4A Playoffs: Ron Vlasin Region, Round I

<p>The 4A state playoffs are going to be the most exciting of all of the classes, with the postseason finally starting. There are so many teams that had a great season, and with that, there are so many teams that have a legitimate chance at taking home the gold trophy.</p> <p>There are four quadrants in the 4A playoffs with some very tough matchups, but here we focus on the Ron Vlasin quadrant, which is undoubtedly the best region in the 4A Playoffs. They have the No.1 overall team and also a couple of other teams that will be vying for that top spot with a chance of overthrowing the Kings for the moment.</p> <p>Here’s a look at the Ron Vlasin Region.</p> <p><strong>Favorite: Mead</strong></p> <p>Mead had not only a great season but a sensational year. The Mavericks lost the first game of the season and then pulled off 21-straight wins to capture the No.1 seed in the playoffs. Mead is a team full of great individual talent that was able to get by all season long, but if they plan on winning it all in a very tough region, they will have to work as a unit to get by – a unit. They heave weapons on their team; they have to utilize them. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/trey-mead/">Trey Ward</a> (14.7 ppg) was their best player this season as he consistently scored the ball with high flying dunks and slashes at the rim while pg <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/will-maher/">Will Maher</a> (14.7 ppg &amp; 4.7 apg) scored when he was given the opportunity and dissected defenses with his passes. Those two with 6’5 forward Jacob Bartholomew (8.8 ppg) provided senior leadership with promising underclassmen <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/elijah-knudsen/">Elijah Knudsen</a> (11.8 ppg) sniping from beyond the arc and 6’11 big man <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/james-shiers/">James Shiers</a> holding down the middle with 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks a game. The personnel is all there; they just have put it together as a team and find that balance as hero-ball will only lead to an early exit. However, if they can play for one another—the 4A gold trophy will reside in Longmont.</p> <p><strong>Contenders: Cheyenne Mountain, Montrose </strong></p> <p>The top player in all of 4A and the state’s leading scorer plays for Cheyenne Mountain, and as long as he is on the court, Cheyenne Mountain has a chance. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/javonte-johnson/">Javonte Johnson</a> put up a year for the ages as he averaged 30.4 ppg and also had 10.3 rpg to go along with it. He did it all and put his team in positions to score night-in and night out. The future University of New Mexico player shot well from beyond the arc, Johnson got to the rim and finished with no regards of being stopped, and he also had countless highlight dunks this year that sent crowds home satisfied. He gives the Indians a chance based on his talent alone, and if he can get assistance from Jaedn Harrison and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/brad-helton/">Brad Helton</a>, who is capable of having big games as well, then this might be a long ride. The possible second-round matchup with <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/tj-bamba/">TJ Bamba</a> and Lincoln has me prematurely grinning.</p> <p>Montrose had a bounceback year as they went 19-4 on the season, and it was with a well-balanced young group that should be excited about the future. The Indians had two seniors Sean Alex (12.3 ppg) and Trey Schwerdtfeger (8.3 ppg) that are playing meaningful minutes and making an impact, but other than that, everyone else is underclassmen. Sophomore forward Luke Hutto was Montrose’s best player this season with 14.5 points and 7.4 rebounds a game, and he jumped onto our radar as he led Montrose to victory after victory. He is a player that, if the Indians can advance will turn plenty of heads and have many ready for a big grassroots season. Sophomore guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/trey-reese/">Trey Reese</a> was also great this season with a very balanced stat line of 9.3 points, 4.7 assists, and 6.5 rebounds a game. This team has multiple players that can turn the game around, and this is a group that plays for one another, and they must get off to an excellent start and gain momentum early if they plan on advancing. Keep a lookout for them.</p> <p><strong>Who to Watch Out For: Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson </strong></p> <p>For my teams to watch for, it is two teams in the Denver Prep League. Lincoln is a two-man band as <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ty-foster/">Ty Foster</a> is averaging 16.3 points, 4.1, assists and 5.3 rebounds a game while also being the defensive anchor (3.3 spg) for the Lancers. He is one of the best-unsigned seniors with some interest from schools but is focused on getting Lincoln to the Denver Coliseum for the first time in his high school campaign. He is capable of altering the game on both ends of the floor and will be the player to watch for Lincoln in the playoffs. The Lancers best player this season is future Washington State University player <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/tj-bamba/">TJ Bamba</a>. He put up an impressive 24.7 points and 10.0 rebounds a game while being the focal point for opposing teams. He refuses to be stopped and gets to the lane as easily as anyone in the state. The inevitable matchup between him and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/javonte-johnson/">Javonte Johnson</a> will be one to watch even if you must make that trek to Colorado Springs.</p> <p>Thomas Jefferson is a team that, although they did not have the year that they wanted to, no team should feel comfortable going up against. They are a balanced team that is difficult to game-plan for. <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/darius-hornbuckle/">Darius Hornbuckle</a> is leading the Spartans in scoring at 16.4 points a game and just surpassed the 1,000 points scored in his career mark. He shoots the ball exceptionally well and is an underrated playmaker that, when engaged, is difficult to contain. He will be ready to prove that he is one of the state’s better scorers as he remains an unsigned senior that has the talent to play at the next level. With junior guard <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/ryan-moe/">Ryan Moe</a> (12.3 ppg) and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/james-abbey-jr/">James Abbey Jr.</a> (9.7 ppg) also being able to erupt at any given moment and <a href="https://prephoops.com/player/keshaun-taylor/">Keshaun Taylor</a> being one of the most athletic guards in the tournament this Thomas Jefferson team quietly becomes one of the darkhorse teams that can match up with anybody. Now, if they can put it all together remains to be seen—lookout for the Spartans as they attempt to make a run.</p>