The Class
5A boys hoops playoffs... what the CET guys are thinkin'
(02/22/10)
The Arbiter:
Guys, you've spent another
winter inside gymnasiums up and down the Front Range. Very few people
can claim to know more about Class 5A boys basketball than
you. So please... your thoughts about the playoff brackets for this
season. Which region looks like it might be the most fun to
track?
Brian
Roth: I think the toughest region is the Glenn Wilson
region with four teams having a legit chance to make a run to
Boulder. We have seen Fountain-Ft. Carson this year on CET and they
are a solid team with Chris Davis, Martin
Thomas and Dominique Wright. A number one
seed for the Trojans is deserved. The combination of (2) Chatfield
and (3) Highlands Ranch and (4) Aurora Central makes this the most
talented top 4 group of any of the regions. I can see any
of these four make it to Boulder. In the John Casey region, I think
Rampart gets a tough draw with Chaparral being the number 4 seed in its
region and Fort Collins being the number 5. You cannot tell me that
Chaparral is not one of the 12 best teams in 5A. They are very, very
good and are as athletic as any team in the
Casey Region. And Collins goes 20-3 and doesn't get a first
round bye? Then they get Chaparral in the 2nd Round if they get past
Coronado? I don't get it. And watch out for Denver East in the
RW Truscott. Rudy Carey is the best "big game" coach
out there today. And the Angels would love a rematch in the Great 8
with Regis. The Raiders clipped East in what was a very heated
game at the Coliseum last year.
Cory
Lopez: My first thought was the John Casey
Region with the potential for a Rampart vs. Doherty (CS Metro) rematch
come "Great 8" time, but I think the boys from Lincoln High will crash
that party in the "Sweet 16." So my eyes will be on the Glenn Wilson
Region! The regional championship (Great 8) could feature any one of the
top 5 seeds. Seriously, it could be (5) Overland vs (3) Highlands Ranch!
Marty Cesario: I'll be watching
the Truscott for the coaching. And the Wilson for the teams. Look at who's
gonna be calling the shots in the 2nd round of that Truscott
Region: Ken Shaw, Rudy Carey, and Dan
Snyder. That's two legends and a coach who has the detailed
mind and preparation dedication to match them. But I'm on board with you
guys about that Wilson Region. Collectively, those Top 4 seeds
just jump right off the page and make my mind go in
several different ways! Fountain-Ft. Carson spent the entire season
in the top half of our Top 10 polls and have been battle-tested in
the Springs Metro. If it's the right night, Chatfield has as
good or better starting talent than any team in the state. Highlands Ranch
is a dangerous crew that's hidden behind Regis in the Continental
League. And Aurora Central is physical, intense, has two blue-chip
basketball players and a freshman, Carlton Hurst,
that can wreck defenses. We could see Chris
Davis isolated man-to-man with Joe Abrams on
both ends of the floor, 6'7" Dese Lee and 6'8"
Trevor Wages bangin' in the lane, Coach Bob
Caton against his old squad, A-Central... c'mon, let's do
this!
The
Arbiter: Let's do this: Since Cory
mentioned a possible surprise run by Overland... Brian and Marty, could
you offer any teams seeded 5th or lower that you think might
advance to the Sweet 16 or
deeper?
Roth: It will be tough considering a 5th or lower seed will have
to win two road games before they get to the Denver Coliseum. Like I
said before, I like Fort Collins and think they are deserving of a better
seed. Austin Maag, Cody Spicer and
Nate McAuliffe are terriffic players and
Coach Monty Alcarez is a disciple of Ken Shaw. That
combination leads me to believe they can play with just about
anybody. And keeping with the Front Range League, watch out for
Boulder. The Panthers went 9-2 in an underrated FRL and now have
Riley Grabau in the mix. The transfer had to sit out the
first 11 games and has proven that he is one of the top players in Class
5A. I think the toughest region is the Glenn
Wilson Region with four teams having a legit chance to make a run to
Boulder.
Cesario: Brian
pointed out the easy choice -- Fort Collins. They're a 5 seed.
Seriously? For spice, I'll toss in Gateway -- a 6th seed with
a beatable 3 seed ahead of them in Doherty. The Olympians
beat Montbello in January and forced tight games with Arapahoe,
Fairview and A. Central. Vince Roybal
and Curtis Brever will have to excel. Or how
about about another 6 seed, Mountain Range? Their point
man, Derrick Valdez, wouldn't get rattled by
Palmer's guards in the 2nd round, Nick Kuhl is
a versatile 6'5" scorer, and Mitch Castillo can
put points on the board in many different ways.
The Arbiter:
Looking even farther ahead to the final weekend in Boulder…
what team do you think could be this season’s surprise member of the Final
Four?
Lopez: The
Chatfield Chargers! Here are the dreaded words: "Lots of Potential." If
that team lives up to the flashes of real talent I saw this season, a
Final Four birth is not only possible but
likely.
Roth: Outside of Fort
Collins or Boulder, the surprise team will not come from outside a top 3
seed. With that being said, I like Highlands Ranch in the Glenn
Wilson Region. They can really shoot it and have been tested all
season long with a tough Continental league and an aggressive non-league
schedule. Look at their losses: Lincoln, Palmer, Regis and
Denver East. Other than Regis, all those defeats came early and
all were competitive. They have defeated a top seed in Montbello
and also own wins over Denver East and Chaparral. And throw in
Arapahoe as another team who could end up in Boulder. If the Warriors
can shoot well, they can challenge Regis in the RW Truscott Region
final. If they don't shoot well, Arapahoe will not get past Denver
East or
Rangeview.
Cesario: You asked
for a possible surprise? Aurora Central can make it to Boulder if
they compliment that toughness and athleticism with discipline.
The Arbiter:
Regis has been front-running
this chase for the championship all season. What team do you think has the
best chance of catching the Raiders and keeping them from repeating as
state champs?
Cesario: Montbello. Roderick
Taylor and Deandre Clayton could
negate Regis' superb team rebounding. That sophomore, Azlan
Williams, can get hot from the perimeter, and Isiah
Cooper can defend, distribute, and score from the point
position.
Roth: Well, it is clearly Regis and then everyone else
-- and the everyone else consists of about twelve teams. Having
talked to a number of 5A coaches during the course of the season,
they all say the same thing: a team will have to put together
their best 32 minutes of the season to beat the Raiders. However, we
play the games because nothing is given. Fairview was the favorite
heading into last year's state tournament, yet they lost in
the semifinals to George. (I still contend they were the best team in the
state last year. If you take away the first quarter of the
George Washington semifinal game, the Knights would have gone on to win it
all. Would'a, could'a, should'a... I know. Just sayin...') The
point is you just do not know. Regis is the team to beat and
the rest are chasing. Who, if anyone, will catch them
is anyone's
guess.
Lopez: Arapahoe
or Denver East are possible bumps in the road for Ken Shaw's Raiders in
the Truscott Region. But I think winner of the Warriors and Angels game
will be more like a pothole than a sinkhole to the Regis
machine.
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