5A State Tournament: Players to Watch (2/2)

<p>The 5A state tournament begins today, and eight teams are fired up to have made the trip to Gill Coliseum. In preparation, we take a look at the key difference-makers for each squad, finishing with the bottom half of the bracket, which features matchups between Crater and Wilsonville, and Eagle Point and Churchill:</p> <p><strong>Colton Vranes </strong>(2022 Crater)</p> <p>Vranes, a 6-foot-1 senior, is the engine of the Comets’ offensive attack. The lead guard plays with terrific pace and is perhaps the field’s most experienced player.</p> <p><strong>Tate Broesder </strong>(2022 Crater)</p> <p>At 6-foot-5, Broesder is an effective swingman with outstanding shooting ability. If the senior heats up, he can make the Comets state title contenders. </p> <p><strong>Enzo Chimienti </strong>(2022 Wilsonville)</p> <p>A senior leader for the uber-talented Wildcats, Chimienti is a true point guard with notable toughness and basketball IQ. If the Wildcats are to win it all, Chimienti will be a big part of it.</p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1110842" first="Kallen" last="Gutridge"] </strong>(2024 Wilsonville)</p> <p>The leading scorer for the balanced Wildcats is none other than Gutridge, who specifically stands out in this field as a rare underclassmen playing a major role. The sophomore is dangerous all around the floor.</p> <p><strong>Brennen Neyt </strong>(2022 Eagle Point)</p> <p>A unique scorer at 6-foot-5, Neyt is the center of offensive operations for Eagle Point, who will look to continue a storybook season tomorrow night. The senior combo forward can score in a variety of ways, and will play a major role for the seven seed.</p> <p><strong>Tommy Johnson </strong>(2022 Eagle Point)</p> <p>Johnson completes an outstanding frontcourt for the Eagles. At 6-foot-2, the Butte Falls transfer is undersized for a big, but makes up for it with tremendous physicality and hustle. The senior forward may be the hardest working player in the field. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="857343" first="Samaje" last="Morgan"] </strong>(2022 Churchill)</p> <p>Morgan, the maestro for the second-seeded Lancers, is certainly one of the favorites to win 5A player of the year. At 5-foot-9, the senior point guard operates with unteachable quickness and basketball IQ. On any given night, Morgan can account for 40 or more points between his points and assists. </p> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="1079529" first="Matthew" last="Forsyth"] </strong>(2022 Churchill)</p> <p>Forsyth is just one of many outstanding perimeter players for the Lancers. At 6-foot-4, the senior guard is deadly from beyond the arc.</p>