6 Takeaways: 6A Semifinals
The 6A Semifinals finished up last night in dramatic fashion for both of the games. Desert Vista pushed Pinnacle to the edge and sent the game to over time. However, Desert Vista could not find a way to generate any offense in the extra period.
On the other side of the bracket, Mountain Pointe led largely from buzzer to buzzer but Brophy refused to go away. Brophy had their chances, but failed to convert on the athletic Mountain Pointe team down the stretch.
The 6A state championship will take place on Wednesday, February 28th at Wells Fargo Arena with a start time of 7. Both of these teams met earlier in the season when Pinnacle lacked Nico Mannion and Trent Brown. This should be a great game,
#3 Desert Vista 67 vs. #2 Pinnacle 77
Pinnacle led by as much as 10 late in the 3rd quarter. However, Desert Vista went on a 6-0 run to bring the game back within reach. Further, down the stretch of the game, Desert Vista found themselves on top in this battle.
However, that lead would last momentarily as Mannion had other ideas. Desert Vista struggled greatly with being able to keep the athletic and skilled Mannion in front. This ended up being the deciding factor in the game as Mannion lived at the line at the end of the 4th quarter which was enough to take this game to overtime.
Unsung Hero: Trent Brown 6’1 PG 2019 Pinnacle
Brown has taken a different role since returning from his back surgery. Instead of being a primary scorer, he seeks to do whatever is needed of him. Down the stretch, that role was guarding the best guard on the opposing team in Tyrek Chambers.
In addition to doing a great job of making everything tough for Chambers in overtime, Brown finished the night with a near triple double. He had a similar effort in the game against Gilbert as well.
While there are a number of talented prospects on this team, Brown is the glue that keeps them together. His ability to create for others and play mistake free basketball might not get him a lot of love, but it puts Pinnacle in a position to win games.
High Upside: Tyrek Chambers 6’3 PG 2019 Desert Vista
Tyrek Chambers Desert Vista Image Provided by Ahwatukee Foothills NewsChambers has a lot of upside. While some of his shot selection in overtime might not have been exactly what Desert Vista needed, his effort and scoring kept Desert Vista in the game.
Chambers was met with help side defense early and often. It took a great effort from him to continue to find ways to score as a means of keeping Desert Vista in the game. With a missed free throw late from Pinnacle, Chambers took it coast to coast to send this one to overtime.
His upside is extremely high and he should be on a number of college’s radars.
Most Competitive: Nico Mannion 6’2 PG 2020 Pinnacle
Mannion dominated this game and effectively demonstrated why he is one of the top players in the state as well as in the nation. However, there are plenty of skilled players who lack competitive fire. However, that was not the case for Mannion.
Mannion went toe to toe with the Desert Vista guards all night and refused to back down. In addition to being extremely talented, he demonstrated a bulldog mentality that will take him far. Where he is hoping to go, being talented is not enough. Players must have a lot of fight in them in order to be successful.
#5 Mountain Pointe 62 vs. #1 Brophy 58
My gut instinct told me that the Mountain Pointe athleticism would be too much for Brophy. While Brophy competed at a high level, Mountain Pointe was able to play 4 out stall ball for the majority of the game to force the guards of Brophy to extend their pressure. Thus, creating driving gaps.
Mountain Pointe is a tough out due to their athletic guards and big man Jalen Graham. With that said, #1 Brophy played them extremely well and showed how well coached and disciplined they are.
Despite starting down early, Brophy kept themselves close throughout the game and gave themselves a chance to win the game.
Most athletic play: Ben Paul 6’3 SF 2018 Brophy
Paul rose up and caught a body in transition. His dunk almost ignited the momentum for Brophy to complete their comeback and make it to the state championship.
While there were a lot of athletic plays in both of the games yesterday, it is safe to say that nobody expected that highlight reel dunk. Defenders beware: Move if you see Paul coming down the lane.
X-Factor: Terrance Hunter 6’1 SG 2018 Mountain Pointe
Hunter was tough on the ball defensively and hit a number of key shots for Mountain Pointe. He hit 3 mid-range jumpers, one of which was late in the game, that were crucial to the team’s success. While Hunter’s role is limited, he has one of the most pure mid-range jumpers in the state.
A close second would be Amarion Cash. It is hard to call the leading scorer of a team an X-Factor. However, his two huge 3s in the 4th quarter were the momentum grabbers that Mountain Pointe needed in order to finish the job and move on to the next round.
Prospects to Watch: Jalen Graham 6’8 PF/C 2019 Mountain Pointe and Jaxson Baker 6’7 SF/PF 2018 Brophy
Graham’s upside is through the roof. He has the potential to be a really good basketball player at the next level. His length and athleticism were on full display last night. One of the best plays of the game involved him catching at the high post and doing an inside pivot to a rip through and dunk. Graham will be playing meaningful minutes at the next level somewhere.
While Baker did not get the result that he wanted, he demonstrated a lot of versatility as he plays a different role for Brophy than he typically plays in club basketball. He manned the high post against the zone and made good reads. Further, he crashed the glass well and did all that he could to create extra opportunities for himself and his teammates.