4A Great 8 Matchups

The Great 8 matchup in 5A is shaping up to be a classic. Some solid teams are going at it, and a terrific group has made it this far. With the weather storm, check to see if the game is on Monday or Tuesday. Here, we break down each game. <h2>Steamboat Springs v. Montrose</h2> Key players to watch: Steamboat: [player_tooltip player_id="1138294" first="Eric" last="Pollert"], Jakob Kreissig, [player_tooltip player_id="969440" first="Cade" last="Gedeon"] Steamboat is a team with great size that controls opposing teams inside. They get plenty of second-chance opportunities and have a few players they feel comfortable putting it in their hands and getting out of the way with. Pollert is their star player, and the big man dominates inside; Kreissig is the hot-man as of late that is at the top of the opposing teams scouting report with his scoring abilities, and Gedeon is a young player with a great feel for the game. This team can score with the best of them and pushes the pace, so it will be about controlling the tempo. Montrose: [player_tooltip player_id="967537" first="Luke" last="Hutto"], Fletcher Cheezum, [player_tooltip player_id="918926" first="Trey" last="Reese"] Montrose has been escaping with wins and figuring out ways to continue winning. They got by in a nailbiter over Green Mountain and will want to take that into the next game. The Indians will not have the same size advantage they have been having, so it will be about penetrating the defense, kicking out, and knocking down shots. Montrose is a team that can control tempo and forces opposing teams to play their way and will have that in their Great 8 matchup of the undefeated. Hutto is the star player and will have all eyes on him as he looks to lead the way and push his team a game closer to the ultimate goal. Cheezum has come on offensively and gets to his spots, and Reese does everything in between. All will have to be at their best if they want to win. What it boils down to: In the battle of the only undefeated teams in 4A, it will be about forcing their dominance. Both teams will try and control the tempo and force their way inside. Whoever wins the battle on the boards wins the game, as I expect it to be a low-scoring and inside game. <h2>Lewis-Palmer v. Mead</h2> Key players to watch: Mead – [player_tooltip player_id="918902" first="Elijah" last="Knudsen"], [player_tooltip player_id="918899" first="James" last="Shiers"], [player_tooltip player_id="916997" first="Jason" last="Pelzel"] Mead is playing for something more now with their young standout [player_tooltip player_id="921097" first="Nick" last="Basson"] done for the season. Knudsen has been playing inspiring ball as of late and is coming off of a career-best game. Knudsen finished with 45 points in their Sweet-16 performance and is a player that opposing teams have difficulty preparing for due to his speed and outside shooting. He hit 10 3-pointers in the game and did not give his team even a chance to lose the game. With Knudsen going off the way he did and being the offensive player of the game, the MVP had to be Shiers. Shiers protected the rim and did all of the little things perfectly. He finished around the rim, grabbed every board which completed his double-double, and blocked four boards in the game. Pelzel also opened up the floor as a facilitator and got others involved. All three will be called upon to have a big game as they are up against the No.4 team in the state. Defense will be the key and a bit of the Knudsen magic. Lewis Palmer: Eddie Speller Jr., [player_tooltip player_id="1150078" first="Brady" last="Jones"], [player_tooltip player_id="1050938" first="Noah" last="Ragsdale"], Cam Lowe Lewis-Palmer will look to dominate defensively. If they can throw a wrench in Knudsen’s plans on that end of the floor and someone step up, they can take them down. If he, however, gets loose – it’ll be a tough day. The Rangers have the personnel to match up with any team in the state, and this will be a statement game as they are healthy and playing as a cohesive unit. Eddie Speller Jr. continues to be one of the most overlooked prospects in the state that dominates games in multiple ways. He has been excellent all season long and has been a nightmare matchup for opposing big men. Him vs. Shiers will be something to watch. Jones is a 6’7 new age forward with bounce that is coming into his own. He is the X-factor in the game and difference-maker as Mead has nobody to match up with him. If Lowe and Ragsdale also get going offensively, things can open up for this team. I do not expect this to be a high-scoring game, but it will be one that your eyes are glued to. What it boils down to: What other players