5A Great 8 standouts despite defeat

<p>The Great 8 some intense and exciting basketball as it features the top eight teams in 5A, all going at it under one roof. We already took a look at the players that led their team to victory; now, we take a look at the players who gave a valiant effort but was not able to prevail. </p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Blakely Stoughton – Regis</strong></p> <p>Regis’ Cinderella run finally came to an end in a 48-41 loss at the hands of Grandview, but not without them giving one final push. Regis just could not get anything to fall as they shot 32% from the field for the game, but even still, the Raiders had a chance to win the game, and the reason for that is their junior wing, Blakely Stoughton. Stoughton finished with a team-high 15 points to keep the Raiders in the game. He went 5-8 from the field, grabbed seven rebounds and also played stout defense throughout the game. It was not the outcome that Stoughton and Regis wanted, but it does set up for an exciting summer.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Alonzo Paul – Regis</strong></p> <p>Alonzo Paul is a young guard that attacks the paint each time down. He is a down-hill runner that keeps his head on the swivel and is always looking for the open man or a lane to get to. While Grandview did a great job of eliminating the passing lanes against Paul, he found a different way to get it done. Paul used his quick first step to blow by defenders, he got out in the open court, and he also moved without the ball which led to both of his 3-pointers in the game. The junior guard finished with 13 points in the game and is a player to watch moving forward.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Luke O’ Brien – Columbine(Pictured)</strong></p> <p>The player that I think will win the 5A player of the year and also have a chance at the Gatorade player of the year is [player_tooltip player_id="915287" first="Luke" last="O’Brien"], and although his high school career came to an end, he went out swinging. O’Brien finished with 18 points in the game and made sure to attack the basket. He only made it to the FT line four times but did not miss there. The Colorado commit owned the boards finishing with nine rebounds and kept the Rebels in the game for a bit despite a languid start. He will continue his playing career at the University of Colorado next season, but Columbine’s all-time scoring leader gave it his all.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="918903" first="Jeremiah" last="Coleman"] – Chaparral</strong></p> <p>Chaparral did not look like the team that they have been all season long, and that was the main reason that they won the game, but one bright spot to look at is [player_tooltip player_id="918903" first="Jeremiah" last="Coleman"]. Not even only in the game where he finished with a team-high 14 points but to see a sophomore emerge as one of the top guards in the state throughout the playoffs was a sight to behold. Coleman’s future is bright as the moment is not too big for him. He forced a few passes and turned it over, but then bounced back and had a few plays to make up for it. He knocked down shots despite not being known as a shooter and plays excellent defense. Coleman is a player that boosted his stock this season and steps into the top players in his class conversation.</p> <p>I am looking forward to seeing how his summer goes.</p> <p style="text-align: center;"><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="770417" first="Eddie" last="McPhee"] – George Washington</strong></p> <p>Valor Christian’s size was a bit much for the Patriots, especially at the guard spots. Valor went into a zone on defense and communicated and switched everything, and it caused problems for George Washington, which gave them an early hole. George chipped away at it but was never able to come out of it, which led to the loss. The Patriot that stood out in the game was [player_tooltip player_id="770417" first="Eddie" last="McPhee"]. McPhee is a quiet player who impacts the game in various ways. He has good size and matches the opposing team’s physicality, but the junior wing is also efficient offensively. McPhee finished with 12 points in the game and is who the Patriots should’ve gone a bit more. He scored at will going to the paint and decided to stop attacking, he grabbed five boards and started the break and also fought down low for position. McPhee is a player to watch moving forward.</p>