Colorado high school boys basketball state tournament overview

 
Several teams are looking to claim championships that eluded them last year because of the COVID-19 shut down, and others are just looking to take advantage of the chance to make a playoff run. Games will be played at home sites until the state finals, which will be contested March 19 and 20 at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs.

Here is a brief overview of teams from each classificaton that are looking to make championship runs over the next week and a half.

Class 5A // Bracket
No. 1 Cherry Creek (Greenwood Village) has looked like the team to beat all year, and that perception will stay with them heading into the 5A boys tournament. Julian Hammond III averages 22.4 points per game and is shooting 44 percent from 3-point range. Myles Purchase adds 15.9 points and leads the team with five assists per game.

A bid for a perfect regular season for Regis Jesuit (Aurora) ended with a 61-59 overtime loss to Chaparral (Parker) on March 5. Nevertheless, the Raiders go into the 5A tournament as the No. 2 seed. Blakeley Stoughton and Michael Wolf each average over 17 points and five rebounds. Alonzo Paul averages 10.8 points and dishes out 4.7 assists per game.

It's hard to overlook a Rangeview (Aurora) team that won the 2019 5A state title and hasn't lost a game since then. The No. 3 Raiders have looked every bit the part of a 5A contender as Cade Palmer has scored 15.9 points per game and dished out 6.8 assists in the process. The best win of the season for Rangeview came on Feb. 23 when it beat Chaparral 62-58.

Others to watch: Luke Williams and Joel Speckman each score better than 14 points per game and have No. 5 Chaparral playing its best basketball at the right time. No. 6 Fossil Ridge (Fort Collins) has played at a fast pace this season, averaging 78.4 points per game. Four players average more than 10 points per game, including Brock Mishak, who leads the team with 18.8.

Class 4A // Bracket
Getting through a gauntlet of a league schedule helped Windsor get the No. 1 seed for the 4A boys tournament. Ben Hageman and Jaden Kennis each average more than 17 points per game and are also the Wizards' leading rebounders. They suffered one loss, falling to Erie on Feb. 15.

Longmont takes the No. 2 seed with the hopes it makes a similar run to the state championship like in 2018. Eddie Kurjak has been a monster in the post, averaging 18.2 points and 8.3 rebounds. Keegan Patterson has been a solid scoring option as well, contributing 13.6 points per game.

Montrose ended the regular season at 14-0 and takes the No. 3 seed heading into the postseason. Luke Hutto's 15.3 points and 7.7. rebounds per game are a big factor for the team's success in 2021. Montrose has three other players averaging at least 8.6 points per game, providing solid depth across the lineup.

Others to watch: Lewis-Palmer (Monument) has the No. 4 seed and has four players averaging double-digit scoring figures. Sophomore Kadyn Betts averages a double-double for Pueblo Central, which comes into the tournament as the No. 7 seed.

Class 3A // Bracket
St. Mary's (Colorado Springs) earned the top seed after completing an undefeated regular season. Sam Howery leads the Pirates in both points (22.7) and assists (10.3) per game. Luke Stockelman adds 20.7 points per game. The Pirates play at a very fast pace and have broken the 100-point mark three times this season.

Lutheran (Parker) grabs the No. 2 seed after a solid regular season in which its only loss came to 5A No. 2 Regis Jesuit. Sophomore Baye Fall is nearly averaging a double-double, as he scores 22.4 points and pulls down 9.6 rebounds per game. He's also blocking about three shots per game, to make his presence felt on the defensive side as well.

Sterling grabs the No. 3 seed after winning 13 games in a row to close out the regular season. The Tigers lost their opener to Resurrection Christian (Loveland), but never looked back the rest of the way. Jackson Keil averages 17.9 points and 3.5 assists, both team-bests for the Tigers.

Others to watch: A tall front court should help No. 4 Manitou Springs, which is looking to get to the semifinals for the first time in 30 years. Joah Armour leads the Mustangs with 13.8 points per game. Depth is what No. 6 Aspen will lean on to make a deep playoff run.

Class 2A // Bracket
Wray locked up the top seed in 2A with a 72-66 win over Limon on Feb. 27. The Eagles play fast, scoring 78 points per game as a team, with Junior Arambula leading the charge with 18.6 points per game. He also leads the team in assists with a 7.1 average. Bryant Schoenthal and Samuel Uyemura each average double-digit scoring numbers as well.

Limon is hoping the loss to Wray doesn't derail its championship hopes. Camden Smithburg and Alex Carr each average better than 15 points per game as the No. 2 Badgers play a very controlled pace of basketball. Limon reached the 2A semifinals last year before the tournament was cancelled because of COVID-19. The Badgers are looking to return to at least the semis and hopefully advance to the World Arena.

Since losing its season opener to 3A No. 4 Manitou Springs, No. 3 Peyton has been unbeatable. The Panthers are led by Gibson Gellerman and his 14.6 points per game. Gavin Miller accounts for 11.6 points per game, while two other players average close to double figures.

Others to watch: No. 4 Yuma started the season with three straight losses but haven't dropped a game since then. Ben Buhler has made Denver Christian a very dangerous No. 6 seed as he averages 17.9 points per game.

Class 1A // Bracket
Belleview Christian (Westminster) is the clear favorite as the No. 1 seed in the 1A tournament. Assane Diop has been a wrecking ball this season, averaging 16.3 points, 18.8 rebounds, 7.2 blocks and 7.5 assists. Logan Owen leads the team with 19.2 points per game and still manages to pull down 8.9 rebounds to complement Diop.

No. 3 De Beque is hoping to re-create the state championship run from 2019 and certainly has the talent on the roster to do it. Wesley Ryan is one of the most complete basketball players in the state and averages 25.6 points to go with 7.9 rebounds per game. Right with him is fellow senior Jaden Jordan, who scores 17 points and pull down 9.7 boards per game.

Granada's loss to Eads on Feb. 9 is well in the rear-view mirror and the No. 4 Bobcats have looked very good in recent weeks. Dominic Coleman leads the team in scoring at 21 points per game. He's also the best for finding open shooters as he averages a team-best 5.4 assists.

Others to watch: Merino gets the No. 2 seed of the tournament and should be well-tested after battling through the 2A/1A Lower Platte League. Kole Armstrong leads the Rams at 13.6 points per game. No. 6 Primero (Weston) was nearly perfect in the regular season, dropping just one game to Holly. Four players score in double figures for the Bulldogs.