step up for the Rangers as that is a team with depth and plenty of options. If they’re hitting shots, this one can be over with quickly; if they are not, this might be one they fall in. For Mead, it is all about Shiers and Knudsen. If Knudsen is on offensively, one other option with him is all he needs as he can win a game himself. On defense is where this team does not get enough credit and will have to put on a show. <h2>Windsor v. Pueblo South</h2> Key players to watch: Windsor – [player_tooltip player_id="916987" first="Ben" last="Hageman"], [player_tooltip player_id="966339" first="Jaden" last="Kennis"], [player_tooltip player_id="1138311" first="Kobe" last="Greene"] Windsor is led by their senior trio of Hageman, Kennis, and Greene, and all three of those players answer something new that the team needs, and they all come together to make it work. Greene is a sharpshooter that must be guarded the moment that he crosses half-court. That’s where Kennis comes in, and scores both inside and out but does all of the things that go beyond the scoreboard while lighting up the scoreboard, and Hageman is the team's workhorse and engine. The team goes as he goes, and he simply wants to win, so if that means playing guard or center, it does not matter; he is willing to do it. This Windsor team has no quit in them and, if they are playing well, can blow anybody out. Pueblo South – [player_tooltip player_id="618889" first="Tarrance" last="Austin"], [player_tooltip player_id="1137823" first="Maurice" last="Austin"], [player_tooltip player_id="965560" first="Ray" last="Aragon"] Pueblo South is the Austin show. Brothers Tarrance and [player_tooltip player_id="1137823" first="Maurice" last="Austin"] know how to make their mark on a game and have been all season long. They are comfortable with the ball in their hands and can erupt at any moment. Windsor has the personnel to match up with Tarrance, and he has not seen much of that at all this season, so this is a barometer game for him as well as seeing who else can get going alongside him. The Colts X-factor and most important player will be their young guy [player_tooltip player_id="965560" first="Ray" last="Aragon"] as he will have to be elite on both ends of the floor. Pueblo South cannot take plays off as this is a team that will make them pay if they do. What it boils down to: The battle of the stars. Both teams rely so heavily on their best players to make it happen for them, but the difference is the type of defense that Windsor has. They have the personnel to give any team problems, and that is without a traditional big man who is a nightmare situation for smaller teams, and Pueblo South is a smaller team. I expect it to stay close for a bit, but Windsor to take off later in the game. <h2>Longmont v. Pueblo Central</h2> Key players to watch: Longmont: [player_tooltip player_id="965739" first="Eddie" last="Kurjak"], [player_tooltip player_id="1141901" first="Keegan" last="Patterson"] For Longmont, the gameplan is simple. Play suffocating defense while allowing Patterson and Kurjak to get the team going on offense. Kurjak is the most athletic big man in the state, and he is a glass-cleaner as well. He does not get outworked and finishes well around the rim. Patterson is the player that has the ball in his hands and takes the shots. Longmont is a team that executes and sticks to their plan, and it has gotten them this far, so do not expect it to change up now. Pueblo Central: [player_tooltip player_id="969431" first="Kadyn" last="Betts"], [player_tooltip player_id="1138301" first="Adonis" last="Reynolds"] Pueblo Central is led by their 1-2 punch of Betts and Reynolds, which has been too much for opposing teams all season long. Betts is coming off of a career-best game where he erupted for 31-points and 12 rebounds as well. He is a paint beast that has his way with smaller players. He runs the floor, protects the paint, and has a back-to-the-basket game. Reynolds does all of the things in between and also is not turning down open shots. He scores in bunches but also makes sure to feed the beast as those two have great chemistry. If Steven Hemphill also gets going, this team has enough to get by. What it boils down to: The battle of the bigs. These two teams are constructed the same way, with two players doing it all and everyone else understanding what it takes to win games. I am anxious to see the battle of Kurjak v. Betts as those two have been excellent all year long and lead their team in the same ways. A defensive presence that can get points in the paint or on the boards. Patterson vs. Reynolds will also be a fun matchup as both are so multi-dimensional. I expect a low-scoring but close, close game.