What to watch for in the 4A Final 4 matchups

<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 4A’s Final 4.  </p> <h2><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Mead v. Pueblo South</strong></span></h2> <p><strong>Mead: [player_tooltip player_id="918902" first="Elijah" last="Knudsen"], [player_tooltip player_id="918899" first="James" last="Shiers"]</strong></p> <p>Mead heard the disrespect and silenced the doubters. Not many believed in them headed into the playoffs, and all they have done is gone on a “remember me?” tour. Knudsen and Shiers’ junior duo are in a rhythm and are playing the best they have played. Shiers is coming off of his best game of the year against an outstanding Lewis-Palmer team. He protected the rim and finished with a game-high 20 points. He alters every shot at the rim and uses all of his length and size. Knudsen is handling double teams and face-guards and still managing to do whatever he wants on the floor. He protects the ball, puts it on the floor, and lights it up from deep. He finished with 19 points in the game and was a force on both ends of the floor. They’re now up against the stingiest defense that they’ve seen and a team that matches up well with their guard play. Mead has the size, but Knudsen will see plenty of different looks and have to exert more energy than he has this postseason. This’ll be a close one.</p> <p><strong>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"], [player_tooltip player_id="1151679" first="Micaiah" last="Smith"]</strong></p> <p>Pueblo South is one of the scrappiest teams that I saw in 4A this year. They do not have the size that other teams have, but it is made up in heart and effort, and that team does not give up in games. The team also has immense depth, and that has separated them from the pack. They are coming off of a drubbing over the No.1 team in the land where that depth was on full display. This Colts team is young but wired the right way, and that calls for some difficult matchups. [player_tooltip player_id="618889" first="Tarrance" last="Austin"] has been one of the best scorers in the entire state and has Pueblo South playing sensational ball. He has upped his game in the playoffs and is coming off of a game where he finished with a game-high 27-points. He does it all for the Colts but has help in his brother Maurice who put up 18 points and looks poised as a freshman; Smith added 21-points and showed that he can explode at times, and Aragon continues to be their swiss-arm-knife. When that team is on, they are on, and there is no denying them. They seem to be on a mission.</p> <p><strong>What it boils down to:</strong></p> <p>In a game of opposites, it will come down to who wins the disadvantage battle. I am beyond excited for the E. Knudsen v. T. Austin battle that is brewing, and if they are going to guard each other, I am expecting highlight play after highlight play, but who wins that battle? Shiers easily becomes the most important player in the game as his size is game-changing, and he seems to be on a high note that we have not seen. The Colts have the depth that could overwhelm the Mavericks, but Mead has the size and talent to match it. Fun one.</p> <h2><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Longmont v. Montrose</strong></span></h2> <p><strong>Longmont: [player_tooltip player_id="965739" first="Eddie" last="Kurjak"], [player_tooltip player_id="1141901" first="Keegan" last="Patterson"]</strong></p> <p>Longmont has had the best defense in 4A all year long, and it has stifled opposing teams. They win the race to 40, and it is over, and that is what they have been doing as of late. Longmont is coming off of a game where they looked extremely comfortable in offensively and got out and ran a bit. They had a team that matched them in size, but the Trojans have the experience, and Kurjak took it from there. He is an elite rim protector that can jump with the best of them and alters the opposing team’s game plan with his length and athleticism. He is surrounded by a high IQ team that simply wants to win. Longmont goes in with the right blueprint for each team, and it is about expecting, and that team is tough to beat when they are all on the same page.</p> <p><strong>Montrose: [player_tooltip player_id="967537" first="Luke" last="Hutto"], [player_tooltip player_id="918926" first="Trey" last="Reese"], [player_tooltip player_id="1151695" first="Ashden" last="Oberg"]</strong></p> <p>Montrose v. Steamboat Springs was the only game that was played on Monday with the snowstorm not doing a number on the two schools, and it was a blessing in disguise as it was our first time seeing either team, and what a fun bunch this Montrose squad is. That team plays with a mean streak and edge to them, and they have depth to match up with opposing teams. They can play fast and get it going in the halfcourt set, and with junior standout [player_tooltip player_id="967537" first="Luke" last="Hutto"] leading the way, they are in good hands. Hutto is a player that we heard a ton about over the years as he is a three-year varsity standout and is having himself a stellar junior season that has his squad in the Final 4. Hutto put up a smooth 24-points in their Great 8 game and played under control the entire game. He navigates the defense, picks his spots, and attacks. He can shoot it for deep or inside and has some talented players surrounding him. Oberg finished with 18 points in their win and had his way inside. He has size and is a relentless rebounder. Reese added comfort as the team knows what they are getting with him. This team will need all of those guys to step up and for shots to fall if they plan on advancing against a stingy Longmont defense.</p> <p><strong>What it boils down to:</strong></p> <p>I think this will be a really close game, so perimeter shots have to fall for Montrose as Longmont will bottle up everything inside. Longmont matches up well with this Montrose team and has slowed teams down all season long, but Montrose counters that with depth and multiple guys that can shoot it. Getting out to a quick start is critical for Montrose, and Longmont grinds it out and dumps it inside for slow and methodical stretches. I expect it to be a quicker-paced game but still low scoring.</p>