Nevada Season Preview: The Max Factor
There is no way around it. The Bishop Gorman Gales have won the last 8 4A state titles in Nevada. Stop and think about that for a minute. The last time the Gales didn’t win the state title. Dirk Nowitzki…
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Continue ReadingThere is no way around it. The Bishop Gorman Gales have won the last 8 4A state titles in Nevada. Stop and think about that for a minute. The last time the Gales didn’t win the state title. Dirk Nowitzki was the MVP of the NBA finals. However, with the changing times, Gorman has fallen victim to the recent transfer trend. They lost the #1 player in the state Isaiah Cottrell in the fall, and recently lost 6’8 rising sophmore C Max Allen, leaving them without an established post presence. No one is going to feel sorry for the champs, and they still possess a wealth of talent. However like Stanford commit Noah Taitz recently told me. “I think we’re the underdogs” Gorman is lead by one of the best coaches in the nation, and is loaded with high major talent, however, if any year was the year for them to be dethroned, this would be the one. In this article, PH takes a look at some of the contenders.
The Favorites:
Coronado Cougars – The Cougars certainly have the talent to win it all. They have one of the best players in the country in all world guard Jaden Hardy. They beefed up their frontcout with the addition of Utah transfer Jaxon Kohler and return two athletic stalwarts in Tyrelle “Fat Daddy” Hunt and Felix Reeves. Last season they went through their share of growing pains en route to a 17 win season. It will be interesting to see how they’ve grown as a team.
Liberty Patriots – The Patriots have their own all-world player in Gonzaga recruit Julian Strawther. They’re more than a one man team however, in fact, they may have the most frontcourt depth in the state. In addition to Strawther they have 6’6 sophomore forward Joshua Jefferson, and 6’5 sophomore pogo stick Aaron Price. They have depth in the backcourt as well, with Dante Davis and Lorenzo Abellar handling the ball. This team has shooting, rebounding, and athleticism so don’t be surprised if they are the ones left standing.
Desert Pines – From top to bottom perhaps the most complete team in the state. Coach Uzan has put in the time and dedication to build this team into a serious threat. They have an elite PG in Milos Uzan, and one of the most dominating players in the state in Darnell Washington. They are surrounded by a collection of talented players including two of the top players in the class of 2021 Anthony Swift and Dayshawn Wiley. There are some questions as to who will actually take the floor for DP, but at the end of the day they may match up with BG better than any other team.
Contenders:
Arbor View – Arbor View has UNLV commit Donavan Yap and a powerful inside player in Jaylon Lee. They return several players from last year’s conference championship team and added explosive guard Noah Do. They should also receive a boost of production from Mikey Medlock one of the more underrated players in the state. Last year they bowed out to Gorman in the Semi’s, it will be interesting to see how they’ve grown from that experience.
Spanish Springs – Spanish Springs is also a battle tested team that made the playoffs last year. The Cougars lose their top 3 scorers from last season, however, they do return a great 1 – 2 punch in Mason Whittaker and Cordell Stinson. They gained valuable experience last season losing to Arbor View in the playoffs, now the question is can the growth of Stinson and Whitaker help them reach the next step.
Dark Horses:
Durango – Don’t sleep on Durango. New coach Chad Beeten has instantly brought a culture and winning attitude to the program, They have one of the best backcourts in the state with UNLV recruit Keshon Gilbert and defensive standout Anthony Hunter. They have two phenomenal freshmen in Sebastian Mack and Sterling Knox and one of the top two way players in Kendrick Gilbert. It was a rough season for the Blazers last year, however, there is a completely different feel around this squad. They play the Gales twice in conference, so they certainly won’t be intimidated.
Bishop Manogue – The Miners have already established themselves as one of the powerhouses in the North. Now they need to take the next step. While they are losing a lot from last year, they still return junior PG Cort Ballinger and 6’6 wing Curtis Luckadoo. Manogue has won 50 games over the last two seasons so it shouldn’t surprise anyone if they are right there at the end.