Boys basketball: 4A state tournament preview


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SALT LAKE CITY — No. 1 Orem looks to defend their 4A state championship starting Tuesday when the 4A boys state basketball tournament begins in Ogden.

Orem will be the favorite to repeat but teams like Bountiful, Timpview and Mountain Crest have the talent to challenge the Tigers for the title.

We have the tournament covered on KSL.com. All games will be streamed live, with highlights and post-game interviews being posted for each game on KSL.com within an hour of their completion.

Below is a preview of each first round matchup. The action begins Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. and the games will be played at the Dee Events Center at Weber State University in Odgen.

4A First Round

Tuesday at Dee Events Center at Weber State University

East (17-6) vs. Murray (13-10), 9:30 a.m.

East features one of the best players in the state in Parker Van Dyke. The future Utah Ute point guard averages 24.6 points per game and is the leading scorer in 4A. He was a standout in last year's 4A state tournament where he averaged 26.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists leading the Leopards to the quarterfinals. Van Dyke is sure to put up big numbers but he will need some help from his teammates if East is going to make a deep tourney run. Mitch Grant averages 13 points per game but they lack size inside.

That is not a weakness for Murray. The Spartans are led by 6-10 center Nathan Aland. He is averaging 14 points per game and 8 rebounds. Murray has guys that can shoot the 3-point shot as well led by Dylan Ross who is third in 4A in 3-pointers made. If Murray can shoot well from the perimeter creating space for Aland inside they could surprise people in this tournament.

These two teams played each other back on December 7. East won that game 69-61 in overtime. Another overtime game between the two schools would be a great way to open the tournament.

KSL Prediction: East

Logan (13-11) vs. Orem (20-3), 11:10 a.m.

Orem brings back a lot of talent from last year's state championship team. BYU commit Dalton Nixon was the tournament MVP last year as a sophomore. He averages 17.5 points and 8 rebounds per game. Senior Zach Hunsaker averages 15 points and 4 assists per game at the point guard position and Cooper Holt, Quinn Peters and Jordan Darger were all important contributors to last year's championship run. Darger has a shoulder injury and his status in the state tournament is uncertain. They lead 4A in scoring with 67 points per game.

Logan has had an up and down season. They do have some good wins over Hunter, Roy and Sky View but also some head scratching losses including a loss to Bonneville that almost ended their state tournament chances. Taylor Compton has hit some big shots this year including two game-winners and the bright lights of the state tournament stage may provide him a chance to make more magic. Tyler Brimhall is the team's leading scorer averaging 12.5 points per game.

That said Logan will have to play a near perfect game to knock off the defending state champs.

KSL Prediction: Orem

Maple Mountain (13-9) vs. Mountain Crest(15-5), 12:50 p.m.

Mountain Crest starts five seniors and brings a lot of experience into this tournament. Tyler Crosbie is one of the best guards in the state and is a three-year starter. He averages 18 points per game while BYU football signee Faimafili Laulu-Pututau provides the Mustangs with height and strength in the post. Tanner Knowles can shoot it from outside as well. The Region 5 champs boast wins over 5A programs like Northridge and Layton and have to be considered contenders to challenge Orem at state.

When you think of Maple Mountain you think of wrestling but the Golden Eagles basketball team is hoping to earn a reputation as a basketball school as well. They make their first state tournament appearance in the short history of their school this year. They shocked Timpview on January 8th defeating the Thunderbirds by 10 points. They struggled later in the season and enter the playoffs as a 4 seed out of Region 8. Josh Phelps leads a senior laden starting five with 13 points per game.

Mountain Crest returns a lineup that won a tournament game last season. Their talent and experience may be too much for Maple Mountain to overcome.

KSL Prediction: Mountain Crest

Herriman (12-10) vs. Highland (14-8), 2:30 p.m.

Highland doesn't have the star power that other 4A teams bring into this tournament but they have played great team basketball all season which makes them dangerous in the state tournament. They also have one of the best defenses in 4A. David Divver averages 13 points per game to lead the Rams and brings tournament experience. He scored 10 points and made three 3-point baskets as a sophomore helping Highland win the 4A state championship in 2011.

Herriman made magic in the first round of last year's tournament. Jaden Rasmussen's 3-point shot at the buzzer gave the Mustangs 56-55 win over Logan.

