MLK hoops games in Tempe, Tucson have more meaning attached

January 16, 2011 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


It is another showcase event only with one difference in all the matchups -- they count for more than pride or rivalry.

The difference at the 2011 Martin Luther King Basketball Classic set for Monday at ASU's Wells Fargo Arena and Arizona's McKale Center is they are power-point games -- games that count for each school toward qualifying for their respective state tournament next month.

"The kids know it's not a tournament and know it is a power-point game so that is important," Mountain View coach Gary Ernst said. "The other thing is it's a chance to play in a big building that you don't normally get to do. There can be benefit from it down the road."

The slate of games at Wells Fargo Arena begins with a pair of girls games starting at noon with Chandler vs. Hamilton, followed at 1:30 p.m. by Highland vs. Mountain View.

A trio of boys games begins at 3 p.m. with Skyline taking on Mountain Pointe (5A East Valley Region), Chaparral vs. St. Mary's (5A Desert Valley) at 4:30 p.m. and finally Mesa city rivals Mesa High and Mesa Mountain View in the marquee matchup at 6 p.m.

Here's a brief look at each game, starting with the girls:

Chandler (12-4, 1-0) vs. Hamilton (13-3, 1-0) -- Matches two of the top three teams in the 5A Fiesta Region. They won their region openers last Tuesday. Hamilton is led by Chelcee Pullam, Lauren Evans and Kyndall Adams. The Wolves by Jhe  Ze Newton. Mountain View (13-1, 3-0) vs. Highland  (17-3, 3-0) girls --  The top two teams in the 5A Central collide here. The Toros are led by ASU-bound Arnecia Hawkins and sophomore post Jordan Jensen. Highland's most consistent player is leading scorer and rebounder Kaile Magazzeni.

Boys games: Mountain Pointe (11-6, 3-1) vs. Skyline (8-8, 1-4) - Mountain Pointe is the defending 5A East Valley Region champ, but suffered its first region loss Friday to Perry. Skyline won its first region game, knocking off Marcos de Niza the same day.  Mountain Pointe is led in scoring by senior Tylor Wimbish; Skyline by Angel Ung. Chaparral (13-5, 1-1) vs. St. Mary's  (7-9, 0-2)- Chaparral has been on a roll most of the season. The Firebirds suffered their first region loss Friday to Pinnacle and led by Zeke Chapman and Luke Roh. St. Mary's has struggled since the end of December. The Knights have lost seven straight games. Mesa (10-4) vs. Mountain View (14-1) - It's an MLK rematch from last year, but a good one. Mesa prevailed, 54-52, last year. Back for Mesa is ASU-bound guard Jahii Carson, who is averaging 30 points a game. Mountain View bounced back from its only loss on Dec. 30 to win its last four games. The Toros have four players averaging in double figures - Jaren Sweeney, Mark Mazzucco, Cam Boone and Kyle Bingham.

The Monday schedule at McKale Center has three boys games and two girls contests. Action starts at noon with Northwest Christian (4-10) vs. Desert Christian  (12-8) girls; 2 p.m. - Sahuaro (11-5) vs. Flowing Wells (6-14) boys; 4 p.m. - Salpointe (14-3) vs. Rincon (9-10) boys; 6 p.m. - Sabino (17-3) vs. Canyon del Oro (6-7) girls and 8 p.m. - Amphitheater (16-2) vs. Palo Verde (12-6) boys.  Amphi and Palo Verde are the top matchup with both teams unbeaten in 4A Gila Region play to date.