Video: Dason Youngblood's highlights vs. Davis High School
See the Bingham senior guard in the Miners' Utah Elite 8 win.
Generating success against a tough non-conference schedule is a sure formula for building a state-title contender later in the season. Many Utah boys basketball teams have spared no effort to line up games with top teams in the Mountain time zone and beyond. It has paid off with a slew of impressive wins.
Wasatch Academy (13-2), the state's top ranked team, has played a national schedule as an independent with great success. The Tigers have several notable wins, including victories over tough in-state foes Lone Peak and Timpview and a win over Wakefield (VA), a school currently ranked 32nd among Virginia high schools.
Bingham (8-2) has proven formidable in tough early season tournaments. The Miners won the Utah Elite 8 after dispatching Corner Canyon, Davis and Copper Hills by an average margin of 14.7 points. Bingham then notched three wins in five days at the Tarkanian Classic, beating Desert Pines (Nev.), Denver East (Colo.) and Valor Christian by an average margin of 15.7 points.
Timpview (6-3) has played the state's toughest schedule thus far. The Thunderbirds' three losses are to Wasatch Academy, George Washington – the No. 1 ranked team in Colorado – and Eaglecrest, another Top 10 team from Colorado. Timpview has earned a pair of impressive victories over Coronodo (Nev.) and Smoky Hill (Colo.), both of whom are top 20 teams in their respective states.
Lone Peak (5-3) has come on strong lately against a tough schedule. The Knights lost early games to Wasatch Academy and Smoky Hill, but rebounded with impressive wins over George Washington and Eaglecrest in the Tarkanian Classic.
Here's a closer look at which Utah boys basketball teams have played the strongest schedules early in the 2016-17 season:
Top 10 Strongest Schedules in Utah Boys Basketball
1. Timpview (Provo) Record: 6-3
SOS: 16.9
Notable results: Posted victories over British Columbia Christian and Smoky Hill (Colo.) in FreeTaxUSA Shootout and over Capital Christian (Calif.) and Coronodo (Nev.) in Tarkanian Classic.
2. Bingham (South Jordan) Record: 8-2
SOS: 13.6
Notable results: Went 3-0 at Utah Elite 8 against Corner Canyon, Davis and Copper Hills. Went 3-1 at Tarkanian Classic, beating Desert Pines (Nev.), Denver East (Colo.) and Valor Christian (Colo.).
3. Lone Peak (Highland) Record: 5-3
SOS: 11.5
Notable results: Went 3-1 at Tarkanian Classic with victories over Lynwood (Calif.), Eaglecrest (Colo.) and George Washington (Colo.).
4. Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant) Record: 13-2
SOS: 10.8
Notable results: Went 3-0 in FreeTaxUSA Shootout with wins over Lone Peak, Wakefield (VA) and Timpview. Went 4-1 at Chaminade Tournament with wins over Newbury Park (Calif.), Simi Valley (Calif.), El Camino (Calif.) and Beverly Hills (Calif.).
Wasatch Academy is 13-2 and has the fourth toughest strength of schedule in Utah.
Photo by Samuel Mawanda
5-4
SOS: 11.3
Notable results: Went 3-0 at Coach Walker Holiday Memorial Classic with victories over Pine View, Desert Hills and Hurricane.
6. Syracuse Record: 4-3
SOS: 10.4
Notable results: Beat Skyline (Idaho).
7. Sky View (Smithfield) Record: 5-2
SOS: 9.3
Notable results: Went 3-0 in Cache Classic with victories over Ridgeline, Logan and Preston (Idaho). Beat Highland (Idaho) and Syracuse.
8. Woods Cross Record: 8-1
SOS: 9.0
Notable results: Went 3-1 at Tarkanian Classic, beating Legacy (Nev.), John Muir (Calif.) and Las Vegas (Nev.)
9. Weber (Pleasant View)Record: 3-5
SOS: 8.6
Notable results: 3-1 versus Region 5 with wins over Ogden, Bonneville and Box Elder.
10. Layton Record: 4-4
SOS: 8.4
Notable results: Beat Weber.
John Coon covers Utah high school sports for MaxPreps. You can contact him at john_coon@hotmail.com and follow him on Twitter at @johncoonsports
