higher seeds all won, though Wayzata was tested by Moorhead, and Classes 3A and 2A also went according to form.
Meet Chase Thompson of Alexandria, the All-Minnesota Boys Basketball Player of the Year
A 6-8 senior forward committed to Clemson, Thompson averaged 25.4 points and 10 rebounds per game during the regular season.
Meet the 2025 All-Minnesota boys basketball team
Introducing the top 25 basketball players across Minnesota for the 2024-2025 season, selected based on individual success and input from coaches from various conferences and classes.
Boys basketball state tournament: Final four and champion predictions for each class
Longtime Star Tribune sportswriter Ron Haggstrom forecasts which teams will advance to the semifinals and championship games, including the eventual tournament winners in all four classes.
Boys basketball: Ranking the best teams in the state tournament
This edition of the Star Tribune's Minnesota Top 25 ranks the best boys basketball teams in the state tournament.
Longtime Mankato East coach looks to win first boys basketball state title with son leading the charge
Brogan Madson, committed to Sioux Falls, is the career leader in points, assists and steals for the program led by his father, Joe.
Minnesota Top 25: The Star Tribune's statewide ranking of girls basketball teams
Our final rankings of the season places Class 2A champion Providence Academy on top.
Providence Academy wins a record fourth consecutive girls basketball championship
The Lions, lifted by Maddyn Greenway's 40 points, defeated Crosby-Ironton in the Class 2A final.
Minnesota high school coaches weigh in on Gophers' search to fill men's basketball vacancy
Suggestions include a strong nomination for Colorado State's Niko Medved and finding more NIL money for the program no matter who is hired.
Hopkins closes championship day with a record-setting Class 4A girls basketball victory
West Central Area defeated MACCRAY to win Class 1A, Providence Academy topped Crosby-Ironton in 2A, and Benilde-St. Margaret's beat Marshall in 3A.
Girls basketball state tournament: Championship pairings are set in the three biggest classes
In Class 4A, Hopkins will play Maple Grove for the title. In Class 3A, Benilde-St. Margaret's will take on Marshall.
Girls basketball state tournament: Three classes' worth of semifinalists are settled
Classes 4A, 3A and 2A played it down to four teams Wednesday, and Class 1A will take that step Thursday.
Boys basketball: Wayzata rises in Minnesota Top 25 following win over rival Hopkins
With section tournaments underway, three No. 1 seeds have already been ousted, only one of which was in the Star Tribune's Top 25 rankings.
Girls basketball state tournament: Final four and champion predictions for each class
Longtime Star Tribune sportswriter Ron Haggstrom forecast which teams will advance to the semifinals and the championship game and which one will win.
Girls basketball: Ranking the best teams in the state tournament
This edition of the Star Tribune's Minnesota Top 25 ranks the best girls basketball teams in the state tournament.
![Maddyn Greenway stands for a portrait Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2025 at Providence Academy in Plymouth, Minn.
] AARON LAVINSKY • aaron.lavinsky@start](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/KPGWMRUL6ZBT3GLCSZONNZUOWI.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Meet Maddyn Greenway of Providence Academy, the All-Minnesota Girls Basketball Player of the Year
Her numbers tell tales: 32.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 4.9 steals per regular-season game. The three state championships reveal more, as does this season's 26-0 record.
Meet the 2025 All-Minnesota girls basketball team, standouts from all over the state
The Star Tribune, with the help of coaches, picked the best 25 players across the state.
Why Hopkins-Wayzata boys basketball is a can't-miss clash
The last time they met led to a coach's suspension. Every time they meet it's intense. See it on startribune.com.
Benilde-St. Margaret's takes down Orono, advances to girls basketball state tournament
Chaska, Maple Grove and Brainerd also won Class 4A section championships.
Boys swimming state meet features a juggernaut, a grudge match and more
Breck/Blake's team will swim for its ninth title in a row in Class 1A, Edina and Minnetonka will go back at it in Class 2A, and St. Cloud swimmer Micah Davis and Rosemount diver Lucas Gerten will try to add to strings of success.
Minnesota Top 25: The Star Tribune's statewide ranking of boys basketball teams
It's section tournament time, and the best teams are yet to face challenges of the type that roil the rankings.
Minnesota Top 25: The Star Tribune's statewide ranking of girls basketball teams
Section tournament results forced change, and it's likely more is ahead.
Boys basketball section tournaments feature multiple teams good enough to win. This will be fun.
Take a tour through some sections where competition will be fierce, and then check out the predictions.
Girls basketball: Immovable teams in Minnesota Top 25 eye unblemished season
Three teams ranked at the top — Providence Academy, Crosby-Ironton and Monticello — concluded the regular season with a record of 26-0.
Boys basketball: These select teams hold position in Minnesota Top 25 ranking
Class 4A's Cretin-Derham Hall remains the top-ranked team in Minnesota for the Star Tribune.
