Boys basketball playoff matchups: 4-6A Team AZV breakdowns

The 2020-21 AIA boys basketball playoffs are set following an unprecedented season. Team AZV Interns Jacob Seliga and Andrew Morgan and Team AZV Staff Writer Eric Newman break down the 4-6A conference 16-team playoffs:

No. 1 St. Mary’s vs. No. 16 Notre Dame Prep

The Knights (16-1) have been the top team in the conference for a majority of the season, with their only loss being a Jan. 20 matchup vs. 6A Sunnyslope. With quality wins over No. 3 Paradise Honors, No. 11 Tempe (twice) and 6A Brophy Prep, the Knights are undefeated in conference play and have been one of the clear favorites to win the 4A title. The Saints (9-7) snuck in at No. 16 despite a regular season finale loss to No. 7 Deer Valley. The Saints hold a single win over a 4A playoff team, No. 14 Saguaro, which they defeated 74-37 back on Feb. 20.

No. 8 Estrella Foothills vs. No. 9 Bradshaw Mountain

The Wolves (12-3) are 8-2 in their region with wins over No. 12 Mesquite and No. 15 Dysart. The Wolves also have a quality win over No. 6 Desert Edge, who they defeated 66-60 in a Feb. 16 matchup at home. The Wolves finished the regular season 6-1 at home. The Bears (14-3) are 11-1 in their region with wins over No. 4 Coconino and No. 13 Prescott. In their three regular-season losses, the Bears split region series with Coconino, losing 35-36 at home on Mar. 4. Bradshaw Mountain also lost 68-48 to Desert Edge and 38-39 to Moon Valley, both common opponents with Estrella Foothills.

No. 5 Pueblo Magnet vs. No. 12 Mesquite

The Warriors (13-2) are 5-2 in their region with a 2-0 sweep against No. 10 Sahuaro. The Warriors lone pair of losses both came to No. 2 Salpointe Catholic. The Wildcats (11-4) finished 6-2 in their region, splitting games with No. 14 Saguaro and ALA-QC. With wins over No. 13 Prescott and No. 14 Saguaro, the Wildcats are 6-3 on the road. The lone non-conference game for the Wildcats came in a 61-65 loss to 5A Williams Field on Feb. 4.

No. 4 Coconino vs. No. 13 Prescott

The Panthers (14-1) are 10-1 in their region with a lone loss to No. 9 Bradshaw Mountain, who the Panthers split the region series with. With a pair of quality wins over No. 13 Prescott, the Panthers also boast an undefeated, 15-0 JV team. The Badgers (10-6) finished the regular season with an 8-4 region record. Playing one of the toughest schedules in the conference, the Badgers do not currently hold a win over a playoff team. In both regular season matchups, No. 4 Coconino defeated No. 13 Prescott with scores of 50-47 and 42-35.

No. 3 Paradise Honors vs. No. 14 Saguaro

The Panthers (17-2) finished the regular season with a 10-0 region record. With quality wins over No. 8 Estrella Foothills, No. 14 Saguaro and No. 15 Dysart, the Panthers only two losses came in the form of a 67-78 loss to No. 1 St. Mary’s on Feb. 18 and a one-point loss to 6A Sunnyslope. As one of few favorites in the conference, the Panthers are undefeated at home, boasting an 11-0 record. The Sabercats (14-5) finished the regular season with a 7-1 region record, splitting the series with No. 12 Mesquite. Under first-year head coach Lucas Ramirez, the Sabercats have impressed many teams across the state, even playing a pair of two non-conference games.

No. 6 Desert Edge vs. No. 11 Tempe

The Scorpions (13-3) finished the regular season with a 9-1 region record, splitting the series against No. 7 Deer Valley. With other quality wins over No. 9 Bradshaw Mountain and No. 16 Notre Dame Prep, the Scorpions are undefeated at home, boasting at 7-1 record. All three of the Scorpions losses come to 4A playoff teams in No. 3 Paradise Honors, No. 7 Deer Valley and No. 8 Estrella Foothills. The Buffaloes (12-5) went 7-3 in their region. With two losses to No. 1 St. Mary’s, Tempe has played a tough schedule including a loss to 5A McClintock.

