Game Day Previews and Predictions: January 29 and 30
There has been a lot of exciting action going on this week. Here is a look at the top games taking place on Friday and Saturday. Division-I #9 Desert Vista at #3 Basha Basha recently fell to #10 Mountain Pointe…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThere has been a lot of exciting action going on this week. Here is a look at the top games taking place on Friday and Saturday.
Division-I
#9 Desert Vista at #3 Basha
Basha recently fell to #10 Mountain Pointe so you can bet they will come out ready to compete Friday. After defeating Hamilton Tuesday, however, Desert Vista has won eight straight and are looking to continue their streak. Both teams have size and athleticism and this will, without question be a great matchup. Expect DV’s depth to wear down the Bears for a Thunder upset.
#2 Corona del Sol at Chandler
Chandler is coming off a disappointing one point home loss to Perry on Tuesday. The face a Corona del Sol team who’s, ironically, most recent opponent was Perry who they throttled by 18 on the road so the Aztecs already have the mental advantage. This will be a more solid matchup however as the Wolves have quickness at the guard spots and length and athleticism at the forward positions so they have a chance at bothering CDS’ fluidity. However, the Aztecs are still favorites by our account.
#6 Desert Mountain at Dobson
Desert Mountain is coming off a victory over Chaparral giving them six wins in their last seven games. Prior to Tuesday’s loss at Desert Ridge, Dobson had been hot as well. This will be an action packed game but expect Dobson to protect home court.
#10 Mountain Pointe at #7 Gilbert
The Pride fell to Dobson but bounced back strong with a big win against #3 Basha. They will look to finish strong against Gilbert. The Tigers, however, are on a high as well—beating #5 ranked Highland on the road Tuesday. Mountain Pointe have more the pieces to matchup length wise and athletically with the Tigers’ go to guys which doesn’t happen often. However, Chris Bowling shoots it so well at home that his scoring, combined with the physical style of his teammates and the worn legs of a Pride team that has already played twice this we, should lift the Tigers to victory.
Chaparral at #1 Mesa
This young Chaparral team has been very up and down this season but has competed throughout the year. Most recently they fell to #6 Desert Mountain by 6. They enter this game against #1 Mesa, probably, with more individual talent but it is unlikely that they will be able to upset the cohesive Jackrabbit unit. Add in the fact that Mesa fell to rival Mountain View Tuesday and you can bet that they will be fired up, ready to compete tonight.
St. Mary’s at #4 Mountain Ridge
The #4 ranked Mountain Lions have rattled off eight straight wins and are undefeated in the calendar year. However they will take on one of the most talented teams they’ve played since their last loss. The Knights, led by 6’8” sophomore KJ Hymes, have been somewhat inconsistent but won their last four in a row. However, Mountain Ridge’s size and athleticism on the perimeter will prove to be the difference.
Division-II
Copper Canyon at #3 Agua Fria
Agua Fria has won 16 straight games, catapulting them to the #3 ranking in their division. They take on a Copper Canyon team who, while inconsistent, is an athletic group that has a chance to win in every game that they play. Expect the Owls to out execute the Aztecs to extend their streak.
#8 Sunnyside at Cienega
Cienega is a team that has been inching their way towards the top ten all of the calendar year. They know with the #8 ranked Blue Devils coming in that their opportunity is here. Winning their last seven, they have a ton of momentum plus home court advantage. While Sunnyside has won their last seven as well it will be hard to overcome the Bobcats in this scenario.
Division-III
North Canyon at Cortez
The Rattlers had a big blowout victory over Bradshaw Mountain on Tuesday, giving them four straight victories. They go head to head with a Cortez team that has won seven straight. Look for North Canyon’s size and length to give the Colts problems, handing them their first loss since January 5th.
Winslow at Window Rock
Winslow has won 10 of their last 12 while Window Rock has won 10 of their last 11. Both have competed against high level competition in their division and are on the cusps of ranking among the top five teams in Division-III and this game will go a long way. Our gut feeling is that the home court advantage will favor the Fighting Scouts.
Northwest Christian at #1 Scottsdale Christian (Saturday)
Both Northwest Christian and SCA collected victories on Wednesday. However, after a dominating Eagles road performance earlier in their first match this season (when the Crusaders were at their best), expect Scottsdale to roll away with the win. This is Saturday’s Game of the Day.
Division-IV
#2 Yuma Catholic at #3 Buckeye Union
Yuma is currently 21-1 with only four over those wins being within 15 points. They have been dominant all year long whether at home or on the road. This is the best team that the Hawks have brought into their gym this season and you can bet they are anxious to get their 10th consecutive win of the year against them. This will be a hard fought battle that will see the Shamrocks receive their second loss of the season. This is Friday’s Game of the Night.
#5 Alchesay at Window Rock (Saturday)
Window Rock will be finishing a close battle with Winslow the night before heading into their matchup with #5 Alchesay. However, the Falcons only had a day’s rest in between their battle with the state’s #5 ranked Division-III team Snowflake. The fact that the Fighting Scouts have played 4 games in 6 days however will likely come back to hurt them when it comes to closing this one out. Expect Alchesay to come out on top.
Division-V
St. Augustine at Valley Union
While neither team is ranked in the top five both have put themselves on the cusps. St. Augustine has won their last five, including a win over Bisbee, and are playing their best ball of the season. Valley Union is 6-3 in the calendar year (recently fell to The Gregory School) but have competed hard in all their games. The Blue Devils are at home but expect the Wolves to emerge victorious.