5A Great 8 Standouts

<p>The Great 8 featured the state’s top eight teams all going at it at the Denver Coliseum, which called for a full day of solid basketball. Here are the players who stood out and led their team to victory. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="915299" first="Obi" last="Agbim"] – Rangeview</strong></p> <p>59-43 win to advance to the Final 4, the defending champs got another solid game from their leading scorer this season. Agbim finished with a game-high 19 points in the game in highlight fashion. He hit three 3-pointers to show it is not all athleticism, he got to the rim and finished as he found holes in the defense, and he also had a highlight putback dunk that nearly took the roof off of the building. Agbim finished with eight rebounds to go along with it and showcased that he can do a bit of everything. The senior guard has put together a stellar season, and with his ability to step up in big games, schools should come knocking soon.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Lian Ramiro – Grandview</strong></p> <p>In a game that came down to taking care of the ball and executing late, it was Grandview that was victorious beating Regis 48-41 but not without a fight. Grandview needed everything that they got from their seniors to win the game, but the player of the game was senior captain and guard Lian Ramiro. Ramiro has led the Wolves to the Final 4 by valuing each possession and countering every attack with a basket. Ramiro had a difficult time getting much going early on but hit some shots when they mattered. He hit three 3-pointers in the game and got to the FT line. He also helped out on the boards finishing with four assists and created some baskets for his own in a grind it out affair finishing with 15 points in the game.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="915288" first="Caleb" last="McGill"] – Grandview</strong></p> <p>The former UC-Davis player helped lead his team to the Final 4 in a game that he was patient and took what the defense gave him. McGill finished with 14 points in the game, but his ability to affect the game in ways other than just scoring is what helped the Wolves advanced. McGill had five rebounds in the game, set teammates up for east baskets finishing with three assists, and altering shots at the rim is what helped the Wolves. In the Final 4, McGill will have to do more of that while also finishing against smaller defenders. The Great 8 game was momentum building.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>TJ Williams – Fairview</strong></p> <p>Fairview is a balanced team that goes out and plays their game. They don’t get too high when they are going on runs; they do not panic when the opposing team goes on a run themselves. The player that pushed the Knights over that edge and closed Chaparral out was senior guard TJ Williams. Williams went on a spurt in the game where he finished with a few baskets straight. Fairview ran their motion offense, and it led to open looks, and Williams took them. He finished with 13 points in the game as he opened up the defense by penetrating, and he also got four rebounds and two assists as well. Williams is the perfect role player that sticks to what he knows and does not try and outdo himself and that veteran leadership is precisely what Fairview needed to advance to the Final 4.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="526680" first="Jalen" last="Page"] – Fairview (pictured)</strong></p> <p>Fairview trailed by 10 points after the first quarter, and it looked as if it was going to be the end of the season for the Knights. But, the player that has stepped up for Fairview in various ways over the past three seasons put the team on his back and had one of his best games of the postseason. [player_tooltip player_id="526680" first="Jalen" last="Page"] was the MVP of the game as he finished with a game-high 18 points. He stepped out and hit 3-pointers, he crashed the boards for easy putbacks, and he also backed smaller defenders down for easy baskets. The senior captain was the difference-maker in the game. He had six rebounds in the game, and his ability to affect the game in so many different ways is why Fairview has a chance at a state championship. He will have to build on a game like that and continue to play within the flow of the offense.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="759180" first="Roger" last="Rosengarten"] – Valor Christian</strong></p> <p>Rosengarten is, without a doubt, the largest athlete remaining in the playoffs. The 6-foot-7, 275-pound offensive lineman that is committed to the University of Washington to play on the offensive line is also a problem on the hardwood as he possesses soft touch, good footwork and is a high IQ player that understands where to be on the court. In the Great 8, the big man led the way for Valor Christian as he finished with 16 points in the game.  He owned the paint as a player that’s impossible to move around, he boxes out and makes it difficult to get around him and also sets excellent screens. He’s also skilled offensively as he finishes well down low but also stepped out and hit both 3-pointers that he took, which opened things up for the Eagles. His size will be crucial for Valor Christian in the next round as the Eagles will have the size advantage. Expect there to be a heavy dose of Rosengarten.</p>