No. 7 Deer Valley vs. No. 10 Sahuaro

The Skyhawks (13-2) are 9-1 in their region with losses to No. 6 Desert Edge and 6A Boulder Creek. Undefeated at home (8-0), the Skyhawks are looking to take advantage of the opportunity to host a playoff game. With quality wins over No. 6 Desert Edge, No. 11 Tempe and No. 16 Notre Dame Prep, the Skyhawks started the season going 9-0 before their 53-68 Feb. 17 loss to Boulder Creek. Beyond that game, the Skyhawks finished the rest season 4-1. The Cougars (12-5) finished the regular season with a 4-4 region record, splitting the series with No. 5 Pueblo Magnet. With two region losses to No. 2 Salpointe Catholic, the Cougars only hold one win against a playoff team (Pueblo Magnet), meaning that No. 7 Deer Valley will be even more challenging.

No. 2 Salpointe Catholic vs. No. 15 Dysart

The Lancers (16-2) finished undefeated in their region (6-0) on the way to the No. 2 seed. With wins over No. 5 Pueblo Magnet and No. 10 Sahuaro, the Lancers two losses came to 6A Sunnyslope and 5A Catalina Foothills, meaning that they went 7-0 in conference games. The Demons (10-6) went 6-4 in their region and 10-4 against 4A competition. All four of the Demons 4A losses came to playoff teams: No. 3 Paradise Honors and No. 8 Estrella Foothills. With quality wins over No. 14 Saguaro, the Demons are looking to prove themselves to fellow conference competition.

No. 1 Centennial vs. No. 16 Gila Ridge

The Coyotes (15-1) are riding a 13-game win streak heading into the playoffs, and are playing the best basketball in coach Randy Lavender’s tenure. Centennial’s only loss came to defending-champion Ironwood early in the season, but it avenged that game with a dominant 78-49 home victory over the Eagles on Feb. 20. This game will be the second time in six days that Gila Ridge (13-6) travels from Yuma to Peoria to play Centennial. The Hawks, led by CJ Wiggins (14.9 ppg) have lost twice to Centennial, but have put together a few solid runs, including a seven-game win streak in February.

No. 8 Williams Field vs. No. 9 Cactus Shadows

The Black Hawks (11-5) struggled with a 3-5 record in region play, but an undefeated 8-0 record in freedom games allowed them to make the playoffs. A 63-60 road victory over this same Cactus Shadows team on Feb. 12 sparked a six-game win streak before the Black Hawks fell to Gilbert on the last night of the season. The Falcons (12-5) were on the losing end the last time these two teams faced, but boast an 8-2 region record and the 2021 5A Northeast Valley Region championship. Cactus Shadows won four games in a row before falling to a desperate Arcadia team in the final game of the season.

No. 5 Buena vs. No. 12 Sunrise Mountain

Despite their No. 5 ranking, the Colts (9-1) barely made the playoffs. It took winning four games in three nights – including a double-header on March 5 with wins over Desert View and Walden Grove – to reach the minimum ten games played and qualify for the postseason. Junior Cooper Jones (16.7 ppg) is the leading scorer for Buena, which has won eight consecutive games heading into the playoffs. The Mustangs (10-9) played one of the conference’s toughest schedules. Senior wing Colin Carey (20.4 points, 8 rebounds) is Sunrise Mountain’s top scorer and rebounder, and the Mustangs proved they could play spoiler when they took defending-champion Ironwood to overtime before losing 54-52 on March 5.

No. 4 Gilbert vs. No. 13 Millennium

In a rematch of the 2019 5A title game, Gilbert (14-3) gets home court after winning its third consecutive 5A San Tan Region championship. Coach Jay Caserio’s Tigers won five consecutive games to end the regular season, including a 53-47 victory over Millennium on Feb. 26. The Millennium Tigers (10-6) have reached the 5A championship game in each of the past two seasons. Despite being a young squad – Coleman Fields is the only senior on the varsity – Millennium went 8-0 in the 5A Desert West Region and captured the region championship. The Tigers are riding a three-game win streak heading into the playoffs, with their last loss coming against Gilbert.

No. 3 Ironwood vs. No. 14 Apollo

The defending-champion Eagles (16-2) shared a first-place 9-1 record with Centennial in the 5A Northwest Region. Senior guards JJ White and Black lead the Eagles under coach Jordan Augustine against Apollo, which Ironwood defeated twice early in the season. Ironwood was dominated 78-49 at Centennial on Feb. 20, but has since reeled off eight consecutive wins, including a 54-52 overtime win at Sunrise Mountain on March 5. Apollo (7-10) is a quality team, despite its record and low ranking in the playoffs. The Eagles played 5A’s most difficult schedule, as calculated by the AIA rankings, and are led by junior Ahamed Mohamed (17.9 ppg) and, despite losing twice to Ironwood, kept the margin within five points the last time the two squared off in a 62-57 defeat.

