4A Playoffs: Stars Certain to Decide the Guys Gibbs Region

<p>4A Playoffs: Stars Certain to Decide the Guys Gibbs Region</p> <p>The 4A playoffs got started on Wednesday evening with some exciting matchups. Some games were blowouts, some were close, but they set up for some intriguing matchups in the second round. Here we take a look at some of the stars in the region that are surely going be on the game plan. Here’s a look at the Guy Gibbs Region.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline; font-family: 'trebuchet ms', geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 24pt;">The Matchups</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: impact, sans-serif;">#3 Longmont v. #35 Palisade </span></p> <p><span style="font-family: impact, sans-serif;">#14 Conifer v. #19 Widefield</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: impact, sans-serif;">#6 Skyline v. #27 Wheat Ridge</span></p> <p><span style="font-family: impact, sans-serif;">#11 Classical Academy v. #43 Mitchell</span></p> <p><strong>Top Player:</strong></p> <h4>Dallas Dye -- Longmont</h4> <p>This is a fun quadrant that appears to be pretty balanced with Longmont as the top team and favorite to win it. But there are also some close teams vying for the top spot and with that, players that stand out. The star of the region is Dallas Dye from Longmont. Dye has led the Trojans to a 20-3 record and back to a high seed in the playoffs. The 6’4 forward was an essential part of last year’s team that made it to the state championship game and will be looking for redemption on the way. Palisade is in their way and will have to match Longmont’s physicality. I expect Longmont to feed Dye early as they have done all season long. He put up a team-high 14.7 points and 7.1 rebounds a game this season, and the senior will be ready to start the redemption tour.</p> <p><strong>Top floor general:</strong></p> <h4><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/landon-wallace/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/landon-wallace/">Landon Wallace</a></a> – Conifer</h4> <p>Wallace was the easiest decision and a unanimous one at that. The state’s leading assist-man for the second year straight is a floor general that will be playing at the next level if he chooses so. He can put anybody in the position to score as he is a high IQ guard that has great court awareness, is an elite ballhandler that reads the defense, and is also a leader that his teammates rally behind. When a team has a pass-first guard like Wallace, it not only helps win games, but it builds a culture where everyone is happy and for one another. His unselfishness is contagious, and he is averaging 10.9 assists, and 4.1 steals to go along with it. He is getting it done on both sides of the court, and the Lobos will need their guard to be great if they plan on beating a very scrappy Widefield team that will be ready for them.</p> <p><strong>Top combo-guard:</strong></p> <h4>Micah Lamberth – Classical Academy</h4> <p>Lamberth is undoubtedly the most balanced player in the region as there are not many things he cannot do on the basketball court. He has no limitations as one night you might get a huge scoring game, others he is just dissecting the defense and setting teammates up, or one night you are getting it all. If Mitchell gets a focused Lamberth that gives them both, it is going to be a long night as he can open things up and put Mitchell in a hole. He is averaging 15.5 points, 3.5 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.1 steals a game, and if he gets close to that average, then I see the Titans cruising.</p> <p><strong>Top Big:</strong></p> <h4>Eddie Kurjak – Longmont</h4> <p>The Guy Gibbs quadrant is not a slow it down and grind it out region with a big man that backs defenders down. That sets up perfectly for Longmont’s big man Eddie Kurjak as he will be one of the taller players in the quadrant. At 6’8 and filled with skill, he should be able to feast as opposing teams have nobody to match him. Longmont had a bye in the first round but is a team that knows how to win in the playoffs. They were the state runner-ups last season and have a bitter taste in their mouth that they want to get out, and a heavy dosage of Kurjak should fulfill that appetite. He put up 13.9 points and 6.4 rebounds a game this year with highlight dunks and dumps in the middle, and he will surely finish it in the playoffs I’m assuming. Look for Kurjak to come out with a monster-game as Longmont gets ready to make a deep run.</p> <p><strong>X-Factor:</strong></p> <h4><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/randall-days/"><a href="https://prephoops.com/player/randall-days/">Randall Days</a></a> – Widefield</h4> <p>If there is one player in the region that can shake things up and make things interesting, it is Days. Days is an aggressive downhill runner that uses his strength, size, and athleticism to his ability as he applies pressure and does not back down from competition. He overpowers smaller defenders, runs the break, and finishes well at the rim, and he also can back smaller players down. He did not have to do much in Widefield’s opening round game as the Gladiators cruised to a 37-point victory, but now up against an exciting Conifer team that matches up well against them it is going to be up to him to use that physicality and impact the game.</p>