4A Pretenders & Contenders
With the season a few days from getting underway, we are taking a closer look at who will and who won’t be in the race to compete for a state championship this year.
Last year at this time, we had a four team race between, Orem, Salem Hills, Juan Diego and Sky View. That didn’t change much during the season or the playoffs. It looked like Orem and Salem Hills were going for Round 3, until Juan Diego stunned Orem to advance to the Finals. Salem Hills was the crowned the eventual Champion.
First thing First
The best players in 4A will carry their teams. Let’s get something straight, Puka Nacua will be playing basketball for Orem this year. Puka will not enroll at The University of Southern California early to get ready for football.
Puka Nacua is one of the more electrifying athletes in 4A along with Mason Falslev (Sky View), Rai Tinirauarii (Juan Diego), and Dallin Grant (Cedar). Expect these guys to have big years.
Lucky 7
1. Orem– Puka Nacua will be tough to stop this year. He plays with so much passion and aggression. Look for him to sore a lot and create some open looks for his teammates.
2. Juan Diego– In the past 3 years Juan Diego has been on the loosing end of a State Championship. If they want to get the monkey off their back they will need a lot of help from Their 3 seniors Rai Tinirauari, Lawson Roe and Kalthom Kur.
3. Sky View– Last year their state run didn’t end they way they wanted but watching Mason Falslev take over a game as a sophomore was impressive. Now as a junior and coming off an impressive summer. Things could get interesting especially with them adding transfer Sam Phipps from Mountain Crest who is a fantastic athlete.
4. Desert Hills- Had a great year last year and hopes to build on that as they will have a lot of players that will be key contributors for them. With Dixie loosing their coach and best player they have a shot to win their region.
5. Park City– Doleac’s bunch returns a year older and wiser. With a team of sophomore’s and freshmen last year, this year Park City could be much improved as they return every key contributor on last years team. They will nee Mark McCurdy to lead them even more this year.
6. Cedar– Dallin Grant has shown enough maturity and growth to carry his team into a a playoff birth.
7. Salem Hills– Salem Hills not only looses their coach but they also lost almost every contributor on their team. Wouldn’t be surprised if they went 0-6 to start the season as they open up with Juan Diego, Skyridge, Weber, Timpanogos, Wasatch and Springville.
The top 3 teams in 4A can play with any team in any classification, so look for those teams to make some noise all season.