Previewing 5A’s Final 4 Matchup

<p>The field is all set as the Top-4 teams in the state are all set up to go against each other. It has been a season to remember but now we are at the finish line. Who will come out victorious? Here, I focus on each matchup for 5A’s Final 4 teams.</p> <h2><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>George Washington v. Rangeview</strong></span></h2> <p><strong>Key players to watch: </strong></p> <p><strong>George Washington: [player_tooltip player_id="916990" first="Trey" last="Edmonds"], [player_tooltip player_id="916954" first="Kendale" last="Johnson"], [player_tooltip player_id="770417" first="Eddie" last="McPhee"], [player_tooltip player_id="918905" first="Kijuan" last="Thompson"]</strong></p> <p>The Patriots keep on marching and are in a position to win it all. Only two more wins separate them from their first championship since the days that Chauncey was roaming the hallways. GW put together their best game of the entire season in their nail biting upset over Regis on Tuesday evening and it all started on the defensive end. [player_tooltip player_id="918905" first="Kijuan" last="Thompson"] and Edmonds are a fierce defensive duo that gives that team some toughness with McPhee doing plenty of things that goes under the radar while also showing up offensively. McPhee finished with 13 points in the win and came up with winning plays when they mattered. Kendale was aggressively attacking the paint which made the Raiders have to adjust and the team came together to pull off the win. If they are able to continue to execute and play for one another, they surely have the personnel to bring it home.</p> <p><strong>Rangeview: [player_tooltip player_id="916972" first="Cade" last="Palmer"], [player_tooltip player_id="1138352" first="Josh" last="Wyatt"], [player_tooltip player_id="1138338" first="Devin" last="Phillio"]</strong></p> <p>Rangeview extended their streak as they pulled away late against a pesky Rock Canyon squad. Rangeview knows what to do late in games and play with poise and control and are a disciplined bunch that locks in when they need it. Palmer was the best player on the court in the game and did it in various ways. He finished with a game-high 23 points as he knocked down the 3-ball and cut without the ball for finishes. Wyatt has been a standout since he started to become more involved and has been the team’s X-factor. He handles the ball well, makes smart reads and is engaged defensively and Phillio does it all in-between. He rebounds hard, is a interchangeable defender and can affect the game without scoring. Rangeview knows how to win and will utilize every single player to get the best out of each game.</p> <p><strong>What it boils down to:</strong> These two teams seem to be fixtures in the Final 4. If we still had games at the coliseum it would be yet another season where they both made it. Both teams matchup extremely well against eachother and are going to give eachother everything they got. Whoever is able to knockdown the 3-ball and establish and inside-out game will advance to the big game as I expect it to be a display of two tough defenses.</p> <h2><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>ThunderRidge v. Cherry Creek</strong></span></h2> <p><strong>Players to watch:</strong></p> <p><strong>T-Ridge: [player_tooltip player_id="916957" first="Nolan" last="Marold"], [player_tooltip player_id="918919" first="Joey" last="Bilello"], [player_tooltip player_id="916966" first="Jason" last="Simental"], [player_tooltip player_id="916967" first="Garrett" last="Arnold"]</strong></p> <p>The Grizzlies just appear to be a different team when Arnold is in the mix. The offense flows and he makes it a point to get everyone involved. Teams cannot send traps and double teams other players way and having him as their point guard allows Simental to play off of the ball where he can dominate and he did, finishing with 15 points against Chaparral. Marold feasted in the paint as he had a career-best 25-points and protected the paint as well. With Bilello making plays happen on both sides of the floor and [player_tooltip player_id="972415" first="JJ" last="Williams"] and [player_tooltip player_id="618859" first="Jackson" last="Brennan"] providing the energy and spacing, this is a team that is as balanced as you will find.</p> <p><strong>Cherry Creek: [player_tooltip player_id="608058" first="Julian" last="Hammond"], [player_tooltip player_id="770403" first="Myles" last="Purchase"], [player_tooltip player_id="1142616" first="Chase" last="Penry"]</strong></p> <p>Creek is the No.1 team in the state and it is for a reason. They are tough. The Bruins play with grit and with a massive chip on their shoulders and that only leads to winning play after winning play. In their Great 8 game, it was the [player_tooltip player_id="1142616" first="Chase" last="Penry"] show. Penry got off to a scorching hot start and his teammates made sure to ride the hot man. He was knocking down shots, running the break and even had a halfcourt buzzer beater for good measure. Penry is one of the best role players in the state that has his moments where he cannot be stopped and that only makes it even more difficult to beat a team that has the Hammond brothers who can explode at any given moment. Julian scores with ease and always gives his team an advantage and Purchase makes something happen and gives the team their edge. With [player_tooltip player_id="917013" first="Arden" last="Walker"] and [player_tooltip player_id="965780" first="Blake" last="Purchase"] manning the middle and battling on every possession this Creek team seems complete.</p> <p><strong>What it boils down to:</strong> What advantage stands out most. Creek has the speed and skill positions on lock as they have excellent guard play and will create issues on that end of the floor but T-Ridge has the size and a couple of mismatches down low. This is a fun game as these are the two teams that everyone said would win it all heading into the season and now they get to faceoff once and for all. Whoever controls the tempo and better utilizes their advantage most will win the game.</p>