State Tournament Preview and Predictions: Division I and Division II Semifinals
There will be a new state champion in Division I and Division II. Corona Del-Sol was taken down yesterday by the young and talented Sunnyslope while Gilbert Christian was dethroned previously. With that said, the clear favorite for Division II…
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Continue ReadingThere will be a new state champion in Division I and Division II. Corona Del-Sol was taken down yesterday by the young and talented Sunnyslope while Gilbert Christian was dethroned previously. With that said, the clear favorite for Division II is far from an unheralded team as they were last year’s favorite and the state champion prior to that, but they will have to fight through rival Paradise Valley to do so. Division I should be filled with some tough defense and appears to be much more wide open.
Division 1:
Basha vs Mesa – Mesa and Basha remain unscathed in the tournament as they have lived up to their 2 and 3 seeds. It is not a mystery that these two teams made it to this point as they are two of the best defensive teams in the state. This will be an old-school, hard fought battle where every single point is to be cherished. Mesa has slightly more fire power and will move on to the championship.
Sunnyslope vs Gilbert – Sunnyslope had to dethrone one of the most storied programs in Arizona history in order to get here while Gilbert played tough basketball and lived up to their seeding. It has not been an easy road for either program to get here. Although Sunnyslope has a lot of momentum from beating the previous champs, Gilbert will ride the solid play of Jacob Nicolds and Chris Bowling to the state championship.
Division II:
Paradise Valley vs. Shadow Mountain – A rivalry game between two of the top teams in the state. The same headline was stated a couple of weeks ago prior to their previous meeting in which Shadow Mountain dominated the game from the beginning to the end. Paradise Valley has guards who are capable of making an impact and handling the relentless pressure. In addition, CJ VanBeekum who is just getting better and better, will play an impact in this game. Even though I think this game will be closer than the last time they played, the depth, toughness, athleticism, and intensity of play into Shadow Mountain pulling this one out for a chance at another state title.
Sunrise Mountain vs Agua Fria – Sunrise Mountain has pulled off two “upsets” according to rankings. However, the role players for Sunrise have been playing great as of late as Sunrise brings into this game 10 wins out of their last 11 games. Also, lets not forget to mention that they have Elijah Thomas Elijah Thomas 6'5" | SF Skyline Prep | 2022 AZ . However, Agua Fria brings a 23 game winning streak and a lot of talent into this game as well. This is an intriguing match-up between two teams that are peaking at the right time, but Thomas will be too much and Sunrise Mountain will move on to the finals.