VIDEO: Top 10 Basketball Plays of the Week
Between the four teams in the Class 4A boys basketball Final 4, there have been a combined two state championships.
One of those came just four years ago, when Pueblo West captured its first crown with a resounding victory over Valor Christian.
The other? Go back some 63 years to when Mead defeated Wiggins to claim the Class B trophy in 1957.
That's why Friday's 4A state semifinal round at the Denver Coliseum is especially intriguing. No 10
Pueblo West and No. 11
Northfield is in only its second season of varsity play and draws a Mavericks team that has won 25 consecutive games. Mead's only loss came in the season opener way back on Dec. 5, a 94-91 overtime setback to Palmer (Colorado Springs). In the other semifinal, Pueblo West looks to get back to the title game for the first time since 2016 against a TCA team it defeated 62-46 on Dec. 7. The Titans upset No. 3 Longmont – the 2018 state champion and 2019 runner-up – in the quarterfinals.
Class 4A is also the only classification that is guaranteed to crown a new champion.
Rangeview (Aurora) (5A),
Manual (Denver) (3A),
Yuma (2A) and
De Beque (1A) all still have a chance to repeat in 2020.
While semifinal action in 5A and 4A is set for Friday, the Great 8 takes place in 3A, 2A and 1A starting Thursday morning.
All semifinal games are Friday, with championships decided Saturday across the state's five classifications.
Here is a quick look at each bracket headed into the final weekend of the season:
Class 5A // Brackets
Final 4
Friday at Denver Coliseum
No. 1 Rangeview (26-0) vs. No. 5 Grandview (20-6), 7 p.m.
No. 2 Fairview (22-3) vs. No. 6 Valor Christian (20-6), 8:30 p.m.
Championship: 8:30 p.m., Saturday
Overview: Rangeview went 26-2 a year ago and didn't lose a game in 2019 on its way to a state championship. The Raiders are perfect through 26 games this winter, with
Obi Agbim leading the way at 13.3 points a game.
Christopher 
Obi Agbim, Rangeview
File photo by Derek Regensburger
and
Christian Speller and
Cade Palmer each average a little more than 10 points a game. The team opened the season with a 38-37 victory over
Grandview (Aurora), its Final 4 opponent. … Speaking of the Wolves, they defeated upstart Regis Jesuit (Aurora) 48-41 in the quarterfinals to get back to the Final 4. Grandview lost to Rangeview in the quarterfinals last winter. Senior
Caleb McGill leads the team at 17.2 points and 7.1 rebounds a game, and
Lian Ramiro averages 15.3 points. …
Fairview (Boulder) has improved in each of its five seasons under coach Patrick Burke. The Knights swept through the Front Range League this season, only to survive a scare in its playoff opener, a 60-59 win over Fountain-Fort Carson. Junior
Greysen Carter averages 17.5 points and 7.9 rebounds a game. … After going 11-13 a year ago,
Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch) has won 20 games under first-year coach A.J. Kuhle. The Eagles lost four of five earlier in the season, only to win 17 of their next 18. Junior
Amondo Miller and seniors
Roger Rosengarten and
Talin Unruh each average more than 11 points a game.
Class 4A // Brackets
Final 4
Friday at Denver Coliseum
No. 10 Pueblo West (20-6) vs. No. 11 The Classical Academy (20-5), 4 p.m.
No. 1 Mead (25-1) vs. No. 5 Northfield (21-5), 5:30 p.m.
Championship: 3 p.m., Saturday
Overview: Pueblo West has lived dangerously in the postseason, winning its three games by a combined 11 points. Senior
Nahsyah Bolar, Northfield
File photo by Derek Regensburger
leads the club at 15.7 points a game, and
Jimmy Wardle averages just more than 12 points. …
Micah Lamberth led three TCA players with at least 13 points in the quarterfinal victory over Longmont. The senior scored 16 points against the Trojans after putting up 18 points in a Sweet 16 victory over Skyline (Longmont). Lamberth averages nearly 15 points a game, while teammate
Tyler Trogstad averages 12.3 points and 9.1 rebounds. … Mead is coming off a 69-63 Great 8 victory over Lincoln. Senior
Will Maher led the team with 21 points, and
Nick Jacobs and
Jacob Bartholomew each added 14 points.
Trey Ward had nine assists for the Mavericks. Four players average at least 10 points a game, and Bartholomew isn't far behind at 9.3. … Northfield is averaging nearly 72 points a game in its three postseason victories. Senior
Nahsyah Bolar leads the team at 18.4 points and 11.4 rebounds a game. A year ago the Nighthawks went 12-9 and won their inaugural postseason game before falling in the second round.
Class 3A // Brackets
Great 8
Thursday at Hamilton Gym, University of Denver
No. 2 The Vanguard School (22-2) vs. No. 10 Sterling (20-4), 10:15 a.m.
No. 3 Faith Christian (20-4) vs. No. 11 Alamosa (18-5), 1:15 p.m.
No. 4 Manual (17-7) vs. No. 5 Centauri (21-2), 5:30 p.m.
No. 1 Resurrection Christian (24-0) vs. No. 9 Lutheran (21-3), 8:30 p.m.
