5A State Playoffs Sweet 16: Chauncey Billups Region
Well, the second round of the 5A Colorado High School State Playoffs has come and went after some entertaining basketball that included some upsets, some blowouts and some very good and entertaining games and now we’re in the Sweet 16 with some interesting matchups from the teams remaining. Prep Hoops Colorado has you covered on what to expect and who stands out in each region.
Chauncey Billups Region:
Who is in it?
Chaparral, Mountain Range, Vista Ridge, Chatfield, Grandview, Cherokee Trail, Boulder, Rampart, Far Northeast Warriors, Legacy
Who will win it?
I’ve been VERY high on this region and with reason as Grandview is in this region and that’s a team that we have to keep an eye on but the team I’m still riding with is Chaparral. The No. 3 overall seed in the tournament is coming off of a 65-49 win over Mountain Range where they seen productivity from multiple players. Bryce Matthews surprisingly led all scorers in the game and has been getting more comfortable each game. He finished with 18. Tanner Giles also had a great game on offense as he had 13 points Kobe Sanders added 12 points. Ronnie DeGray III, their leading scorer finished with 10 points and this within itself is telling as the Wolverines are finding various ways to win and won’t have to rely on just on Ronnie who happens to be having a Mr. Basketball worthy season. The team will be getting back Joseph Dalton soon so another win and week of him getting healthier will have them as the favorites out of the region.
Surprise performance?
Grandview is just as good as any team in the state as each and every night you could have another player get it done. They’re coming off of a 41-72 blowout against league rivals Cherokee Trails in which Dayne Prim went absolutely bonkers. He finished with 25 points and 15 rebounds for one of the best individuals games we’ve seen in the playoffs so far. It will be nice to see other players such as Ben Boone, Caleb McGill and Davon Walker to step up and pick up the load as well, especially if they want to beat a talented Rampart squad again, we know that head coach Michael Rogers will make adjustments and get his team in the right direction, ready to compete and hopefully get a win. As long as Prim is having games like this though, he gives the Wolves a chance and I expect yet another big game from him against a big Rampart front.
Most likely upset:
Rampart versus Grandview
As great as Grandview has been this year, they’ve been very inconsistent with their star players stepping up every game. Ben Boone had an incredible off season and start to the season and it has slowed down a bit, so maybe this is a spot that he bounces back and the Wolves will need it as they’re playing a tough Rampart squad that they beat earlier in the year but things have changes since then, for both teams. Grandview has been looking to maintain their level of play for four quarters and get production out of all their players game in and out, lately its been Prim who has been holding the load and a much needed spark out of Tyler Unger. For Rampart it’s building off of their strong play as of late and getting the most out of Josh Kavalec, Xavier Johnson and Dawson Carper. This is a trio that presents many mismatches and is a solid group that can attack the paint an apply pressure throughout the game. Grandview matches up well against this team as they’re both big units, but great play out of Dawson and Josh can really make it difficult for the Wolves. If the Rams can get it going with their guard play and compete on the boards, while controlling the pace against a disciplined unit, Rampart can run away with this one and upset a team that’s been on. It starts with winning the guard battle and applying pressure throughout the entirety of the game while limiting the others if Rampart wants to be winners and advance to the great eight.
Key players remaining to watch for out in this region:
Ronnie DeGray III, Kobe Sanders, Joseph Dalton, Bryce Matthews, Ben Boone, Dayne Prim, Caleb McGill, Connor Staib, Simon May, Xavier Johnson, Dawson Carper, Josh Kavalec