They hope to have another memorable tournament appearance. Sophomore David Maynard is their leading scorer with an average of 18 points per game is also their leading rebounder.

KSL Prediction: Highland

Springville (17-4) vs. Roy (16-6), 4:10 p.m.

This has to be considered one of the best if not the best first roun d match ups. Roy is led by star forward Brekkot Chapman who is ranked by ESPN as the 48th best junior in the nation. He averages 20 points and 9 rebounds and has offers from BYU, Utah, Utah State and several Pac-12 schools. A great showing at the state tournament will likely bring even more offers. This will be his first state tournament game and how he handles the pressure will determine how well the Royals perform. If he brings his best game to the tournament Roy could make a deep tournament run.

Springville doesn't have a 4-star athlete in their starting lineup but Max Schreiner plays like one. The 6-4 forward scored 25 points in a first round loss to East at state last year. He is averaging 15 points per game and 7 rebounds per game. Bradley Kitchen leads the team in scoring with 16 points per game and Ben Johnson rebounds the ball well with 7.5 per game. They are coming off an impressive win over Timpview on February 15.

A rough ending to the regular season is reason for concern about Roy. They have to play much better to have a chance against a team like Springville. The Red Devils are peaking at the right time and enter the tournament with four straight wins.

KSL Prediction: Roy

Westlake (8-14) vs. Bountiful (19-3), 5:50 p.m.

While Orem has been getting most of the attention in 4A Bountiful has quietly strung together an 18-game winning streak. The Braves look like legitimate title contenders once again as this program with great tradition looks to win it's first state title since1997 The Braves are led by Utah State commit Sam Merrill. He averages 17.6 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists per game. The Braves are talented and young. They don't start any seniors which is remarkable considering their success this season especially in close games.

Westlake is making their first state tournament appearance in the schools short history. Zavon Jackson leads the team in scoring with 15.6 per game along with 5 rebounds and 5 assists per game. Sophomore Brayden Holker and senior Jake McCord also average double figure scoring for the Thunder.

This is an important step for Westlake and their program but they enter the tournament as the only team with a losing record. Getting Bountiful in the first round will be a tough task.

KSL Prediction: Bountiful

Woods Cross (13-8) vs. Olympus (16-5), 7:30 p.m.

Olympus always seems to be in the mix in the 4A state tournament and this year is no different. The Titans won region 7 with a perfect 10-0 record. They have a win over Alta and it took a half-court miracle heave by Abel Porter to keep Olympus from defeating Davis. They are led in scoring by Jaren Jones with 13 points and 5 rebounds per game. Sophomore Jake Lindsey averages 12 points per game. He is the son of Utah Jazz General Manager Dennis Lindsey. Defensively Olympus has what it takes to win a championship. Timpview is the only 4A team with better scoring defense than the Titans.

Woods Cross has an experienced lineup with 5 senior staters. The Wildcats finished 4th in Region 6 but do have some good wins over Roy, Layton and East. Skyler Farnes is their leading scorer with 10 points per game. The quarterback of the football team recently logged 27 points, 14 rebounds and four 3-pointers in a loss to Bountiful.

KSL Prediction: Olympus

Sky View (15-8) vs. Timpview (18-3), 9:10 p.m.

Timpview was ranked No. 1 for two weeks this season thanks to a win over defending champion Orem. The showed everyone that the Tigers could be beat. They almost pulled off a sweep of Orem losing in their gym by six points. Timpview has size and strength in the front court with Taylor Roy and Utah State football signee Dax Raymond. Leo Roese is a great shooter and averages 10 points per game while sophomore Britain Covey has been solid at point guard. They have wins over Alta and Orem but also suffered losses to Springville and Maple Mountain.

Sky View was expected by many to win Region 5 this season but instead struggled with inconsistency. They needed a win in the final game of the regular season to avoid a play-in game. They have one of the best players in the state in Utah State signee Jalen Moore. He is the third leading scorer in 4A and averages 22 points per game and 7 rebounds. Ty Nielsen provides a great one-two punch for the Bobcats as he averages 15 points per game which is 10th in 4A.

Before the season this looked like a potential semifinal matchup. Now we get it in the first round. Both teams have the talent to make a deep tourney run but one of them will be going home after the first round.

KSL Prediction: Timpview

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Jeremiah Jensen

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