5A Playoffs: Previews & Predictions
The final eight have been decided in a wide-open and extremely competitive 5A Division. While 4A will be played out tonight as well, it is extremely top heavy. Anything but the 1-4 seeds advancing to the final four would be a huge upset. However, 5A is lined up a bit different. The top-seeded Gilbert Tigers will be extremely favored in their match-up tonight against Williams Field. However, the other three match-ups could truly go either way, with the road team earning themselves a win and advancing. Here is a breakdown and predictions for the quarterfinal match-ups.
Gilbert’s Head Coach Jay Caserio has to be considered an overwhelming favorite for Coach of the Year in the state of Arizona, regardless of conference. After leading the Tigers to a 26-1 record during the regular season, he has them sitting atop the top spot and primed for a playoff run. After clobbering Mountain View Marana by 34 in the first round, they continue to ride this impressive wave they are on. They have gotten some great contributions out of 5-foot-10 senior guard Doc Self, 6-foot-2 junior guard Brycen Long and 6-foot-7 senior forward Carson Towt. However, it is the discipline and attention to detail that has them being viewed as such a dangerous team.
They will take on a Williams Field team that got past Paradise Valley at home in the first round and will make an attempt at ending Gilbert’s season far before they are ready. It will be a tough task. The Black Hawks squared up twice with the Tigers during the regular season and came out of it 0-2 with both being double-digit losses. Towt is a hard match-up for them and the shooters Gilbert possesses makes it hard to try and help out when he gets into the paint.
Prediction: Gilbert by 10-15
Cactus Shadows will hit the road and head to Tempe to take on 6-foot-2 senior guard Josh Baker and the McClintock Chargers. McClintock is playing as good as anyone in 5A, after advancing in the first round with a 15-point win over Centennial. However, this round might take an even better performance with how tough Cactus Shadows has been all year long. Baker will need to have one of his big games against a stingy Cactus Shadows defense and the X-Factors of the team will have to come up with some big plays. Expect that to come from 6-foot-2 junior wing Armani Williams or 6-foot-4 junior guard Chance Garland. If the shooters can get hot and stretch the Falcons defense out, that will give Williams and Garland some lanes to slash to the rim and finish with the athleticism they possess.
On the other end, the Falcons will attempt to slow the game down a bit and make the Chargers play at their pace. They finished the season 23-3 for a reason, largely to the part of them being so mentally and physically tough and being able to focus in on the details and make timely plays. This is the type of game Cactus Shadows 6-foot-1 senior guard C.J Nnorom loves to play in. If he gets going, it could be a long day for the Chargers defense. 6-foot-5 senior wing Sam Goulet will need to have a big part in this game as well. The leading scorer for the Falcons is a difference maker when he is on from the outside and making the hustle plays. The same goes for 6-foot-1 senior guard Jake Benci. This one is probably one of the tougher match-up to predict.
Prediction: McClintock by 1-5
Going into this season everyone knew Ironwood would not be anyone’s pushover. But fast forward to the quarterfinals of the 5A state playoffs and people are starting to bring them up as legitimate contenders. Head Coach Jordan Augustine has done a great job this season with this group and has them in the position of hosting a home game tonight against a very young, but talented Millennium Tigers team. Head Coach Ty Amundsen will rely heavily on one of the top sophomores on the West Coast in 6-foot-9 forward DaRon Holmes, along with super productive sophomore guard Justus Jackson. Those two are what gets the engine rolling for the Tigers. But it is the X-Factors that they will need to come up big in this game, as they did in their hard-fought first round victory over Desert Mountain. They will need some real production out of guys like 6-foot-3 sophomore guard Coleman Fields and 6-foot-3 junior wing Jalan Early. They are without one of their few seniors, guard Shemar Grant, who is out with a knee injury. They could certainly use him against some of these tough and talented guards from Ironwood.
Ironwood can come at you in waves and can put 80+ on you any given game. Their talented junior guard, Dominic Gonzalez, can get it going in a hurry and if Millennium doesn’t contain him it could lead to a very long night. The game should be entertaining and not lull you to sleep like some of the games can, so get the popcorn ready as Millennium heads into Ironwood on a Friday night. Winner heads to Wells Fargo Arena, loser goes home.
Prediction: Millennium by 1-5
It seems every year the Apollo Hawks and the Sunnyslope Vikings are involved in a big game, one way or the other. Almost like they just can’t escape each other. However, the back-to-back defending state champions will be the slight underdog team on the road this year. Yes, they are still very talented. However, in years past their best players were the elder statesmen. This year, they rely heavily on some of the underclassmen there to contribute. Nevertheless, it is still a Ray Portella-coached team and that is never easy to go up against. Much like in recent memory, the Vikings are tough and disciliplined and really lock up on the defensive end. 5-foot-11 senior point guard Zach Poloma is as tough as they come. They have some size down low that can really set the table on the glass with 6-foot-10 sophomore center Carson Basham and 6-foot-7 sophomore forward Grady Lewis. They will need that advantage against an athletically superior team in the Apollo Hawks.
Head Coach Joc Marin has Apollo sitting in at the number 2 seed after an impressive 24-3 campaign. Even this seasons teams are no strangers to each other, as the two squared off against each other three times already with all the games being decided by single digits, but the Hawks held the advantage by winning two of the three. Rather the Vikings advance by evening that out or the Hawks prove to be too much is anyone’s guess. But what a game this is shaped up to be. Apollo will rely heavily, as usual, on their star 6-foot-7 senior forward Emmanuel Taban. The do-everything guy for them that will have to come up with a big time performance tonight. If he scores over 20, I believe this game swings heavily in Apollo’s favor. They will also need some heavy contribution out of their talented 6-foot-4 sophomore guard Paris Woods. His ability to stretch the defense and get Sunnyslope to pull out of their zone defense at times will pay huge divedends for the athletic slashers they have on the roster as well.
Prediction: Apollo by 1-5