5A-I boys and girls state basketball tournament previews

February 21, 2011 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


5A-I BOYS STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

WHEN: Wednesday Feb. 23, Saturday Feb. 26; Thursday March 3, Friday March 4 WHERE: Feb. 23, Feb 26 at site of highest seed; March 3-4 at Jobing.com Arena. 1ST-ROUND GAMES: - #16 Kofa at #1 Buena; #9 Desert Vista at #8 Salpointe; #12 Desert Ridge at #5 Corona del Sol; #13 Mesquite at #4 Mesa Mtn. View; #14 Red Mountain at #3 North; #11 Cesar Chavez at #6 Brophy; #10 Hamilton at #7 Mountain Pointe; #15 Tucson at #2 Mesa.

FAVORITE: There isn't one. As many as 8 to 10 teams have a shot based on the matchups. During the season North, Buena, Mesa, Mesa Mountain View,Corona del Sol,  Mountain Pointe, Desert Vista and Brophy  have had streaks where they appeared formidable. In games against other 5A-I schools that qualified for the tournament here are records of  about half: Mesa (11-2), Mtn. View (6-2), North (5-2), Corona del Sol (6-3), Buena (4-3), Brophy (6-6), Mountain Pointe (3-1) and Desert Vista (6-7). Buena, the No. 1 seed, did not lose a power-point game. The Colts played few teams outside of southern Arizona. When they did at the VisitMesa.com tournament in December, they lost all of their games, albeit most by small margins. The Colts will be at home the first two rounds. Mesa has nice record against the tournament field, but six of its 11 wins were by five points or less. Whoever puts up four strong games, has the better matchup and/or gets a break or two will end up winning a your-guess-is-as-good-as-mine tournament. BEST FIRST-ROUND GAME(S): Desert Vista-Salpointe, Red Mountain-North, Cesar Chavez-Brophy. Red Mountain has dropped two games to North, both of which went down to the wire. PREDICTED QUARTERFINALS: Desert Vista-Buena; Corona del Sol-Mountain View; North-Brophy and Mountain Pointe-Mesa.

 

5A-I GIRLS STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT

WHEN: Tuesday Feb. 22, Friday Feb. 25; Thursday March 3, Friday March 4 WHERE: Feb. 22, Feb 25 at site of highest seed; March 3-4 at Jobing.com Arena. 1ST-ROUND GAMES: - #16 Red Mountain at #1 St. Mary's; #9 Tucson at #8 Alhambra; #12 Desert Ridge at #5 Xavier; #13 Westwood at #4 Highland; #14 Desert Vista at #3 Mesa Mtn. View; #11 Dobson at #6 Hamilton; #10 Mountain Pointe at #7 Buena; #15 Mountain Ridge at #2 Chandler.

FAVORITE: Since the season began that tag has rested with St. Mary's and still does. The Knights lost only one game to an Arizona opponent and were short-handed in that one Pinnacle) In a rematch at full strength, St. Mary's topped Pinnacle by 20. The Knights are back at full strength now. DARKHORSE: Chandler has the abillity to play with St. Mary's, but in playing the Knights would have to back off their race-horse style some and attack the Knights with their inside presence and reel in the turnovers. Chandler did not close well last week in its season finale losing a game to Mountain View it led in for all but nine seconds. Chandler lost to St. Mary's earlier this season by 23. St. Mary's and Chandler have the easist road to the semis and should dominate foes in the first two rounds. BEST FIRST-ROUND GAME: - Defending champ Dobson at Hamilton. Hamilton has lost six of seven games with the other top five teams in the tournament (St. Mary's, Xavier, Mountain View, Highland and Chandler. Dobson is at the top of the next tier of talent in the tourney, but Hamilton's experience should be enough to dull Dobson from defending its title for more than one round. The Dobson-Hamilton winner has the toughest road to the final. That winner would likely have to beat Mountain View, Chandler and St. Mary's to take home the trophy. PREDICTED QUARTERFINALS: - Alhambra vs. St. Mary's; Xavier vs. Highland; Hamilton vs. Mountain View; Buena vs. Chandler.