Final 4: 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Friday
Championship: 6 p.m., Saturday
Overview: The quarterfinal round of the 3A tournament offers up four great games. No. 11
Alamosa defeated No. 3
Faith Christian (Arvada) in the regular season, and has two scoring threats in
Brenden Crowther and
Ian Jackson. … Defending
Jaden Stoffell, Manual
File photo by Derek Regensburger
state champion Manual has been on a tear in recent weeks. The Thunderbolts won the Metro League district tournament after finishing tied for third in the league in the regular season. Senior
Jaden Stoffell is averaging 25.5 points a game. …
The Vanguard School (Colorado Springs) has won six in a row since an overtime loss to Manitou Springs, though Coursers' leading scorer
Dominique Clifford was hurt in a regional victory over University (Greeley). Two of
Sterling's four losses came to top-seeded
Resurrection Christian (Loveland), and the Tigers have four players who average at least 11 points a game. … The final game Thursday may be the best of the day. No. 1 Resurrection Christian hasn't lost a game all season, but No. 9
Lutheran (Parker) took the Cougars to the limit in a 66-65 game Jan. 4. Resurrection Christian's
Reece Johnson (18 points a game) and
Isaac Jessup (17 points) lead a loaded lineup. Lutheran's loss to Manual in the Metro League district tournament cost the Lions a higher seed, but they are a dangerous No. 9 seed. Freshman
Baye Fall averages a double-double, and the team is motivated after losing in the Great 8 a year ago as the No. 1 seed.
Class 2A // Brackets
Great 8
Thursday at Budweiser Events Center, Loveland
No. 4 Sanford (20-4) vs. No. 5 Wray (18-6), 10:15 a.m.
No. 3 Yuma (20-3) vs. No. 6 Fowler (22-2), 1:15 p.m.
No. 2 Limon (22-2) vs. No. 7 Peyton (19-5), 5:30 p.m.
No. 1 Highland (23-1) vs. No. 8 Ignacio (18-4), 8:30 p.m.
Final 4: 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Friday
Championship: 8:30 p.m., Saturday
Overview: Two-time defending state champion Yuma likely would have been the No. 1 seed, but a loss in the district tournament to
Holyoke forced the Indians to work their way back up the ranks. Yuma is the No. 3 seed, and has a great 1-2
Clay Robinson, Yuma
File photo by Ray Chen
punch in sophomore
Clay Robinson and senior
Chase McCreath.
Fowler has won 19 in a row since a loss to
Limon on Dec. 20. Junior
Val Leone averages 18 points a game and
Johnathan Mobbley averages a double-double. … Speaking of Limon, the Badgers have won 17 consecutive games.
Camden Smithburg averages 16.6 points a game.
Peyton has won seven in a row, and
Gibson Gellerman scored 18 points in a regional victory over Denver Christian. … On the other side of the bracket, top-seeded
Highland (Ault) is looking for its first state title since 2000. The Huskies have won 19 in a row, though they had to rally to defeat Holly 65-63 in the regional championship.
Jase Bessire had 24 points in that game to go with seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. Two of
Ignacio's losses came to Mancos, though the Bobcats gained a measure of revenge with a victory over the Bluejays in the regional title game. … Three of
Sanford's losses came to 3A teams which are in the Great 8.
Wray has won eight in a row, and two of its losses came to Yuma. Senior
Justin Pecar averages 17 points and more than nine rebounds a game.
Class 1A // Brackets
Great 8
Thursday at University of Northern Colorado, Greeley
No. 2 Mile High Academy (20-3) vs. No. 7 Evangelical Christian (19-3), 10:15 a.m.
No. 1 Kit Carson (21-1) vs. No. 8 Ouray (14-6), 1:15 p.m.
No. 3 Walsh (23-2) vs. No. 6 Merino (16-8), 5:30 p.m.
No. 4 De Beque (20-2) vs. No. 5 Briggsdale (19-4), 8:30 p.m.
Final 4: 5:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., Friday
Championship: 5:30 p.m., Saturday (Budweiser Events Center, Loveland)
Overview: Top-seeded
Kit Carson is seeking its first championship since 2007, but the Wildcats – whose only loss came in
Jayden McCombs-Farmer, Kit Carson
File photo by Kevin Saffer
the season opener to 2A Limon – have to get past upstart
Ouray in the Great 8 first. Ouray defeated last year's runner-up, Sangre de Cristo (Mosca), in the regional title game. Kit Carson took care of South Baca behind 22 points and 15 rebounds from
Jayden McCombs-Farmer. … Last year's champion, De Beque, is the No. 4 seed. The Dragons have won their previous two games by one point each, including a 58-57 thriller against Primero in regionals.
Briggsdale will provide a tough opening test at state –
Wyatt Patton averages more than 17 points a game. …
Mile High Academy (Denver) rode a 25-point, 14-rebound game from
Blake Essex in the regional title game to a trip to state.
Evangelical Christian (Colorado Springs) has won 11 of 12, and
Jason Holt averages 20 points a game. …
Walsh's last loss came in December to Kit Carson. The Eagles have won 16 in a row in 2020.
Merino lost six of eight late in the season, but the Rams are on a seven-game winning streak.
