State Title Preview: Five 5A Storylines

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's State Championship week! This year, the 2A, 4A, and 5A championships will be held in Las Vegas, while 1A and 3A will battle for the crown in Reno. 5A has been competitive all season with several teams looking like championship contenders. This year's event could signal a changing of the guard, as both the North and Southern champ, have reached state, after missing last year's tournament. In addition, last year's champ, Liberty seeks back-to-back crowns, while Douglas, hopes to advance at least one game further than last year. These are just some of the storylines for this week's event. Let's take a look at others. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>1) <strong>Former UNR Standouts Meet In The Semis</strong> - They won't be competing between the lines, however, former Wolfpack stars Kevin Soares and Luke Babbit will match wits on the sidelines when Manogue takes on the defending state champs Liberty Patriots. Soares who won the title in his first season at Liberty is the All-time leader in assists and steals at UNR. Babbit who broke the state's all-time scoring record while in High School is in his first year for the Miners and was the 16th overall pick of the 2010 NBA draft. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>2) <strong>Does Durango's Iron 5 Have Enough</strong> - The Trailblazers have relied heavily on their starters this season, and barring some unforeseen circumstances will ride them during their State Tournament run. All 5 players can dribble, pass and shoot, however, they each provide something different. [player_tooltip player_id='986962' first='Mason' last='Brown'] gives the team solid ballhandling and perimeter defense. [player_tooltip player_id='1266705' first='Jevon' last='Yapi'] brings a flare combined with clutch shot-making. [player_tooltip player_id='1253131' first='Colton' last='Knoll'] is a high-IQ matchup nightmare, that can defend, and shoot it. [player_tooltip player_id='985637' first='Tylen' last='Riley'] is an elite on-ball defender, and [player_tooltip player_id='986954' first='Taj' last='DeGourville'] ties the team together with his all-around skill set. Together they are a formidable unit, looking to cap one of the most remarkable playoff runs in recent memory. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>3) Is This The Year For The Manogue Seniors</strong>? - From the day [player_tooltip player_id='930657' first='Jordan' last='Morency'] arrived, a lot has been expected of the Miners. While it took a while it looks like they are now starting to capitalize on their talent. Manogue is one of the deepest teams in the state, boasting 4 players averaging over 7 points per game. Morency, [player_tooltip player_id='1340636' first='Isaiah' last='Garcia'], [player_tooltip player_id='1340603' first='Carson' last='Jensen'], and <strong>Dominic Zaccheo</strong>. In addition to those 4, senior [player_tooltip player_id='940473' first='Logan' last='Howren'] provides the team with toughness, grit, and rebounding. The Miners are a confident bunch having won 13 out of their last 14 games, and their seniors are looking to end their careers by raising the 5A trophy. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>4) <strong>The Size Of Douglas</strong> - The Tigers are the state's biggest and most physical team. They have size and length with players like [player_tooltip player_id='1679363' first='Jack' last='Tolbert'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1679928' first='Theo' last='Reid'], as well as a physical presence in senior guard [player_tooltip player_id='1604123' first='Jac' last='Reid'], and rugged senior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1760748' first='Thomas' last='McDowell']. They take on a Durango squad whose tallest player is 6'7 sophomore reserve forward [player_tooltip player_id='1334781' first='Aleksandar' last='Aleks Baletic']. It will be interesting to see if the Tigers are able to take advantage of their size this weekend. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5) <strong>Patriots Big Men By Committe</strong> - The defending champs started the season trying to figure out how to replace two division 1 interior players. Now after a season of mixing and matching and trial and error, we get to see if they've accomplished that task. Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1266706' first='Tyler' last='Bright'] has emerged as the main weapon providing the team with some inside scoring. [player_tooltip player_id='986967' first='Javares' last='Reid'] brings a hard hat mentality, and interior toughness and junior forward [player_tooltip player_id='1665301' first='Carlos' last='Bradley'] brings an edge. The Patriots even have the option to turn to high-flying freshmen [player_tooltip player_id='1493480' first='Dante' last='Steward'], for energy, offensive rebounding and transition finishing. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->