5A State Playoffs: Chauncey Billups Region
The playoffs are finally here after such a great season, so now we turn our attention to the postseason. There are four quadrants with some very tough matchups, but here we focus on the Chauncey Billups quadrant, which contains the…
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Continue ReadingThe playoffs are finally here after such a great season, so now we turn our attention to the postseason.
There are four quadrants with some very tough matchups, but here we focus on the Chauncey Billups quadrant, which contains the top overall seed and some interesting dark-horse teams all vying for the top spot.
Here’s a look at the Chauncey Billups Region.
Favorite: Rangeview
Rangeview was the only undefeated team in 5A and are also the defending 5A champions. This team is punished for playing in one of the easier conferences in the state but passed every test along the way, including going out to Las Vegas for the Tarkanian Classic. The Raiders are a tough team to keep up with as depending on who you ask is the best player on the team, there will be a different answer. That’s range. Their leading scorer this season is Obi Agbim (12.0 ppg) who is an above the rim threat that also spaces the floor with his outside shooting. They also have Christian Speller (10.7 ppg) and Christopher Speller (10.4 ppg), who are both locked up and will continue to play at the next level but are focused on bringing home another state championship. With X-factors like Cade Palmer, Jovaughn Wright, and Isaiah Jamison all locked in around them, this will remain one of the more difficult teams to beat in the state as they have a competitive nature to them that not many other teams in the state have. It is looking like they will have a relatively easy road to the Great 8, but then again, some teams will be ready for what they have.
Contenders: Boulder, Columbine, Doherty
There are some outstanding teams in this region that legitimately have a chance at pulling an upset, and it will be a gauntlet down at the bottom of the reason to try and get out of this one.
In Boulder, you have a balanced team, and on a good day can compete with any team in the state. They don’t have a star player that stands out from the bunch, but Caleb Wehmuller (10.6 ppg) and Tyler Turner (10.4 ppg) are the two leading scorers that the Panthers rely on. They can score in halfcourt situations but also do not force shots up; they are more with the flow and will have to up their game if they plan on lasting in the tournament.
Columbine is led by future University of Colorado wing Luke O’Brien who is having one of the most impressive seasons in the state. He is a Gatorade Player of the Year candidate as he is putting up 25.2 points and 12.6 rebounds a game and has led the Rebels to a 19-4 overall record on the year. While he will do whatever it is in his power to win the game as he has done all season, he will need Justin Lorenz (12.6 ppg) to step up and be a source of scoring as well as the others around him to star in their roles. Columbine has the size, but will O’Brien get assistance from others to help him take down another top team?
Doherty is the team that I would not want to play right now and should not be overlooked. They are playing their best basketball right now. They have won seven straight games, and with a 6’11 big man like Lucas Moerman (14.4 PPG, 10.6 RPG, and 5.1 BPG) that understands the importance of defense and is truly capable of altering a game on that end of the floor, you know that you always have a chance. If Schaefer Reichart gets going offensively like he is capable of and provides the Spartans with scoring option and true point guard AJ Guiao also plays well, the sky is the limit for this team. They are my dark-horse favorite out of the quadrant.
Watch Out For: ThunderRidge, Highlands Ranch
It is a bummer that Highlands Ranch will have to go against Rangeview so early if they find a way to get past Arvada West in the first round as Highlands Ranch has a few things going for them that others teams do not have. Highlands Ranch has size and outside scoring that can shake a team up in the playoffs. Ryker Cisarik (17.8 ppg and 8.3 RPG) is a skilled 6’9 player that can create mismatches and not many teams will have the length to match him as well as a guy that can step out and stop his shooting as well. If he and 6’6 wing Tristan Hurdle (13.6 ppg) can assert themselves both inside and out and find their outside shooting then they can make things interesting in the Chauncey Billups region. If only one of them steps up, they will struggle against a team like Rangeview that will be ready for them. The season relies on them both finding a zone and riding it.
ThunderRidge is a team that no matter what, when it gets to the state tournament you know that you are getting a physical team that is going to bring it all and they are going to be in a position late in the game to win. The Grizzlies started slow early in the year but have started to calm down and look more like themselves. 6’7 Junior big Nolan Marold is averaging a team-high 11.0 ppg and is also the teams leading rebounder at 6.4 boards a game. He will have to continue playing hard and attacking the glass and players like Garrett Arnold and Colton Sanders will have to be a calming force that has been in this situation and will be asked to lead the way as they are fully capable of getting a few wins. I expect sophomore big man Zach Keller to turn a few heads and have his moment with Joey Bilello also showing that he is a young player to take seriously as well. ThunderRidge has sputtered against the upper-echelon teams in the conference, but they are dangerous as they are a lower seed that is capable of beating a ton of higher-ranked teams. This will be fun for them as they have plenty to gain and not much to lose.