Compass points

If the seeding for the Class 4A boys state basketball tournament means anything, it appears the powers reside in the northern and southern portions of the state. Windsor and its Northern League counterpart, Sterling, were tested by a rough league schedule, while Sierra and Pueblo South took care of matters down south. Something to consider, though: Undefeated Pueblo South also was a top seed last season and in 2006 but didn't make it past the quarterfinals either time.

Ron Shavlik Region

* Who's hot: Windsor is entering the tournament with plenty of confidence. The top-seeded Wizards (20-3) won the regular season Northern League title, then won the league's postseason tournament. . . . The Northern League, perhaps the best in 4A, has five teams with 18-5 records. "Our league definitely got us ready for the tournament," Windsor coach Dustin Duncan said. "You had to come to play every night, or you'd get beat."

* Who's not: Delta (8-11) has had difficulty getting into a groove all season. The No. 12-seeded Panthers finished the season on a two-game losing streak and never won more than two in a row all season. They will face an uphill battle in the first round against Evergreen (17-6).

* Bracket buster: No. 4-seeded Thomas Jefferson always has a strong shot to break up the bracket. The Spartans have impressive wins against Golden and D'Evelyn and play in the rugged 5A Denver Prep League.

* Prime-time players: Windsor senior Craig Von Allman is one of the top scorers in the state, averaging 19.6 points. "He's made a lot of big shots for us and does so many things to help us win," Duncan said. Von Allman had 28 points and eight assists in the Northern League tournament championship game against Sterling.

* Buzzer beater: Alamosa grabbed a ho-hum No. 6 seed, but the Mean Moose looked like a contender at times this season. Led by Ryan Esquibal (14.5 points), Alamosa ran off a 10-game winning streak to start the season and gave unbeaten Pueblo South its best game in mid-January before falling by five points.

Guy Gibbs Region

* Who's hot: Jeffco League teams weren't rewarded with great seeds, and Golden might have been deserving of a No. 1. The Demons, a No. 2 seed, wrapped up the league title by winning their past five games and lost only once in their final 16 contests. Golden's leading scorer is Alex Miller, who scored 22 in the Demons' final regular-season victory against Wheat Ridge.

* Who's not: Conifer made a lot of noise in the tournament last season, but it's hard to envision another hot streak coming up from the Lobos (9-14). They haven't had much momentum this season, or any signature victories.

* Bracket buster: Longmont might spring a surprise in the later rounds if a team doesn't bring its "A" game against the No. 3 seed. The Trojans beat Windsor by 18 points earlier this season and have an 18-5 record playing in the Northern League. "They are very athletic, well- coached and will definitely be ready to play," Windsor's Duncan said.

* Prime-time players: This bracket has plenty of big scorers, with Montezuma-Cortez's Micah Conrads (21.2 points), Skyline's Blaine Robinson (20.1) and Golden's Miller (17.2). Conrads also averages more than 11 rebounds a game. "He has stepped up and made a lot of big shots and defensive stops for us," Montezuma-Cortez coach Eric White said.

* Buzzer beater: Montezuma- Cortez had a remarkable turnaround from last season, when it went 5-17. The Panthers drew a No. 4 seed with a 17-6 record. They played mostly 5A teams and have six seniors on the roster. "We're loaded with seniors, and we're pretty excited about the tournament," White said. "We've got quite a bit of momentum going into the playoffs."

Jim Baggott Region

* Who's hot: Early in the season, Falcon lost four games in a row, but the Falcons recovered to end the season on an eight-game winning streak and grabbed a No. 2 seed. The Falcons (16-7) are a balanced scoring team that gets double-figure contributions from Adam Link (15.3 points), Louis Baumann (12.2) and Onario Franco (11).

* Who's not: Since an impressive win against Alamosa on Jan. 27, Pueblo County went into a tailspin. The No. 9 seed lost six of its past seven games, including its final two. The Hornets aren't a lost cause, but they will have to find their rhythm again in a hurry.

* Bracket buster: Jefferson's gaudy 21-2 record was worth only a No. 11 seed because of the perceived lack of strength in its schedule. The Saints will face a very good Greeley West team in the first round, but they are capable of pulling a surprise. "We're freakishly athletic as a whole squad and we like to run and gun," Jefferson coach Tony Sangaline said. The Saints have nine seniors and one junior. "We've had kids in the program for four years, and this is what they've been waiting for."

* Prime-time players: Northridge 6-foot-2 junior Taylor Guerro is capable of getting hot in the tournament. He averages 18.2 points and scored 22 in the Grizzlies' last outing. Four games ago, he matched his career best of 30 points. The No. 5 Grizzlies will face a 10-13 Prairie View team that gave up 80 points in its last game. . . . Jefferson's seniors also are notable for making several last-minute shots this season. The most memorable was a half-court shot at the buzzer by Jordan Martinez to beat Clear Creek in overtime.

* Buzzer beater: This region could hold several surprises. Like Jefferson, Denver North has flown under the radar all season, but that could change quickly. The eighth-seeded Vikings (14-9) have some impressive wins and have played tough competition. "Those guys play in a good 5A league, and they beat Thomas Jefferson. I think they could be really dangerous," D'Evelyn coach Troy Pachner said.

Bill Weimar Region

* Who's hot: It doesn't get any hotter than Pueblo South. The No. 1 Colts are the last unbeaten team in 4A and are coming off a 103-40 victory against Pueblo Centennial in their final regular-season game. South will be trying to win its first state title since 1994.

* Who's not: Expectations were high again this season for Widefield, last year's state runner-up, but the Gladiators have fallen back to the pack. The No. 9 seed staggers into the tournament on a three-game losing streak and hasn't won more than two games in a row all season. Also in this bracket is Palisade (6-17), which has the fewest victories of any team in the tournament.

* Bracket buster: D'Evelyn (15-8) and Fossil Ridge (18-5) are capable of doing some damage against higher-seeded teams. The No. 7 Jaguars beat Golden twice, and the Demons play a similar defensive style as D'Evelyn's likely second- round opponent, No. 2 Broomfield. Fossil Ridge drew a No. 6 seed, which probably sets up a tough second-round matchup for No. 3 Mitchell (17-6).

* Prime-time players: D'Evelyn's Jeremy Sullivan is the top scorer in 4A, averaging 24.7 points a game. Sullivan is used to seeing innovative defenses designed to stop him. "He's been incredible," Pachner said. "Especially since every game out, he faces a junk defense." Sullivan scored 33 in the Jaguars' 63-60 victory against Castle View earlier this season. The Sabercats will have another opportunity to stop Sullivan when the teams meet in the first round. . . . Broomfield's Nick Tomsick (20.3 points) also is a player known for taking the pressure shot.

* Buzzer beater: This might be the toughest region, even for unbeaten Pueblo South. The Colts might have to play Broomfield again, the team that knocked them out in the quarterfinals last season. South, which always enters the tournament with questions about its strength of schedule, likely will face several Northern League teams in the bracket, testing the notion the Northern League was the toughest in the state.

Back to Top