Wayzata's girls basketball team heads toward postseason with substitutes turned starters
The Trojans are dealing with injuries, one before the season to Kate Amelotte and one this month to Sophie Hawkinson.
Girls basketball postseason is on. Here are the section tournaments to watch.
Two from Class 4A are packed with state-level teams, and there are lists of predicted champions to consider.
Boys basketball: Battle of big-school powerhouses couldn't reshuffle Minnesota Top 25
Four teams ranked in the top 10 played each other in the past week as schools near the end of the regular season.
Girls basketball: Three schools competing for same state title eye perfect seasons
Providence Academy, Crosby-Ironton and Royalton remain undefeated. All three play in Class 2A.
Wayzata basketball coach to serve one-game suspension
Bryan Schnettler will serve a one-game suspension for his actions during a rival game at Hopkins.
Girls basketball: Win streak vaults south metro team higher in Minnesota Top 25
Eastview lost only twice before winning 19 of its next 20 games.
Boys basketball: Undefeated no more but still No. 1 in Minnesota
Cretin-Derham Hall suffered its first loss but retains the top spot in the Minnesota Star Tribune Top 25.
Prep Athletes of the Week: Wayzata skier orders up a state title for herself and one for her friends
Lila Golomb and her Nordic skiing teammates each won a section title, and she's hoping to repeat that at Giants Ridge.
One who's been there advocates for hockey coaches to wear helmets when on the ice
Lakeville North's Buck Kochevar has pushed for change ever since he fell and fractured his skull in 2011. A recent incident involving another coach has amplified the issue.
The Minnesota Top 25, the Star Tribune's statewide, class-crossing ranking of high school boys basketball teams
Minnetonka has been gathering momentum and moving up in the rankings, having won 11 of its past 12 games.
The Minnesota Top 25, the Star Tribune's statewide, class-crossing ranking of high school girls basketball teams
See how an illness to one of the state's best players and other stars soaring past 4,000 career points affected our latest rankings.
Prep Athletes of the Week: Parents' advice lifted Chanhassen/Chaska swimmer
After moving from Quebec, Isidore Warain was ready to quit the sport. Enter Mom and Dad: "They kept telling me it was a new adventure."
Girls basketball: A Top 25 team remains undefeated, and they're winning by 32 points a game
Led by junior Samantha Voll, the Monticello girls basketball team is winning impressively this season.
Prep Athletes of the Week: Hat tricks come easy for Marshall girls hockey standout Brooklyn Mauch
Sophomore forward Brooklyn Mauch has recorded six hat tricks this season for the Tigers.
Boys basketball: Undefeated team in Minnesota Top 25 knows how to win close games
Benilde-St. Margaret's, the lone unbeaten team in Class 3A, will be tested in two tough upcoming games: Alexandria, the seventh-ranked team in the Star Tribune's Top 25, on Saturday and Orono, the third-ranked team, on Jan. 30.
![Minnetonka's Lanelle Wright, hits a jump shot over Annika Kieser of Wayzata Tuesday January ,10 2024 in, Minnetonka Minn. ] JERRY HOLT • jerry.holt@](https://arc.stimg.co/startribunemedia/OZU36KOGYNCW7NP5NGS3GNG4GE.jpg?h=120&w=180&fit=crop&bg=999&crop=faces)
Girls basketball: Injuries impact Lake Conference teams in the Minnesota Top 25
For Minnetonka, Hopkins and Wayzata, injuries have sidelined some of their best players as conference play shifts into high gear.
Girls basketball: No. 1-ranked senior wants to leave behind a winning legacy
How Jordan Ode, who will play for Michigan State in the fall, plans to inspire the next generation of girls basketball players at Maple Grove.
Maple Grove rolls against St. Michael-Albertville in clash of Class 4A girls basketball powers
The Crimson surged away from the Knights, who were playing a top-five team for the second day in a row.
Boys basketball: These two teams have made significant jumps in Star Tribune's Minnesota Top 25
Meanwhile, the top 10 teams in the rankings appear to be entrenched in their positions, including three unbeatens — Cretin-Derham Hall, Hopkins and Benilde-St. Margaret's.
Girls basketball: For this Minnesota Top 25 team, depth has been vitally important
Four programs make their Star Tribune Minnesota Top 25 debut, including Rochester Mayo and Hill-Murray.
Prep Athletes of the Week: Lakeville South gymnast embraces a new assignment
Piper Keith, a sophomore, is tasked with providing leadership on a team that won a state title last season but lost key athletes.
Boys basketball: Wayzata rises in Star Tribune's Top 25 statewide rankings
Wayzata junior guards Nolen Anderson, Isaac Olmstead and Christian Wiggins, the top-rated player in the state for the class of 2026, are averaging nearly 20 points per game each.
