Faith Lutheran The Sleeper Of The 4A Mountain Region Bracket
Nothing gets sports fans attention more than the playoffs! It is officially playoff time in Nevada with the brackets set it’s time to start talking about teams that can make some noise on their side of the bracket. The Mountain…
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Continue ReadingNothing gets sports fans attention more than the playoffs! It is officially playoff time in Nevada with the brackets set it’s time to start talking about teams that can make some noise on their side of the bracket. The Mountain Region bracket has a number of great teams Desert Pines, Arbor View, Palo Verde etc. However, the sleeper in that region in my opinion is Faith Lutheran. They may not be the most physically appealing team but they have played a strong schedule and played every team in their league tough going 8-3 in conference play.
1. Who Are Their Key Players? And What Have They Done So Far?
Nickolas Attanasio 6’4 SG 2020 (#54 PHN 2020)– Come playoff time you want a guy on your team that is a certified marksman and the senior guard has been that and then some for his team. Attanasio has had a great year leading his team in scoring. Whenever the team needs a big shot the lefty seems like he always delivers. He isn’t the greatest athlete in the world but he is effective and can get the job done. He has enough size to get rebounds and get his team in and out of breaks.
Azavier Johnson 6’4 PG Faith Lutheran 2021 (#8 PHN 2021)- Johnson may have grown the most of any player in the state this season. He had a strong sophomore season a year ago. He took that strong year and put on more muscle over the summer and he is starting to develop into a more natural prospect who is just really starting to understand his game. He went from being a solid role player to being a hard to guard star prospect. Faith has a balanced scoring attack, they have a strong lanky back court its catapulted by the unselfish play making ability of Johnson.
Coleman Lemke 6’7 PF Faith Lutheran 2021 (#30 PHN 2021)– By definition Lemke is your prototypical stretch 4 when I saw him play this summer he reminded me a lot of former NBA player Andre Kirilenko. I was impressed with how he moved without the ball. He was always able to get himself open and find his sweet spot. Shooting is really important come playoff time. Lemke can be the X-Factor for the Crusaders. Lemke’s a knock down shooter, that also can put the ball on the floor and make plays for his teammates.
2. Faith Lutheran’s C/O 2021 Is Building Chemistry Together
The Crusaders are only going to continue to trend upwards as they grow together. This team as constructed are at their best form going into the playoffs and a big reason for that is their junior class. Max Heinz, Jackson Williams, Coleman Lemke, and AZ have all put together a terrific junior campaign. With the experience they’re getting and the chemistry this team plays with, the future is extremely bright. They are strong on the defensive end and have come up big in numerous games this season. One of the best games in the state this year is when Faith beat a hot Palo Verde team coming off eight straight wins. Their juniors came up big in this game making key steals and executing and draining big shots down the stretch.
3. Faith Lutheran Has Underrated Height
What makes Faith a solid defensive team is they have enough height to challenge shots they can use their length to bother teams on the perimeter. It doesn’t matter if Faith is in zone or man to man defense their length can bother any opposing team. The best part about Faith is they have players that know their roles and they play them well. An unsung hero for this team is Jackson Williams. Every team needs a player like Williams. He is relentless on ball handlers. He has the strength and athleticism to defend 1 through 3. When any team plays the Crusaders there is no such thing as easy buckets. Any team that plays defense well and can shoot the rock makes for a dangerous opponent.
4. They Have The Hot Hand/ Who’s Next?
Faith have beaten quality teams on their stretch run to the playoffs. What they have shown throughout the regular season is they can play with anybody. When I see the Crusaders play I see a team that really enjoys playing together and they will literally run through a wall for each other. If I had a prediction it’s that AZ Johnson will show his superstar potential and his supporting cast will play a dangerous role. Having a guy that can get you a bucket when you need it, surrounded by shooters and capable role players mixed with strong defense is a great formula for success. Next the Crusaders will play 4-22 Rancho in the second round of the playoffs. Based off Rancho’s record it isn’t an easy win. Rancho has a few really good players in Ta’Quawn Dillion Hodges and Fredy Vargas. Rancho plays the passing game really well as they average about 9 steals per game. Faith Lutheran will have its work cut out for them but it is a game I see them winning.