D-IV boys hoops: Scottsdale Prep-AzLutheran in repeat showdown?

February 20, 2015 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Scottsdale Prep and Arizona Lutheran have picked up where they left off last season in Division IV boys basketball. Scottsdale Prep was last year's top seed at state; Arizona Lutheran was No. 2. They followed the state tournament script presented them, meeting in the final with Arizona Lutheran prevailing, 73-65. Neither team lost a game to a D-IV opponent last year.

As the 2015 D-IV tournament begins anew  Friday (Feb. 20) nothing's changed, at least at the outset. Scottsdale Prep again is the No. 1 seed and Arizona Lutheran is No. 2. Scottsdale Prep has three losses -- one to a D-I team and two to D-II squads. Arizona Lutheran has five losses -- one to a D-I school, three to D-III opponents and one to an out-of-state foe. They've dominated in their division and appear on a collision course again.

Arizona Lutheran (25-5) saw the most turnover in the past year between it and Scottsdale Prep with regard to key players. Coach Doug Meyer lost 30 points a game to graduation from Kris Lamberson and Eric Trevizo. The gap has been filled by better depth and a bigger year from senior Brady Cook, who has averaged nearly 19 points a game and six rebounds. No other player averages in double figures although Josiah Weinstein is close at nine per game. Eight others average between three and seven.

Scottsdale Prep, coached by Chad Clum, graduated leading scorer Matt Munsil, but the Spartans featured five players a year ago who averaged between 9 and 13 ponts per game. Four returned this year and have helped Scottsdale Prep to a 24-3 season and are averaging in double digits -- seniors Nick Smith and Ben Arqueros and juniors Brock Petty and Dan Lybbert. Scottsdale Prep has been uncanny shooting threes as a team, making them at a 47 percent clip. It's not just one of the aforemention players -- it's all of them.

Teams with the best shot at pulling off an upset of either Scottsdale Prep or Arizona Lutheran are Phoenix Country Day, section runner-up to Scottsdale Prep and the hefty Section II contingent led by Valley Union and Pima. Seven schools from Section II (southeastern Arizona) qualified for the 24-team field, the most of the six-section division. The only Section II team that played either Scottsdale Prep or Arizona Lutheran was Desert Christian, who faced ALA.

Phoenix Country Day played both Scottsdale Prep and Arizona Lutheran during the season and lost to both after giving a good account. Phoenix Country Day fell short in overtime to Scottsdale Prep by four in the regular season and in overtime again in the section final. PCD led Arizona Lutheran by seven at halftime, but got the Coyotes' attention in the second half and eventually lost 68-54. Phoenix Country Day is led by Andrew Ekmark and Nihaal Reddy.

Pima is the tourney's No. 3 seed and was the only team to best regular-season, section top-dog Valley Union. Pima proved it was no fluke, beating Valley Union in the section tournament final. Pima is led by Ryan Johnson and Braven Grant. Valley Union ended up the No. 7 seed with its only losses coming against Pima. Valley Union has excellent scoring balance with Vidal Urtuzuaztegui, Junior Gamez, Isaac Lopez and Arthur Cummings all scoring in double figures.

The bottom half of the bracket houses five of the seven Section II qualifiers (St. David, Duncan, Desert Christian, Pima and Valley Union). St. David and Desert Christian managed to beat Pima during the regular season. The top half of the bracket has Tombstone and Willcox, both of whom could get a shot at Scottsdale Prep and Phoenix Country Day, respectively, in the second round.

The openiing round of the D-IV tournament is Friday (Feb. 20), followed by the second round Saturday (Feb. 21), the quarterfinals Thursday (Feb. 26), semifinals Friday (Feb. 27) and the title game Saturday (Feb. 28). All games will be played in Prescott Valley either at the Prescott Valley Events Center, Prescott High or Bradshaw Mountain High in the opening two rounds. Prescott Valley Event Center hosts all games from the semifinals and finals.