Sweet 16: Larry Brunson Region Preview

<p>The season is dwindling as we are already in the Sweet 16. There are some excellent matchups with some pretty balanced teams set to play on Wednesday. Let’s take a look at the regions and a breakdown of each matchup in the 4A state playoffs. </p> <h2>No.2 Glenwood Springs v. No. 15 Green Mountain</h2> <p>Glenwood Springs finished off a sensational season as they head into the Sweet 16 with a 21-3 overall record. Seventeen straight wins for the Demons, yet this is the team that many have questioned. They pulled off a 25 point win in their opening game to silence critics, and Glenwood leaned heavily on their seniors to get it done. Senior guard John Iuele continues to impress me as a guard that looks for his own but also makes sure to make the right play and has a high IQ as he sets teammates up. He pushes the pace and also gets the offense in their sets, and he understands tempo. Iuele finished with 11 points, five assists, and three steals in their second-round win. Mitchell Burt led the way for the Demons in their win over Weld Central as he finished with 12 points. He shoots the ball with confidence and also moves well without the ball. He finds holes in the defense and makes teams pay for mistakes. Glenwood will rely on those two to step up and carry the load if they plan on beating a talented Green Mountain team.</p> <p>Green Mountain has had an up and down season but has put together some solid wins in the past month or so. Green Mountain just beat a stingy Centaurus bunch and rely on their senior guard Blake Schell to lead the way. Schell is averaging 15.0 points a game this season, with 5.3 rebounds to go along with it. In the last month, he has undoubtedly played his best ball and is shooting and scoring the ball with extreme confidence. Junior guard Austin Peterson is also playing well. He is averaging 10.4 points a game and shooting the ball well, and he opens up the offense for the team, and freshman guard [player_tooltip player_id="921105" first="Jaylin" last="Hardwrict"] is the X-factor and player that has jumped onto many radars with his play. He is a scorer that attacks off of the dribble, breaks defenders down, and either finishes or dishes it off. This is a team that has a chance, and if all of their players are playing well has an opportunity to roll in this one. This game will be a fun guard battle.</p> <h2>No. 7 Harrison v. No. 10 Pueblo West</h2> <p>Two of my favorite players in the state are both in this game, so this is one to sit back and enjoy.</p> <p>Harrison just dismantled crosstown rival Sierra in the second-round winning 55-28, and their defense was on full display. Harrison swarmed to the ball, ran shooters off of the line, and did not allow second chance opportunities. Junior guard Tayzhean Archuleta led the way with 16 points in the game, and it was from the 3-point line and free-throws. Archuleta is a big guard that does not settle. He can get inside the defense or open it up from outside and is an excellent complement to do-it-all utilities guard Donta Dawson. Dawson is one of the unique players in the state that can play every position on the court. He is best suited at guard at the wing as he is putting up 18.3 points and 6.9 rebounds a game, but he also can step down and defend the bigger guys as well. Look for Harrison to get those two going with Xavier Sterling being the X-factor that does all of the small things as well. This is a balanced game and rematch from earlier in the year when Pueblo West won 65-62, but plenty has changed since then for the Panthers.</p> <p>Taylor Harris is a standout type of player, both on and off of the court. He is one of our best academic scholars by day and athletes by night. He gets it done in the classroom and backs it up with his play on the court, and his 15.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists are precisely why the Cyclones are in the sweet 16 right now ready to showcase what they have. Pueblo West struggled in their last game against Sand Creek, but a win is a win. They are looking to bounce back and know that it will take a full-team effort if they want to get another victory over Harrison. Senior wing Nicolas Hanenberg (9.0 ppg) and sharpshooter Jimmy Wardle (12.0 ppg) will have to play as they did the first time that the two teams played each other as the duo combined for 32 points in the game. If they can get going, then the Cyclones will advance to the Denver Coliseum.</p>