Early State Title Contenders: 5A
Last night I found myself talking to some coaches about who could possibly win state next year. We all went back and forth discussing various teams and different scenarios. I thought this was a fun topic to cover that we…
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Continue ReadingLast night I found myself talking to some coaches about who could possibly win state next year. We all went back and forth discussing various teams and different scenarios. I thought this was a fun topic to cover that we could continuously cover and update as the year goes on and opinions change. Here are my way too early picks for State next season!
Top Teams
Millennium (Last Year Ranking: #6)
I think Millennium has the best chance of winning state going into next season. A lot of the other 5A teams have lost a ton of talent while Millennium is bringing virtually everyone back. DaRon Holmes and Justice Jackson will be back to lead their team and I think they get it done. Coleman Fields, Michael Bachelor, and Jalan Early will all be back in their supporting roles. I don’t know how you can match the size and speed of this team.
Gilbert (Last Year Ranking: #1)
I think Gilbert has a solid shot at repeating next season. They are losing Doc Self and Carson Towt, but I think they’ll have another guard-forward pair to lean on. Brycen Long has shown to be an elite play making guard, I think he will fit into the Doc Self role quite nicely while Griffin Lamb steps in the shoes of Carson Towt. Towt was a bit of an unknown prospect coming into last season but Coach Casario turned him into an elite big man. Very curious to see what he can do with the combination of Brycen Long and Griffin Lamb.
Ironwood (Last Year Ranking: #3)
Ironwood had a great shot at the State Championship last season and I expect nothing less this upcoming season. They are going to miss Cassius Carmichael a lot but I think Coach Jordan Augustine will come up with a solution. Ironwood never really had a true big last season and ran mostly small ball lineups. They were very successful due to their speed and shooting. Well all of their guards are coming back next season and I think they have a good chance of doing some damage.