5A Substate: Matchups, Most Important Players and Stock Risers

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's about to get real!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are four categories to watch as the 5A substate playoffs tip off on Tuesday:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5A East:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Biggest Matchup – #3 Shawnee Heights vs #6 St. Thomas Aquinas:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Shawnee Heights drew the unfortunate short straw when they were rewarded as the third seed with St. Thomas Aquinas in their bracket. Aquinas is seeded sixth, but has played a rugged schedule in Kansas City. Their four losses are either to elite 6A teams or quality Missouri teams. The T-Birds have some size in [player_tooltip player_id='2393799' first='Deacon' last='Pomeroy'] and [player_tooltip player_id='1588383' first='Jaret' last='Sanchez'], but they will have a tough time with 6-foot-9 [player_tooltip player_id='1588347' first='Will' last='Goode']. Goode's team is talented, diverse and deep.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Easiest Route – #1 Highland Park:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Highland Park would appear to have the easiest path to return to state. But don't see short the potential matchup they would have with the winner of KC-Washington and Bonner Springs. Both those teams have athletes who could make things interesting for the Scots. Still, of all the routes to state, this would seem the easiest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Most Important Player – [player_tooltip player_id='1270268' first='David' last='Cobin'] (pictured):</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We haven't forgotten what Cobin did in the postseason as a sophomore. He put De Soto on his back and carried them to the 5A final game. He's a brilliant playmaker who can get everyone else involved and score big when needed. The potential second-round matchup with [player_tooltip player_id='1270296' first='Mason' last='English'] would be historic. Two great seniors face off, with either Cobin or English having their careers end short of state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Potential Playoff Stock Riser – [player_tooltip player_id='2169832' first='Peyton' last='Brown']:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The big junior has had a really solid – and occasionally spectacular – season. But the Bobcats haven't won a lot of games, so Brown's name has stayed off the radar. He's been good for double figures nearly every time out, as well as about seven rebounds. But if Brown leads his team to a couple of victories, he would get a lot more of the attention he deserves.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>5A West:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Biggest Matchup – #4 Great Bend vs #5 Hutchinson:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is a pretty obvious pick because it would pit the fourth seed against the fifth seed. Great Bend has only beaten one ranked team all season – 4A Abilene – and they lost to Hutchinson by 10 earlier in the season. The Panthers have a nice team but will have a tough time getting out of this bracket.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Easiest Route - #3 Andover:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are, obviously, no easy paths to state tournament. If you get there, you earned it. But it's hard not to envy third-seed Andover of their draw. If they get by 6-14 Salina Central, they will face the winner of Topeka West and Seaman. The Vikings' best player – Kaevon Bonner – was recently out due to injury. And the Chargers have been wildly inconsistent. They have talent, but they haven't necessarily shown a winning gene this season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Most Important Player – [player_tooltip player_id='2209777' first='Ian' last='Premer']:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As the fourth seed, the Panthers have got their work cut out for them with Bishop Carroll and then, most likely, Hutchinson. Premer has been one of the best players in 5A all season, but he will have to really be on to carry his team through these games. His 22 points and 9 rebounds per game will be needed, and then some.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Potential Playoff Stock Riser – Quenci Bradford:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>After Andover graduated a historic class last year, they had a ton of holes to fill. Bradford stepped in and has been really good as a junior. He's a smooth, thin forward who roams the perimeter and drops shots from deep. He's lanky and can get a step on a defender when he puts the ball on the floor due to his length. He is active on the glass and at the defensive end. He is a good passer who helps set up his teammates, and he is efficient about when he pulls the trigger.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->