5 Surprise Teams This Pre-Season

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Utah boasts a wealth of talent, and several teams this season have the potential to upset anyone. Here are a few squads that have emerged as surprise contenders this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>6A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Westlake</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Westlake is one of four teams that remain undefeated. They have a couple of signature wins, none better than a huge victory against Davis. Westlake is playing great basketball through a committee-based scoring effort. [player_tooltip player_id='1476918' first='Graydin' last='Anderson'] leads the team in scoring, but he hasn't done it alone. Westlake is getting great play from Kincoln Norwood, [player_tooltip player_id='1724364' first='Malik' last='Sika'], and Brody Thompson. This team has good balance, and they will need it as they head to Sacramento, California, for their next tournament.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>5A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Roy</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Roy is in the thick of things with an 8-2 record. The lone 2 losses came at the beginning of the season. Since the start of the season, they have now on an 8-game win streak. [player_tooltip player_id='2572819' first='Boston' last='Greenhalgh'] has been on an absolute tear this season. He is a scoring machine that is also very active on the boards. A Class of 2026 standout, he could be a steal as he is 6'3 and can do it all. Roy is also getting great production from [player_tooltip player_id='2977860' first='Anthony' last='Parker'] and [player_tooltip player_id='2823225' first='Jesse' last='Jones']. Roy has a chance to make some noise.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Wasatch</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wasatch is playing some good basketball right now, and they have a 3-headed monster that is clicking on all cylinders. [player_tooltip player_id='1786751' first='JJ' last='Serre'] is a talented prospect who should be getting a ton of recruiting attention. He has the size, the skill set to play inside and out, and he has some above-the-rim playing ability. He is 4-5 games away from topping the 1,000-point scoring mark. Carson Behnke is playing well and has been a great complementary player this season. Caleb Balch has been good, too. Balch has been able to be a long-distance threat. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"fontSize":"medium"} --> <p class="has-medium-font-size"><strong>4A</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Crimson Cliffs</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This team has had a challenging schedule, and they have been able to hang tough with everyone. With a few narrow losses, Crimson Cliffs has also managed some signature wins over Copper Hills and Mountain Ridge. They look to keep that momentum going with a tough game against Dixie looming. McKay Lindquist is putting up 15 PPG this season, leading the way for Crimson Cliffs. He's had a few 20+ point games this season, and you can expect more of that coming soon. [player_tooltip player_id='2731092' first='Travis' last='Murdock'] had an unreal game against Pine View, and they could use more of that as the schedule gets tougher.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->