Nevada 4A state basketball tournaments set to tip off

Earlier this season, the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association sent a letter to the state's basketball coaches stating any team that wins by 50 or more points must submit an "explanation of safeguards that were implemented in that game which should have prevented the point differential."

Suffice to say, none of the teams participating in this week's Class 4A state tournament should have to worry about sending any more letters.

The top four girls teams in the latest MaxPreps state rankings made it to Las Vegas, while all four qualifiers for the boys tourney are ranked among the top six.

The tournament tips off at 3 p.m. Thursday at the Orleans Arena.



BOYS
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) vs. Bishop Manogue (Reno)
This is the second straight year these teams have met in the state semifinals with the Gaels beating Manogue 65-52 last year on the way to their second straight title.

MaxPreps Nevada boys basketball playoff brackets

Gorman (25-5) is the heavy favorite and ranked No. 24 in the most recent MaxPreps Xcellent 25 boys basketball rankings presented by the Army National Guard. Junior guard Shabazz Muhammad poured in 25 of his 29 points in the first half and standout junior Rosco Allen added 18 points and eight rebounds as the Gaels beat Sierra Vista (Las Vegas) 84-66 for the Sunset Region championship. Those two, along with forward Ben Carter, will be a difficult matchup for the undersized Miners (24-5).

Manogue, meanwhile, enters the game with a shooter's chance. The Miners hit nine 3-pointers - they made just three 2-point field goals - in their 56-43 win over Douglas (Minden) to earn their second consecutive Northern Region title. If guards Brennan Hogan, Ethan Dillard and Niles Lujan get hot from the outside, Manogue will certainly have a shot at pulling off the upset.

Canyon Springs (North Las Vegas) vs. Sierra Vista (Las Vegas)
The Pioneers (27-2) are making their second straight trip to the state tournament, but almost didn't get there. Canyon Springs struggled in the Sunrise Region semifinals against Foothill (Henderson), escaping with a 69-68 win on a putback at the buzzer by Trey Evans.

But Canyon Springs, which is No. 3 in the state rankings, bounced back in the region final by topping Eldorado (Las Vegas) 78-66. Boise State-bound guard Michael Thompson took over late, scoring nine of his game-high 22 points in the final 5:10, including a huge coast-to-coast dunk that gave the Pioneers a 10-point lead. Canyon Springs, which fell to Gorman in the state title game a year ago, could have an advantage down low against Sierra Vista (25-6) with 6-foot-5 Jared Brandon and 6-4 Chris Willis.



The Mountain Lions earned a trip to state thanks to a thrilling 55-54 win over Eldorado on Tuesday in the state play-in game. Dallin Molina blocked a shot in the final seconds to preserve the win for Sierra Vista. The 6-5 Molina, who missed last season with a torn ACL, finished with a game-high 16 points to go along with seven rebounds and two blocked shots. However, this game should hinge on whether Sierra Vista's standout guards Maiscei Grier and Viko Noma'aea can have success against the Pioneers' athletic backcourt led by Thompson.

Predicted champion: Bishop Gorman

Continue reading for girls previews{PAGEBREAK}GIRLS
Centennial (Las Vegas) vs. Reed (Sparks)
Many fans in Nevada believe this is the real state title game as it features the top two teams in the MaxPreps rankings. No. 1 Reed (26-0) dominated the Northern Region, while No. 2 Centennial (30-1) is looking for its sixth state title since 2002.

MaxPreps Nevada girls basketball playoff rankings

The Raiders went largely untested this season, winning 24 of their 26 games by double digits. The only close contests for Reed were a 60-59 win over Miramonte (Orinda, Calif.) in late December at the West Coast Jamboree and a 45-40 victory over Galena (Reno) in the region final last week. Reed advanced to the state final last season, but could be even better this time around behind the trio of Micah Walker, Nyasha Lesure and talented freshman Gabrielle Williams.

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, also manhandled in-state competition with their only loss coming to Southern California powerhouse Narbonne (Harbor City) 60-48 at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Arizona. Centennial forced 33 turnovers and rolled to an 82-50 win over Bishop Gorman in the Sunset Region final. Senior guard Courtney Hayes signed with Louisiana Tech, but the Bulldogs are a matchup nightmare thanks to their scoring balance. Ashley Klemz made seven 3-pointers on the way to 27 points against Gorman and any one of about three or four players could lead the team in scoring on a given night.

Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) vs. Liberty (Henderson)
The other semifinal is getting most of the attention, but this game is no slouch, either. No. 3 Gorman (24-6) is the defending state champion, while the No. 4 Patriots (26-2) are back in the state tournament for the second straight season.



The Gaels bounced back from their beating at the hands of Centennial in the Sunset Region final to rout Foothill (Henderson) 61-31 in the state play-in game on Tuesday. Amber Lane led the way with 19 points, while April Rivers (12 points) and Zhane Dikes (11 points) also reached double figures. Gorman will need a similar performance to earn a chance at reaching the final and defending its state title.

Liberty rolled to the Sunrise Region crown with a 52-42 win over Foothill as Oregon signee Amanda Delgado led the way with 19 points while post Alena Evans added 18 points and 12 rebounds. The Patriots have been overshadowed in the Vegas valley for most of the last two seasons, but a win against perennial power Gorman would be a huge lift for the upstart program. Liberty fell to Reed in the state semifinals last season, but should be much more prepared this time around.

Predicted champion: Centennial

David Schoen works at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and is a former Associate Sports Editor and Turn2 columnist for the Oakland (Calif.) Tribune. You can reach him at ByDavid1@aol.com.