No. 6 Desert Mountain vs. No. 11 Arcadia

The Wolves (12-6) started the season hot, winning six of the first seven games to begin the season. From there they held on long enough to reach the playoffs after missing them last season. Two of Desert Mountain’s 12 wins came against Arcadia, including a 62-59 victory on March 4. The Titans (9-7) were ranked No. 16 heading into their final game, needing a win to secure a playoff spot. They got it in an 85-71 victory over Cactus Shadows. Arcadia has lost twice to the Wolves, but both games have been close, with single-digit margins deciding the pair of contests.

No. 7 Nogales vs. No. 10 Willow Canyon

The Apaches (11-4) hit a skid, losing three of their final four games to finish the season. However, ten victories in their first eleven games allowed Nogales to earn a first-round home game and claim the 5A Southern Region championship with a 7-1 region record. Senior Steven Legleu (20.4 ppg) is the team’s leading scorer. Willow Canyon (14-2) boasts one of 5A’s best records, despite its No. 10 ranking. The Wildcats are a junior-heavy team, and junior Pike Tancil leads them in scoring (21.4 ppg). Coach Joseph Colletti’s squad won its last nine games of the regular season.

No. 2 Catalina Foothills vs. No. 15 McClintock

The Falcons (15-1) won the 5A Sonoran Region title with a 9-0 region record, and have run through the majority of their schedule relatively easily. Of their 15 wins, all have come by double-digit margins except for a 50-45 victory over 4A heavyweight Salpointe Catholic. Since a 48-46 defeat to 4A-favorite St. Mary’s – Catalina Foothills’ only loss of the season – the Falcons have reeled off seven consecutive wins. The Chargers (10-7) struggled early, going just 2-5 in their first seven games of the season, since then, McClintock has been on a roll, winning eight of its final ten contests and losing by just two, 54-52, to playoff-bound Desert Mountain in the season finale.

1 Sunnyslope vs 16 Corona Del Sol

The Vikings (17-1) roll into the playoffs with a seven-game winning streak since their only loss of the season, a 51-49 overtime loss to #2 seed Mesa. A well-balanced team, the Vikings average 62 points a contest led by junior Elijah Saunders (15.7 ppg). The Aztecs (6-12) sneak in as the last overall seed. But are battle tested with 13 of their 18 total games coming against playoff teams. They head in fresh off an eight-point loss to Queen Creek (5-12). The Aztecs average 54 points a game.

2 Mesa vs 15 Mesa Mountain View

Mesa (17-1) has had a remarkable turnaround this season. Last season the Jackrabbits finished 11-16 missing out on the play-in game. But head coach Scott Stansberry has led his team through a tough schedule highlighted by wins over No. 1 Sunnyslope and No. 7 Hamilton. Mountain View (9-6) comes into the postseason hungry after last season’s play-in loss to Corona Del Sol. A defensive team only allowing 51 points a game, the Toros are led by sophomore Brigg Wolf and his 17 ppg and 7 assists a game. A city of Mesa rivalry renewed in the postseason, Mesa has won both matchups between the teams this season.

3 Perry vs 14 Pinnacle

Perry (14-2) heads into the postseason with a championship mindset. When the initial playoff rankings came out in February, coach Sam Duane Jr’s Puma squad was ranked No. 1 early-on and has rotated in the top four since, before finally finishing third. The Pumas are led by 7'0 junior Dylan Anderson who is currently ranked No. 72 in the United States by Rivals for the class of 2022. It would not be the playoffs without Coach Charlie Wilde’s Pinnacle Pioneers (9-9) who are making their 19th consecutive trip to the dance. They snuck in on the last day of the season, knocking off rival Chaparral (7-11) 57-50 in front of a home crowd. The Pioneers are a young team when compared to the Pumas but the sophomore trio of muti-sport athletes Duece Robinson, Myles Libman, and Devon Dampier make Pinnacle a tough out.

