Arizona 5A State Tournament Sweet 16 Preview
Almost 30 teams have had to turn in their jerseys in the 5A ranks to get us to the point where we are final at the sweet 16 of the state tournament. In the “play-in” games, there was only one…
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Continue ReadingAlmost 30 teams have had to turn in their jerseys in the 5A ranks to get us to the point where we are final at the sweet 16 of the state tournament. In the “play-in” games, there was only one significant upset, based on original seeding, to note. Due to their upset of previously #10 ranked Deer Valley, Maricopa has earned the opportunity to play #1 Apollo. At this point, it is safe to say that the 5A Metro region is the biggest winner as 5 of the 16 teams left are from this region.
Sweet 16: Game to Watch
Agua Fria vs. Ironwood – The #8 and #9 match up always provides a lot of intrigue. Add to it that Agua Fria beat Ironwood by 27 earlier in the year. Both teams look greatly improved and it would be ridiculous to assume that anything of the liking will take place in this match up.
Ironwood has been led by 2017 prospects Cody Carmichael, 1st team all-region after shattering the schools assist record, Noah Foskit, 10 ppg and 8 rpg, and Geoff Hibbitt, 10 ppg and 8 rpg. This is a well balanced team with a number of players who can contribute. The X-Factor for Ironwood will most likely be 2018 Tyrese Eugene as he is the team’s leading scorer and is capable of being one of the best on ball defenders on the team.
Agua Fria brings there big three, Duron McNeal, Daniel Foster, and Bryce Fowler. McNeal, Foster, and Fowler are shooting the basketball at a high percentage and scoring almost 70% of the teams points this season. McNeal is an all-around talent who does a little bit of everything for this team. Fowler is the engine that makes the team go. He does a great job crashing the glass and getting the basketball up the floor quickly to start the transition opportunities. In addition to these three, Agua Fria’s role players play extremely hard and do a great job of playing their roles.
Prediction: This should be an exciting match-up between two very talented teams with a slight edge going to Ironwood.
Sweet 16: Upset Special
Sahuaro vs. Cholla Magnet
Sahuaro moved up in the rankings due to the upset of Deer Valley by Maricopa. Although the two teams haven ot met, Sahuaro has demonstrated an ability to beat higher ranked opponents. They played in a tough region that has prepared them for the state tournament. Sahuaro will be led by 2017 Brendan Gary. Gary leads the team in scoring and is second in assists as well as rebounding. His versatility is huge for this team. In addition to Gary, keep an eye on the supporting cast of Sahuaro as they have a number of role players who are capable of making a significant impact.
Cholla Manget is very similar to Sahuaro in that they have one primary play maker and a lot of role players who are capable of making an impact. Cholla will rely heavily on 2018 Marcel Dean to continue to carry the scoring weight. In addition to being a prominent scorer, Dean does a great job of creating for others and getting the role players involved.
Prediction: It will be a battle of the X-Factor players – Sahuaro pulls off the upset in a close battle.
Sweet 16: Region Matchups
#14 McClintock vs. #3 Sunnyslope – Sunnyslope has had the better of this match-up this season due to the versatility of Kyle Fischer, the stout defense of Bryson Mewhinney, and solid post play of Chris Orozco. However, McClintock is led by the impressive sharp shooting and talented 2019 Josh Baker. Baker will have to continue his strong performance to keep this one close and give McClintock a shot. With that said, I give Sunnyslope the advantage.
#16 Maricopa vs. #1 Apollo – Another Metro region game in which one of the two teams beat the other team twice. Apollo has to be the favorite to not only win this game, but to win the state championship. They are led by the NCAA Division-I guards Holland Woods and Dre Marin. In addition, they have a talented supporting cast including Jeff Perez, Elloheim Clark, and Emmanuel Taban. With that said, Maricopa brings one of the most dynamic point guards in the state to the table in Josh Johnson. Much like the previous region match-up, I give the favorite, Apollo, the advantage, but Johnson is capable of keeping this close if Apollo cannot get the basketball out of his hands.
#12 Mountain View Marana vs. #5 Buena – Buena gets the home court advantage and the higher seed; however, Marana is the region champ. Mountain View may have taken some time to come into their own due to the young talent on the roster, but they are playing at an extremely high level with the young group. They are led by 2020 Evan Nelson, 2019 Julian Molina, and 2018 Drew Cotton. On the other side, Buena is also led by talent that will be returning next year in Dominic Mooney and Kino Bellinger. #12 and #5 match-ups can be scary in their own right, but add to it that the 12 is the region champ, and there is a whole new dynamic. With that said, my prediction is Buena.