3A State Tournament: Round 1 Analysis and Breakdown
The 3A State Tournament begins tonight at 6:30 at the higher seeds high school. There are a number of intriguing match-ups worth watching in the 1st round.
With that said, two of the more intriguing match-ups have to be Wickenburg vs. Northwest Christian and Coolidge vs. Fountain Hills. Wickenburg and NWC have played twice and split games while Coolidge has played a tough schedule and competed; thus putting Fountain Hills on upset alert.
3A State Tournament: Round 1 Top Game
#19 Wickenburg vs. #14 Northwest Christian
Wickenburg and Northwest Christian have an intriguing game as the two teams have played each other twice and split the contests. While Northwest Christian is the favorite and will get to host the game, it is far from a guarantee that they will talk away from this game unscathed.
Wickenburg will be led by Jonah Vega-Reid and Jackson Tillapaugh. Vega-Reid is a consistent shooter from deep who can finish around the rim while Tillapaugh brings the group a different dynamic. His ability to protect the paint defensively and finish around the rim offensively makes him a solid prospect at the 3A level.
On the other end of the spectrum, Northwest Christian will be led by knockdown shooter, Andrew Augustine. Augustine has been seeing more and more box and 1 type looks to limit his production. If that is the case tonight, someone else will have to step up for NWC. Further, Augustine will have to compete for catches and find a way to score the basketball.
Prediction: This should be one of the more intriguing games at the 3A level. With that said, Augustine will find a way to create for himself and his teammates as they pull out the close win.
3A State Tournament: Round 1 Upset Special
#18 Coolidge vs. #15 Fountain Hills
Coolidge will go on the road for this one and will have to play one of their better games to pull it off. However, they are more than ready for the challenge. While the group is 13-13, they have lost 8 of those games by 10 points or less. Further, they have played a tough schedule that has prepared them for this game.
They will be leaning heavily on Jovann Thompson and Nick Harrison. Despite only being 6’2, Thompson is a monster in the paint and finishes extremely well around the rim.On the other hand, Harrison is one of the best shooters in 3A despite his classification as he is only a FR. Fountain Hills will have their hands full with these two.
Fountain Hills is led by a more balanced attack with multiple weapons capable of doing damage. It will be interesting to see which prospect steps up. However, the most likely candidate is Tom Ferrington. Ferrington is the team’s leader in points and rebounds. His activity will be crucial to the team’s success.
Prediction: Coolidge’s explosive scoring power will be too much for Fountain Hills.