4 Brophy Prep vs 13 Chandler

Brophy prep (15-5) has played arguably the toughest schedule of any team in 6A, highlighted by 14 total games against playoff teams. The Broncos went 9-5 in those games, including a 74-64 win over No. 3 Perry in the last game of the regular season. Since Brophy’s 15 point loss to No. 6 Mountain Pointe, they have rattled off seven straight wins, hitting their stride at the perfect time. Brophy is led by nine upperclassmen, including three seniors. Chandler (7-10) heads into the postseason on a three-game losing streak including two in a row to the aforementioned Broncos. But the Wolves played a challenging schedule that has put them into position to battle any team they play on any given night. Senior Carson Kelly has quietly had one of the best seasons by anyone in the state with a 22 point and 6.7 assist per game average.

5 Liberty vs 12 Desert Vista

Liberty (16-2) enters the postseason boasting one of the most prolific offenses in the nation. According to MaxPreps the Lions average 88 points a game, ranking second in the United States. The Lions finished 10-0 in region play winning each contest by an average of 19.5 a game. They also boast a senior led lineup with 9 seniors who have multiple 50+ point victories this season including a 120-15 win over Kofa on February 27th. Desert Vista (8-7) enters the playoffs as the defending state champions, but they are not the same team as last season. Former head coach Gino Crump took the same position at Scottsdale Bella Vista Prep and junior sensation Dasean Lecque took off in November for Hillcrest prep. But with all those changes, the Thunder have powered through and have made noise in the process. After having to cancel two weeks at the end of January due to COVID-19 protocol, the Thunder came back to lose 4 of the next 6 games. But the team rallied and pulled a complete 180 winning 4 of the next 6 including wins over rivals #6 Mountain Pointe and #16 Corona Del Sol to lead them into the postseason.

6 Mountain Pointe vs 11 Valley Vista

The Pride (12-5) have a duo that might be one of the best in the state. Senior Zereoue Williams could have chosen to start prepping for college after committing to the University of Utah for football, but the 6’8 center had unfinished business. He wanted to come back and win a title after Mountain Pointe’s run to the title game last season as the 11th seed fell short to rival Desert Vista. Needless to say it has worked as he has averaged 4.5 blocks and 12.5 rebounds a game. While he does the gritty work, sophomore Roosevelt “Tru” Washington has averaged almost 22 points a game with a great 57 percent shooting. This duo has led the Pride to eight wins against playoff teams. Valley Vista (9-7) has gotten even better as the season has gone on. After starting off with two losses to No. 4 Brophy Prep and No. 13 Chandler the Monsoon struck knocking off No. 8 Highland and rival Shadow Ridge. Since those first four games, the Monsoon has had a challenging schedule including a five-point loss at Mountain Pointe. Valley’s five seniors hope to change that result and move on to the next round.

7 Hamilton vs 10 Desert Ridge

Hamilton (10-6) has had a challenging schedule but the Huskies hope that will lead to great success this postseason. The Huskies boast wins over No. 4 Brophy and No. 5 Liberty while holding the Lions to only 51 points, it’s lowest on the season. Hamilton also knocked off Desert Ridge once already this season a 59-54 narrow victory at home on February 10. The Huskies have an all upperclassman team but with only two seniors. Andrew Hinkle and Adrian Galindo. Desert Ridge (11-7) boasts a good resumé, with tight wins over No. 8 Highland and No. 6 Mountain Pointe. The Jaguars have played close games all season long with 12 of their games finishing within 10 points. Including a win over Chandler that made it onto ESPN for their 6 points in the final five seconds of double overtime capped by a steal and buzzer beating game winner by senior Kaden Kennedy. Kennedy is one of seven seniors on the roster of 12.

8 Highland vs 9 Basha

Highland (13-4) all season has been a team that once they rattle off 2 or 3 baskets in a row, they have the ability to stay on fire from the field all game long. This has been shown by six wins this season by 18+ points, including a 42 point victory against Mountain Ridge in the second game of the season. The Hawks have three sophomores on the roster Noah Peterson, Isaac Kaps, and Jase Adams. This makes them younger than most teams in the field of 16. Highland could be in this position with their young talent for the next few years to come. Basha (10-9) has played challenging competition all season long, and that experience may help them in the first round. They come stumbling in losing six of their final seven games. But the first half of their schedule shows that when the ball is rolling in their favor, Basha can compete with the best the state has to offer. Basha started off 8-1 with big wins over No. 5 Liberty, No. 10 Desert Ridge, and No. 13 Chandler. The Bears hope that Senior Trenton McLaughlin and his 21 points per game average can lead them past round one in this battle of Gilbert teams.

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