Girls Basketball: Providence Academy remains No. 1 in Star Tribune's Top 25
Led by Maddyn Greenway, the Lions have three games upcoming against opponents also ranked in the Star Tribune's Top 25.
Gophers basketball commit Tori Oehrlein sets state record for assists in a game
The Crosby-Ironton junior set the record in a 113-33 victory over Hinckley-Finlayson on Tuesday, in which she recorded a quadruple double.
Prep Athletes of the Week: Top wrestler Gunderson records 200th career victory
Trey Gunderson, the two-time state champion at Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg, is the state's No. 1-rated wrestler at 139 pounds in Class 1A, according to The Guillotine rankings.
Faribault 6-10 center Ryan Kreager keeps rising to new heights
No. 4-rated prospect in Minnesota in the Class of 2026, Ryan Kreager has the Falcons at 5-1 and ranked ninth in Class 3A by Minnesota Basketball News.
Girls Basketball: These top recruits have yet to decide where they'll play in college
Ranging from seventh-graders to juniors, these prospects are still choosing where to continue their basketball careers.
Boys Basketball: Chunk of Minnesota's Top 25 teams to be tested at holiday tournaments
Most of the state's best teams are scattered around various sites and won't meet head-to-head at holiday basketball tournaments, with the exception of a few schools. Others will play against the top teams from other states.
Girls Basketball: Holiday tournaments could shake up Star Tribune's Top 25 rankings
The Granite City Classic will be the setting for marquee matchups Friday, Dec. 27, and Saturday, Dec. 28, during the holiday break.
Prep Athletes of the Week: Della Bettendorf of Proctor/Hermantown honors family name with Nordic skiing success
Motivated by her sister, Bettendorf won her first race of the season by 30 seconds.
Boys Basketball: Cretin-Derham Hall remains No. 1 in Star Tribune's Top 25
Despite two losses, Alexandria remains in top 10 while Hopkins and Orono move up.
Girls Basketball: Providence Academy takes No. 1 spot in Star Tribune's Top 25 rankings
Seven unbeaten teams remain in the top two classifications in Minnesota after Hopkins suffers first loss to Eastview.
Monticello's Adalynn Biegler named Star Tribune's All-Minnesota Girls Swimmer of the Year
This season, the sophomore set the state record in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles with times of 22.38 and 49.20 seconds, respectively, in the Class 1A state meet.
Boys swimming 2024-25: Record-setting Breck/Blake gathers for run at ninth title in a row
Henry Webb returns for Breck/Blake with his pocketful of medals. Also back for more: Rosemount diver Lucas Gerten and TCRB standout Micah Davis.
Cretin-Derham Hall tops Alexandria in showcase of standout bigs
Chase Thompson had to depart because of a second-half shoulder injury at the Breakdown Tip Off Classic.
Watch Hopkins and Duluth Marshall girls basketball teams tangle in a matchup of Class 4A and 2A powers
A stream of the game, featuring prominent recruits on each team, will be available at startribune.com at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Meet our Dream Team: The best boys basketball players across Minnesota
The group chosen by Ron Haggstrom includes 10 athletes, some from the Twin Cities, some from beyond and even one from another state.
Here's the Minnesota Top 25, the first in a weekly ranking of boys basketball teams
Players new to school likely will make a difference for No. 1 Cretin-Derham Hall, Star Tribune writer Ron Haggstrom notes. Nos. 2 and 3 are regulars atop any such list.
Five boys basketball coaches who are at new high schools in 2024-25
Ahmil Jihad, Troy Bell, Willie Braziel, Bridge Tusler and Jadee Jones, all familiar names, took on fresh assignments.
Orono boys basketball team mourns a teammate as it heads into season opener
The Spartans will honor Lucas Knudson, a senior who died in an auto accident in November. He would be the starting point guard.
Three big-time scorers head into girls basketball season ranked high in Minnesota history
Maddyn Greenway of Providence Academy, Addi Mack of Minnehaha Academy and Tori Oehrlein of Crosby-Ironton are all within reach of the second spot on the state's points list.
Meet the Dream Team: The best girls basketball players across Minnesota
The list produced by the Star Tribune's Ron Haggstrom shows 10 players and extends outside the Twin Cities.
Here's the Minnesota Top 25, the first in a weekly ranking of girls basketball teams
Star Tribune writer Ron Haggstrom lists the best teams in Minnesota, turning to a familiar power and a small-class contender up top.
Prep Athletes of the Week: Senior becomes Minneota's career-leading rusher and scorer
Ryan Meagher ran for a Prep Bowl-record six touchdowns while leading Minneota to a 70-20 victory over Springfield in the Class 1A football championship at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Meet the Star Tribune's All-Prep Bowl Team
A list of the standout players across all classifications competing in the high school football championship games at U.S. Bank Stadium.
