4A State Playoffs: Richard Tate Region, Round I
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The 4A state playoffs are the going to be the most exciting of all of the classes with the postseason beginning. There are are so many teams that had a great season, and with that, there are so many teams…
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Continue ReadingThe 4A state playoffs are the going to be the most exciting of all of the classes with the postseason beginning. There are are so many teams that had a great season, and with that, there are so many teams that have a legitimate chance at taking home the gold trophy.
There are four quadrants in 4A with some very tough matchups, but here we focus on the Richard Tate quadrant, which has a couple of teams that have a chance at making a deep run.
Here’s a look at the Richard Tate Region.
Favorite: Golden
Golden is the top seed in the region at No.4 overall and did a great job of making sure that their team was ready for this moment. They played some tough teams throughout the year to prepare them for this, and now we are finally here – the Demons will be prepared. Golden has a deep and balanced team with three players scoring in double figures in Kevin Mulligan (11.9 ppg & 5.5 rpg), Ben McLaughlin 11.3 ppg), and also super freshman Alan Acevedo (11.1 ppg). That trio is capable of giving any team in the state problems, and with having so many of them that can go off at any moment, it is difficult to prepare for them. Add in the fact that they are well-coached and have additional players that star in their role it is easy to see why they are a favorite. Golden is a team that not many have saw but now have to be prepared to go up against. They play the right way, they play for one another and have depth.
Contenders: Northfield
Northfield is the No.5 team and is my dark-horse favorite out of the region to make it to the Final Four. I have seen them play exceptionally well as they beat teams like George Washington and Vanguard but then not play so well against DSST: Byers and Denver East. It depends on which team shows up. When they are clicking and getting outside shooting from Marcus Rogers (11.0 ppg) with Nahsyah Bolar(18.3 ppg & 11.0 rpg) and Bally Diakite (11.0 ppg) cleaning up everything in between, they become a tough team to prepare for as Bolars 6’7 frame. Diakite’s activity is too much for opposing bigs. Marcus Gaddis, Travier Craddock, and Diego Dominguez hold down the guard spots, and this is one of the oldest groups in the entire state, with a majority of their team being seniors. I like this bunch I just hope that the moment is not too big for them.
Who to Watch Out For: Lewis-Palmer, Erie
Lewis-Palmer is coming off of their biggest win of the entire season, and there might not be a team in 4A heading into the tournament with as much momentum. Lewis-Palmer just beat No.8 Cheyenne Mountain to close out the regular season and sent a message that they are the defending champs until proven otherwise. They have an underclass bunch led by Eddie Speller Jr. (14.3 ppg &7.5 rpg), Colin Westfall (14.3 ppg), Cameron Lowe (11.5 ppg), and Brady Jones (11.3 ppg) as well that can score in bunches and feed off of each other and are locked in defensively. They will have their work cut out for them but are a team that you do not want to play as another low seed. Be on the lookout for them.
As for Erie, this is a team that has to have everything going for them if they plan on making a run, and it starts on the defensive end of the floor. Teams have been getting out and running with Erie, and they are having a difficult time slowing them down. Erie must control the pace. Ladorian Havard (11.3 ppg) and junior Kevin Loy (10.3 ppg) are the two players averaging in double figures. They are consistent scorers but will have to elevate their games offensively if they want a chance. Kayan Hargrave and Jordan Nguyen will also have to find their rhythm. Both players are capable of playing better than they are now and will be called upon to step up.