Division II Boys Basketball Quarterfinals

Gila River Arena: Wednesday, Feb. 24

No. 1 Shadow Mountain (24-5) vs. No. 9 Flagstaff (24-5), 7:45 p.m.

A rematch of the 2014 Division II state championship game where the Matadors defeated Flagstaff 83-58 to earn the third championship in school history. Shadow Mountain made it to the semifinal round last year while the Eagles came up short in the quarterfinal round. Both teams were knocked out by eventual state champion Gilbert Christian.

JJ Rhymes is leading Shadow Mountain with almost 20 points a game and Michael Bibby, Jr. is right behind with 19 points a game. The Matadors have not lost to an Arizona team this year. Kaleb Sandoval, scored 18 points to help the Eagles squeak by No. 8 Cesar Chavez 65-64 in the second round. This game could get out of hand quickly if Flagstaff is unable to contain Shadow Mountain's offense. Look for a slower pace.

No. 2 Agua Fria (27-2) vs. No. 10 Catalina Foothills (21-8), 6 p.m.

One of the best seasons for the Owls since the undefeated 26-0 team of 1966. In all, the Owls have six state titles and had back-to-back runner-up finishes in 2008 and 2009 but the program went quiet until first-year coach Randy Lavender arrived on campus. Agua Fria is riding a 22-game win streak with Jordan McCants and Bryce Fowler leading the way.

Doug D'Amore has the Falcons in the semifinal round one year after exiting in the first round. Junior Jared Irwin and sophomore Sam Beskind have stepped up their roles with the loss of Nik Nehls. The Falcons are a 3-point threat with the size and length to get to the basket.

No. 4 Paradise Valley (23-4) vs. No. 21 Nogales (18-10), 2:30 p.m.

Three years removed from a state title, longtime head coach Mark MacGowan has the Trojans back in the hunt again. The Trojans are riding their fifth 22-plus win season in a row. Senior CJ VanBeekum is leading the team with almost 18 points a game and junior Dominic Rogiers is scoring over 11 a game.

Nogales is the Cinderella team this year. This is not the same team that won the title in 2011 but the play is the same, speed and defense. A 69-67 win over No. 12 Tucson in the first round appeared to be an upset but Tucson was ranked 20th and received a low seed due to an amazing section tournament championship. The big win for Nogales came in the second round over defending state champion No. 5 Gilbert Christian 60-57. Jose Estrada is a scoring machine.

No. 6 Sunnyside (23-5) vs. No. 19 Sunrise Mountain (19-11), 4:15 p.m.

This is head coach Rob Harrison's fourth year with Sunnyside and this is the team he has been grooming all along. Seven seniors including standout Jacob Inclan have given the Blue Devils the best shot to get to a title game since they won it all in 1993. Other seniors include Cesar Ozuna and Carlos Lozoya. Mikey Silva is the top junior on the team. A preseason injury to Santino Duarte was the only thing preventing an even higher seed.

Gary Rath is in his first year with the boys after having a successful career as the head coach of the girl's program at Sunrise Mountain. The Mustangs had 25 wins last year but they came up against Shadow Mountain in the second round but back-to-back upsets in this year's tournament have them one step away from the semifinal round. Senior Elijah Thomas has almost 19 points a game.