5A Guards to Watch in the tourney — Chauncey Billups Region

<p>The 5A State playoffs get started this coming week and there are plenty of great matchups to get out and enjoy. The first matchups to take a look at are the point guards. Here are five guards in the Chauncey Billups region.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Kobe Sanders – Chaparral</strong></p> <p>Sanders is one of the top guards in the state and it is because of his high IQ. He does not wow you with his athleticism but he knows where he wants to go and he gets there which either ends up being an open basket for himself or a dish to an open teammate. He has above average ball handling skills with a sweet shooting stroke and has earned Chaparral the top spot in the state. Chaparral has dropped a couple of games this year that I know he wishes he could have back so I am expecting statement games and for the favorites to remain the favorites on their point guard.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Christian Davis – Mullen</strong></p> <p>He is a combo guard that gives you a bit of everything, but what he excels at most is shooting the ball. He can create for himself and is a lights out shooter when he is open that will be asked to do a ton when Mullen starts their run for his senior season. Mullen has been one of the steadiest teams in the state and that is because they have balance with a guard that can penetrate and dish with great ball handling skills but can also open things up with the way that he shoots the ball. I am expecting a 25-point opening.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Isaiah Robinson – Palmer</strong></p> <p>Senior guard Isaiah Robinson makes up a dynamic duo with Darian Myers out at Palmer and have been putting up numbers, He is scoring as good as any guard in the state at 19.5 points a game and I do not see it slowing down against Broomfield. He is the go to player and understands he has to take over if the team has a chance. He can shoot it or blow by defenders with his speed but also controls the pace when needed. Robinson finished off the year with two games where he scored 25+ and that rhythm should carry through into the playoffs where the Terrors attempt to make a run.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Sebastian Cole – Cherry Creek</strong></p> <p>It was not the year that Cherry Creek expected but the Bruins are right where they want to be, in the playoffs where they can put together a run and make some noise. Cole is a true-point guard that can make that happen as when he is in a zone there are not many defenders that can stay in front of him. The junior standout has started to come into his own as he is at 11.5 points a game, helping out in the rebounding department and dishing out just under three assists a game. The Bruins will need more from him as far as scoring and setting up his teammates as the Bruins are one of the most balanced young teams in the state and with a solid supporting cast around him it will be up to him to create. The first-round matchup against Doherty will be one of the best games in the first round and I expect his high IQ to show.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Myles Purchase – Cherry Creek</strong></p> <p>Purchase is a gamer that is as touch as nails. He wants to defend you for 90-feet and remain in your face for the full game and that has translated from his football background. On the court he opens things up for others and makes it easy to play alongside him as he is going to give it his all, has great court awareness and gets to the rim. He is averaging 12.7 points a game and also leads the team in steals at 2.2 a game in his sophomore season. He is a player that plays with control but is not afraid to take chances and with the Bruins welcoming in Doherty he will have to take plenty. This should be a good game where Purchase dominates early.</p>