5A State Playoffs: Larry Farmer Region Round I
The playoffs are finally here after such a great season, so now we turn our attention to the postseason. There are four quadrants with some very tough matchups, but here we focus on the Larry Farmer quadrant, which is an…
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Continue ReadingThe playoffs are finally here after such a great season, so now we turn our attention to the postseason.
There are four quadrants with some very tough matchups, but here we focus on the Larry Farmer quadrant, which is an exciting region that might be the most middle of the pack region of the four. There are some teams that have a chance to win it and no clear-cut team that stands above the rest.
Here’s a look at the Larry Farmer Region.
Favorite: Ralston Valley, Valor Christian, Eaglecrest
Ralston Valley has the top overall seed in the region at No. 3 and will be a tough out. Ralston Valley is a team that buys into their system, and with the depth that they have, it makes them as good as advertised. Football star Caleb Rillos is putting up 18.3 points and 10.5 rebounds a game and is a 6’5 forward that attacks the rim and lives in the paint. He boards hard and goes straight up, he overpowers defenders and also can find the open man. With an inside-out attack of him and Caden Gigstad (15.3 ppg), they have all bases covered because Walker Brickle (9.3 ppg) and Luke Carlston (10.1 ppg) are X-factors that are willing to do whatever it takes to win games. Ralston Valley will be awaiting the winner of Arapahoe and Fort Collins, ready to show what they have.
Valor Christian is the interesting team out of the bunch as when you take a deep look at their team; they are one of the balanced teams in the state that has it all. Solid guard play, length, and also a tenacity about them that not every team has. Amondo Miller (11.9 ppg) is a junior to know that is going to turn plenty of heads this grassroots season and will have a much anticipates senior season. He is a do-it-all combo-guard with size that the game seems to come easy for, and he makes others around him better. Tate Unruh (11.6 ppg), Aj Kula (9.5 ppg) and Rocky Beers (8.7 ppg &8.0 rpg) add a different element to this team with the depth that they have, and all are capable of going off at any given moment and the team also just welcomed back Roger Rosengarten who at 6’7, 275-pounds might be the biggest player in the state who is also very skilled on the hardwood. This team is well-coached and plays as a team, and when you have all of that combined – they will be a tough out.
Eaglecrest is my darkhorse favorite to win the region as there are not many teams in the state that can play with them when they are clicking on all cylinders. Zion Ruckard (17.5 ppg) is the most improved player in the state, and there is not a guard in the region that can stay in front of him, Ty Robinson (13.5 ppg) is starting to look like a top-3 junior in the state as he is attacking the rim and also knocking down his outside jumper while playing intense defense and Skylar Wilson (11.3 ppg) is a legit 6’6 wing that can shoot the ball as well as change the outcome of the game with his high energy filled highlight dunks. With Seyi Oladipo and Adrian Price being the X-factors for this team and being often forgotten, this is a team that is truly capable of not only making a deep run but winning it all. They must get off to an excellent start to the postseason as they will ride the wave and provide mismatches the other teams cannot. Eaglecrest is a team to be excited about.
Contenders: Horizon, George Washington
Two young teams that had a mediocre season and are a year away from being really good is GW and Horizon.
For the Patriots, they seem to be playing their best basketball right now and are coming off of their best game of the season. In their win against Denver East, the Patriots showed their full potential as they put together their most complete game of the year, and that is the type of momentum they need heading into the playoffs. They have the most entertaining first game of the 1st round in a matchup against Pomona, who also when playing good basketball, can upset any team in the state as Trevor Baskin is elite. George Washington will combat that with juniors Jarmell Johnson (12.8 ppg) and Kendale Johnson (12.0 ppg) that are both capable of erupting at any moment and both step up in big games. Jarmell Johnson is a big play waiting to happen and can turn the game upside down once he gets into a zone, and Kendale Johnson has seemed to realize his size. He has been finally getting inside and out, and when he has both of those going for him, he becomes one of the most challenging players in the state to guard as many cannot match his skill and physicality. For the Patriots, if they can have Eddie McPhee, Fred Edmonds, and Vincent May Jr. play up to their abilities as well, they become a well-balanced machine that will be ready for whatever is thrown their way. GW is one of the most exciting teams in the region.
Horizon is exceptionally young with the bulk of their production coming from their sophomore but what sophomores they have. Brock Wisne is a top-3 player in the sophomore class and is the player that can separate them. He is a 6’7 wing that can play on the perimeter as well as down low. Wisne is a playmaking big that continues to improve, which does not bode well for the rest of the state. He is putting up 16.3 points a game, and 10.0 rebounds a game and has his team in an excellent spot to surprise in this playoff run. True point guard Xavier Harris (10.3 ppg) is a speedy guard that is asked to score the ball and is forced to step out a bit but is one of the better passers in the region that will continue to progress and make a name for himself. He’s a hard-nosed guard that plays intense defense, and his two-way capabilities give Horizon a weapon to use on opposing teams with Senior Daric Conkright (13.7 ppg) as the X-factor that opens things up for the Hawks. This is a fun team that will not back down, and whoever they meet in the GW and Pomona game will instantly be the game to watch in the second round.
Who to Watch Out For: Arapahoe
It is hard not to have to watch out for that Arapahoe team. You’re not getting an ordinary No.30 team. Arapahoe is as battle-tested as they come having to go through the battle that is the Centennial league each night and showed some fight in almost every game they were in with an upset as well against a top team. They battle. The Warriors are led by Bryson Stephens (20.9 ppg), who hopped onto the scene and showed he could compete with anybody in the state. He gets to the rim and finishes, shoots the ball, and applies pressure throughout the whole game and has the perfect running mate in true point guard Korey Hess (14.7 ppg) that goes at the opposing team for the duration of the game with relentless finishes to the basket. Hopefully, those two receive some help, or it will be a quick out, but if they can get those others to step up, the sky is the limit for this group. Take them seriously.